Method of patterning a semiconductor device having improved spacing and shape control and a semiconductor device

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• a first active region in the semiconductor substrate;
• a second active region in the semiconductor substrate;
• a gate electrode extending over the first active region and the second active region;
• a first conductive line over the semiconductor substrate electrically connected to the first active region, the first conductive line has an end face adjacent the second active region;
• and
• a second conductive line over the semiconductor substrate electrically connected to the second active region, the second conductive line has an end face adjacent to the first active region, wherein a distance between the end face of the first conductive line and the end face of the second conductive line is less than 100 nm.

A method of patterning a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• forming an intermediate layer on a semiconductor substrate having an active region;
• etching the intermediate layer to transfer an active region pattern to the intermediate layer;
• thereafter forming a second photoresist on the etched intermediate layer;
• thereafter positioning a line photoresist mask between the second photoresist and a photoresist patterning source that patterns the second photoresist;
• and
• thereafter etching the patterned second photoresist to expose a portion of the active region pattern of the intermediate layer, wherein an end face of the exposed portion of the active region pattern has an image log slope of greater than 15 μm−1.