Methods of fabricating a semiconductor device

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

• providing a substrate that includes first and second main regions spaced apart from each other in a first direction, and a dummy region that comprises a dummy connection region between the first and second main regions and first and second dummy cell regions spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with the dummy connection region interposed therebetween;
• forming dummy active patterns that extend in the second direction and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction on the dummy region, wherein the dummy active patterns comprise first dummy active patterns on the first dummy cell region, second dummy active patterns on the second dummy cell region, and connection dummy active patterns on the dummy connection region, wherein the connection dummy active patterns connect some of the first dummy active patterns to some of the second dummy active patterns;
• and
• forming a trench in each of the first and second dummy cell regions, the trench defining dummy active regions which are arranged in the first direction and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction,
• wherein forming the trench comprises removing the dummy active patterns from a region between an adjacent pair of the dummy active regions, and
• wherein the number of connection dummy active patterns is less than a sum of the number of the dummy active patterns in each of the dummy active regions and the number of dummy active patterns removed from the region between the adjacent pair of dummy active regions.