Semiconductor device including field-effect transistor using salicide (self-aligned silicide) structure and method of fabricating the same

A semiconductor device fabrication method comprising:

• forming, in a semiconductor substrate, an element isolation region for defining an element region where an element is to be formed;
• forming a gate insulating film on the semiconductor substrate in the element region;
• forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film, and a cap film on the gate electrode;
• forming extension regions in a surface region of the semiconductor substrate on two sides of the gate electrode;
• forming gate sidewall films on two side surfaces of the gate electrode and on two side surfaces of the cap film;
• forming source/drain regions in a surface region of the semiconductor substrate outside the gate sidewall films;
• removing the cap film on the gate electrode;
• forming a metal film on the gate electrode, gate sidewalls film, and source/drain regions;
• removing the metal film by anisotropic etching such that the metal films separated from the element isolation region remains on side surfaces of the gate sidewall films, and that the metal film remains on the gate electrode;
• and
• silicifying the metal films remaining on the source/drain regions and gate electrode to form first silicide films, separated from the element isolation region, on the source/drain regions, and a second silicide film on the gate electrode.