Methods of forming air gaps between source/drain contacts and the resulting devices

A device, comprising:

• first and second active regions;
• first and second gate structures formed above the first and second active regions;
• a first source/drain contact positioned above the first active region between the first and second gate structures;
• a second source/drain contact positioned above the second active region between the first and second gate structures, wherein the first source/drain contact is axially aligned with the second source/drain contact in a gate width direction of the device parallel to axial lengths of the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, and a tip-to-toe region is defined between a first end of the first source/drain contact and second end of the second source/drain contact, wherein the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact each has a width less than the axial length, wherein the axial lengths and the widths are taken in a horizontal cross section;
• and
• a dielectric material disposed between the first and second source/drain contacts, wherein the dielectric material defines an air gap cavity positioned between the first and second source/drain contacts in the tip-to-toe region and extends from the first gate structure to the second gate structure in the tip-to-tip region.

A method, comprising:

• forming first and second active regions in a semiconductor substrate;
• forming a first source/drain contact positioned above the first active region;
• forming a second source/drain contact positioned above the second active region, wherein the first source/drain contact is axially aligned with the second source/drain contact in a gate width direction of the device parallel to axial lengths of the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, and a tip-to-toe region is defined between a first end of the first source/drain contact and second end of the second source/drain contact, wherein the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact each has a width less than the axial length, wherein the axial lengths and the widths are taken in a horizontal cross section;
• and
• forming a dielectric material between the first and second source/drain contacts, wherein the dielectric material defines an air gap cavity positioned between the first and second source/drain contacts in the tip-to-toe region.