Sacrificial gate capping layer for gate protection during source/drain contact opening

A method comprising:

• providing a substrate comprising a source/drain contact region, a replacement metal gate adjacent the source/drain contact region to provide a sidewall of a recess with the source/drain contact region at a bottom of the recess, a spacer formed on the sidewall of the replacement metal gate and on the source/drain contact region, and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) provided above the source/drain contact region to at least partially fill the recess;
• removing a first portion of the ILD above the source/drain contact region using a first plasma etching process to uncover a portion of the spacer formed on the sidewall of the replacement metal gate;
• forming a sacrificial gate capping layer on the replacement metal gate and on the spacer formed on the sidewall within the recess, the sacrificial gate capping layer having a first thickness on an upper portion of the spacer formed on the sidewall and a smaller second thickness on a lower portion of the spacer formed on the sidewall that is not covered by the ILD;
• removing a second portion of the ILD using a second plasma etching process to uncover an additional portion of the spacer formed on the sidewall of the replacement metal gate;
• and
• fully removing the ILD above the source drain contact region by repeating at least once the forming the sacrificial gate capping layer and removing the second portion of the ILD.