Methods of forming a protection layer on an isolation region of ic products comprising finfet devices

A method of forming a FinFET device, comprising:

• forming a plurality of fin-formation trenches in a semiconductor substrate so as to define a plurality of fins;
• forming a recessed layer of insulating material comprising a first insulating material in said fin-formation trenches, wherein a portion of each of said plurality of fins is exposed above an upper surface of said recessed layer of insulating material;
• after forming said recessed layer of insulating material, forming a patterned fin masking layer above said substrate that covers a first portion of a first fin of said plurality of fins, exposes a second portion of said first fin and exposes at least a portion of a second fin of said plurality of fins;
• with said patterned fin masking layer in position above said substrate, performing at least one first etching process to remove at least a portion of a vertical height of said exposed portions of said first and second fins;
• after performing said at least one first etching process, forming a device isolation region for said FinFET device that comprises a second insulating material;
• and
• forming an isolation protection layer above said device isolation region, wherein said isolation protection layer comprises a different material than said second insulating material of said device isolation region.