Device layout for gate last process

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a first region, a second region, and a third region;

a plurality of transistors having metal gates formed in the first region;

an isolation structure formed in the second region;

at least one junction device formed proximate the isolation structure in the second region;

a first stopping structure formed overlying the isolation structure in the second region;

a resistive device formed in the third region; and

a second stopping structure formed proximate the resistive device.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one junction device includes one of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and a diode.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first stopping structure covers at least 5 percent of a pattern density of the second region.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first stopping structure includes a continuous ring-type structure having one of a rectangular shape, a square shape, an ellipse shape, and a circular shape.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first stopping structure includes a plurality of pillars each having one of a rectangular shape, a square shape, an ellipse shape, and a circular shape.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first stopping structure includes one of a polysilicon stopper, a dielectric stopper, a metal stopper, and a contact stopper.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the second stopping structure includes one of a dummy poly structure, a dummy active region, and combinations thereof.

8. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate having a first region, a second region, and third region;

forming a plurality of transistors having metal gates in the first region;

forming an isolation structure in the second region;

forming at least one junction device proximate the isolation structure in the second region;

forming a first stopping structure overlying the isolation structure in the second region; and

forming a second stopping structure in the third region of the substrate proximate to a resistor during the same process that forms the first stopping structure overlying the isolation structure in the second region.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one junction device includes one of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and a diode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the forming the first stopping structure includes forming a stopping structure that covers at least 5 percent of a pattern density of the second region.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the forming the plurality of transistors includes:

forming dummy poly gate structures for the transistors;

removing the dummy poly gate structures after forming source/drain regions; and

forming the metal gates in trenches created by the removal of the dummy poly gate structures, wherein the forming the first stopping structure is performed in the same process that forms the dummy poly gate structures.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the removing the dummy poly gate structures includes performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to expose the dummy poly gate structures, the CMP substantially stopping at a level of the first stopping structure.

13. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a first region, a second region, and a third region, the first, second, and third regions being isolated from one another;

at least one transistor formed in the first region, the at least one transistors having a high-k gate dielectric and metal gate electrode;

at least one junction device formed adjacent to an isolation structure in the second region;

a stopping structure formed on the isolation structure in the second region;

at least one resistor device formed in the third region; and

a dummy gate structure formed proximate the at least one resistor device,

wherein the stopping structure includes a surface that is co-planar with a surface of the dummy gate structure.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the metal gate electrode includes a surface that is co-planar with the surface of the stopping structure.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one junction device includes one of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and a diode.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one transistor includes a plurality of transistors that are isolated from one another by a shallow trench isolation structure;

wherein the semiconductor device further includes a dummy contact stopper disposed on the shallow trench isolation structure; and

wherein the dummy contact stopper includes a surface that is co-planar with the surface of the metal gate.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the stopping structure includes a continuous ring-type structure having one of a rectangular shape, a square shape, an ellipse shape, and a circular shape.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the stopping structure includes a plurality of pillars each having one of a rectangular shape, a square shape, an ellipse shape, and a circular shape.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the dummy gate structure is disposed overlying a dummy active region formed in the semiconductor substrate in the third region.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second stopping structure includes one of a dummy poly structure, a dummy active region, and combination thereof.