FinFET device and method

1. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a fin on a substrate, the fin comprising a channel region;

forming a first isolation region surrounding the fin, a upper region of the fin protruding above the first isolation region;

forming a dummy gate structure extending over the first isolation region and the upper region;

forming a spacer layer on sidewalls of the dummy gate structure and on sidewalls of the upper region;

epitaxially growing a source/drain region adjacent the channel region;

performing an etching process on the dummy gate structure to form a recess in the dummy gate structure, wherein the etching process exposes the sidewall of the upper region, wherein after performing the etching process, portions of the dummy gate structure remain on the sidewall of the upper region located between the exposed sidewall of the upper region and the spacer layer; and

forming a replacement gate structure in the recess, wherein portions of the replacement gate structure are separated from the upper region by the remaining portions of the dummy gate structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the dummy gate structure that is adjacent the fin has a first width and wherein a second portion of the dummy gate structure that is away from the fin has a second width that is smaller than the first width.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remaining portions of the dummy gate structure extend along the sidewalls of the spacer layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the etching process exposes sidewalls of the spacer layer that are adjacent to the remaining portions of the dummy gate structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching process comprises using an anisotropic dry etching process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the dummy gate structure comprises forming a dummy gate layer over the first isolation region and over the upper region and forming a mask layer over the dummy gate layer, and wherein performing the etching process comprises etching the mask layer using a first etching step to remove the mask layer and etching the dummy gate layer using a second etching step.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recess in the dummy gate structure has a chamfered shape in a plan view.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recess in the dummy gate structure has a chamfered shape with chamfered edges at an angle between 20 degrees and 60 degrees from the fin.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recess in the dummy gate structure has a stadium shape in a plan view.

10. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor fin protruding from a substrate;

forming a dummy gate over the semiconductor fin;

forming gate spacers on sidewalls of the dummy gate;

performing an etching process on the dummy gate, wherein the etching process comprises:

simultaneously etching first portions of the dummy gate at a first etching rate and etching second portions of the dummy gate at a second etching rate that is greater than this first etching rate, wherein each first portion of the dummy gate comprises a first surface over a sidewall of a gate spacer and a second surface over a sidewall of the semiconductor fin, wherein the second portions of the dummy gate are adjacent the first portions; and

stopping the etching process after the second portions of the dummy gate are removed, wherein the first portions of the dummy gate remain after stopping the etching process;

forming a gate dielectric over the semiconductor fin and over the first portions of the dummy gate; and

forming a gate electrode over the gate dielectric.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each first portion of the dummy gate has a triangular shape in a plan view.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming epitaxial source/drain regions in the semiconductor fin adjacent the dummy gate dielectric, wherein the first portions of the dummy gate are closer to the epitaxial source/drain regions than the second portions of the dummy gate.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first etching rate is between 20% and 60% of the second etching rate.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming a dummy dielectric layer over the semiconductor fin before forming the dummy gate, wherein the second surfaces of the first portions of the dummy gate are on the dummy dielectric layer.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first surfaces of the first portions of the dummy gate form an angle between 20 degrees and 60 degrees from the semiconductor fin.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first surfaces of the second portions of the dummy gate extend along the semiconductor fin a distance between 2 nm and 30 nm.

17. A method, comprising:

forming a fin extending from a substrate;

depositing a dummy gate material over the fin and along a sidewall of the fin;

removing dummy gate material to expose the sidewall of the fin, wherein a portion of the dummy gate material remains along the sidewall of the fin after the removing of dummy gate material;

forming a gate stack over the fin, along the sidewall of the fin, and along the remaining portion of the dummy gate material; and

forming a first epitaxial source/drain region in the fin and adjacent the gate stack.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the remaining portion of dummy gate material is between the first epitaxial source/drain region and the gate stack.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the dummy gate material comprises silicon oxide.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the gate stack comprises a sidewall that extends along the remaining portion of dummy gate material at an angle that is between 20 degrees and 60 degrees with respect to the sidewall of the fin.