Backside bevel protection

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:

• forming a replacement gate structure with a dummy polysilicon layer on a first surface of a substrate;
• depositing a dielectric layer by a thermal process to form a contact etch stop layer (CESL) on the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is deposited on the first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface of the substrate;
• and
• removing the dummy polysilicon layer from the replacement gate structure, wherein the dielectric layer on the second surface of the substrate protects the second surface of the substrate from being damaged by the removing the dummy polysilicon and prevents particles from being generated at a backside bevel of the substrate.

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:

• forming a replacement gate structure with a dummy polysilicon layer on a first surface of a substrate;
• depositing a dielectric layer by a thermal process to form a contact etch stop layer (CESL) on the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is deposited on the first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface of the substrate;
• forming an inter-metal dielectric (ILD) layer on the first surface, wherein the dielectric layer is between the first surface and the ILD layer;
• and
• removing the dummy polysilicon layer from the replacement gate structure, wherein the dielectric layer has a different etch selectivity from the dummy polysilicon layer and the ILD layer.