Transistor circuits including fringeless transistors and method of making the same

A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:

• forming a first trench isolation structure around a first portion of a semiconductor substrate;
• forming a first patterned stack including a first gate dielectric, a first semiconductor gate electrode portion, and a first hardmask gate cap over the first portion of a semiconductor substrate;
• forming a first source region and a first drain region within a remaining segment of the first portion of the semiconductor substrate, whereby a first active region is formed;
• forming a planarization dielectric layer over the first trench isolation structure and the first active region such that a top surface of the planarization dielectric layer is coplanar with a top surface of the first hardmask gate cap;
• forming a recess region around the first patterned stack by vertically recessing a portion of the planarization dielectric layer;
• forming a stepped cavity by removing the first hardmask gate cap, wherein the stepped cavity comprises a volume from which the first hardmask gate cap is removed and a volume of the peripheral recess region;
• and
• forming a first metallic gate electrode portion in the stepped cavity.