Methods of forming semiconductor device with self-aligned contact elements and the resulting devices

A method of forming a transistor, said transistor having a gate structure comprised of a conductive material and a source/drain region, comprising:

• forming said gate structure above said substrate, said gate structure having an initial height;
• performing a first etching process to reduce said initial height of said gate structure and thereby define a reduced height gate structure;
• forming a gate cap layer above said reduced height gate structure;
• forming at least one layer of insulating material above said source/drain region;
• performing at least one second etching process to form a contact opening in said at least one layer of insulating material above at least a portion of said source/drain region, wherein, after the completion of said at least one second etching process, a portion of said gate cap layer and a portion of an upper surface and a portion of a side surface of said gate structure are exposed;
• selectively forming an oxidizable material on said exposed upper surface and said exposed side surface of said exposed gate structure;
• after selectively forming the oxidizable material, performing an oxidation process to convert at least a portion of said oxidizable material to an oxide material;
• and
• forming a conductive contact in at least said contact opening that is conductively coupled to said source/drain region.

A method of forming a transistor, said transistor having a gate structure comprised of a conductive material and a source/drain region, comprising:

• forming said gate structure above said substrate, said gate structure having an initial height and an upper surface;
• forming at least one layer of insulating material above said source/drain region and on said upper surface of said gate structure;
• performing at least one etching process to form a contact opening in said at least one layer of insulating material above at least a portion of said source/drain region, wherein, after the completion of said at least one etching process, a portion of an upper surface and a portion of a side surface of said gate structure are exposed;
• selectively forming an oxidizable material on said exposed upper surface and said exposed side surface of said exposed gate structure;
• after selectively forming the oxidizable material, performing an oxidation process to convert at least a portion of said oxidizable material to an oxide material;
• and
• forming a conductive contact in at least said contact opening that is conductively coupled to said source/drain region.