Gate contact structure for a transistor

A transistor, comprising:

• a gate positioned above a semiconductor substrate, said gate comprising a gate structure and a gate cap;
• first and second conductive source/drain metallization structures positioned adjacent and on opposite sides of said gate, each of said first and second conductive source/drain metallization structures having a front face;
• a recess defined in each of said conductive source/drain metallization structures;
• a spacer structure comprising lower recess filling portions that substantially fill said recesses and an upper portion that extends across a portion of an upper surface of said gate cap, wherein a portion of said gate cap is exposed within said spacer structure and wherein said lower recess filling portions have an upper surface;
• an insulating material positioned within said spacer structure above said exposed portion of said gate cap and above said upper surfaces of said lower recess filling portions of said spacer structure;
• a gate contact opening that extends through said insulating material and said gate cap, said gate contact opening exposing a portion of an upper surface of said gate structure and at least a portion of said upper surfaces of said lower recess filling portions of said spacer structure;
• and
• a conductive gate contact structure positioned in said conductive gate contact opening, wherein said conductive gate contact structure is conductively coupled to said gate structure and wherein said conductive gate contact structure contacts said upper surface of said lower recess filling portions of said spacer structure and, when viewed from above, said conductive gate contact structure is positioned within said spacer structure.

A transistor, comprising:

• a gate positioned above a semiconductor substrate, said gate comprising a gate structure and a gate cap;
• first and second conductive source/drain metallization structures positioned adjacent and on opposite sides of said gate, each of said first and second conductive source/drain metallization structures having a front face;
• a recess defined in each of said conductive source/drain metallization structures;
• a spacer structure comprising lower recess filling portions that substantially fill said recesses and an upper portion that extends across a portion of an upper surface of said gate cap, wherein a portion of said gate cap is exposed within said spacer structure and wherein said lower recess filling portions have an upper surface;
• an insulating material positioned within said spacer structure above said exposed portion of said gate cap and above said upper surfaces of said lower recess filling portions of said spacer structure;
• a gate contact opening that extends through said insulating material and said gate cap, said gate contact opening exposing a portion of an upper surface of said gate structure and at least a portion of said upper surfaces of said lower recess filling portions of said spacer structure;
• and
• a conductive gate contact structure positioned in said conductive gate contact opening, wherein an entire upper surface and an entire bottom surface of said conductive gate contact structure are positioned vertically above an active region of the transistor, wherein said conductive gate contact structure is conductively coupled to said gate structure, wherein said conductive gate contact structure contacts said upper surface of said lower recess filling portions of said spacer structure and, when viewed from above, said conductive gate contact structure is positioned within said spacer structure.