Vertical transistors and methods for forming the same

A semiconductor device, comprising:

• an array of vertical transistors, each of the vertical transistors comprising a semiconductor body extending in a first direction, and a gate structure coupled to at least one side of the semiconductor body, the gate structure comprising a gate dielectric and a gate electrode;
• a bit line extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and coupled to a column of the vertical transistors in the second direction;
• a pad layer extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and positioned between the bit line and the gate electrodes of a row of the vertical transistors in the third direction, wherein the pad layer has a dielectric material;
• and
• a liner layer positioned between the pad layer and the semiconductor body in the second direction, wherein the gate dielectric and the liner layer have a same material.