Contacts for semiconductor devices

A local interconnect structure for an integrated circuit device, comprising:

• a substrate having a upper surface;
• a gate electrode on a portion of the substrate upper surface, the gate electrode having a conductive layer separated from the substrate upper surface by a gate oxide layer, and further having an insulating etch stop layer on the conductive layer, wherein the etch stop layer is formed from a material which resists etching by an etchant used to etch silicon oxide;
• insulating sidewall spacers alongside the gate electrode and resting on the substrate upper surface;
• highly doped source/drain regions within the substrate and laterally spaced from underneath the gate electrode;
• sloped filler spacers on the substrate upper surface against the insulating sidewall spacers, wherein the filler spacers have a generally convex upper surface;
• a conductive local interconnect in contact with a portion of a source/drain region, and extending over a sloped filler spacer and an insulating sidewall spacer to a location over a portion of the gate electrode.