Methods, apparatus, and system to control gate height and cap thickness across multiple gates

A semiconductor device, comprising:

• a first gate having a first width and comprising a first work function metal (WFM);
• a first liner disposed over the first WFM;
• a first gate metal over the first liner and having a first height above the height of the first work function metal;
• a first spacer on the sides of the first gate and having a first spacer height greater than the first height;
• a first pinch-off spacer over the first WFM, the first liner, and the first gate metal to above the first height and below the first spacer height;
• and
• a second gate having a second width greater than the first width, and comprising a second WFM;
• a second liner disposed over the second WFM;
• a second gate metal over the second liner and having substantially the first height;
• a second spacer on the sides of the second gate and having a second spacer height greater than the first height;
• and a first conformal spacer over the second WFM and the second liner.

A system, comprising:

• a semiconductor device processing system to manufacture a semiconductor device;
• and
• a processing controller operatively coupled to the semiconductor device processing system, the processing controller configured to control an operation of the semiconductor device processing system;
• wherein the semiconductor device processing system is adapted to:
• form a first gate having a first width and comprising a first gate metal having a first height;
• and first spacers on the sides of the first gate and having a first spacer height greater than the first height;
• form a second gate having a second width and comprising a second gate metal having a second height, wherein the first width is less than the second width and the first height is greater than the second height;
• and second spacers on the sides of the second gate and having a second spacer height greater than the second height;
• fill a first region between the first spacers on the sides of the first gate and above the first gate metal with a third spacer material;
• conformally deposit the third spacer material in a second region between the second spacers on the sides of the second gate, and on a top of the second gate metal;
• remove the third spacer material from the top of the second gate metal, wherein the first gate metal remains covered by the third spacer material;
• add metal to the second gate metal, thereby raising the top of the second gate metal to about the first height.