Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a source/drain contact plug with a recessed portion using a mask pattern layer

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• forming an active region extending in a first direction on a substrate;
• forming a gate structure on the substrate, the gate structure extending in a second direction to intersect the active region;
• removing an upper portion of the gate structure and forming a gate capping layer where the upper portion of the gate structure is removed;
• forming a preliminary contact plug electrically connected to a portion of the active region, the preliminary contact plug including a first portion and a second portion;
• forming a mask pattern layer, the mask pattern layer including a first pattern layer covering an upper surface of the gate capping layer and extending in the second direction, and a second pattern layer extending from the first pattern layer in the first direction, to cover the second portion of the preliminary contact plug;
• and
• forming a contact plug using the mask pattern layer as an etch mask by recessing the first portion of the preliminary contact plug exposed by the mask pattern layer to a predetermined depth from an upper surface of the preliminary contact plug,
• wherein the first pattern layer exposes opposite edges, in the first direction, of the gate capping layer, and
• wherein the opposite edges of the gate capping layer exposed by the first pattern layer is partially removed in the recessing of the first portion of the preliminary contact plug.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• forming active regions extending in a first direction on a substrate;
• forming, on the substrate, sacrificial gate structures extending in a second direction to intersect the active regions;
• forming source/drain regions on the active regions on opposite sides of each of the sacrificial gate structures;
• removing the sacrificial gate structures and forming gate structures where the sacrificial gate structures are removed;
• removing upper portions of the gate structures and forming gate capping layers where the gate structures are removed;
• forming a preliminary contact plug extending to be connected to a corresponding one of the source/drain regions;
• forming a mask pattern layer having a mesh shape on the preliminary contact plug and the gate capping layers, exposing a portion of the preliminary contact plug;
• and
• forming a contact plug using the mask pattern layer as an etch mask by recessing the portion of the preliminary contact plug exposed by the mask pattern layer to form a recessed region, wherein the contact plug includes a first portion and a second portion extending upwardly from the first portion.