Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device

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

forming a gate structure through a first insulating interlayer on a substrate, the gate structure including a spacer on a sidewall thereof;

forming a first hard mask directly on the gate structure and directly on the spacer;

partially removing the first insulating interlayer using the first hard mask as an etching mask to form a first contact hole such that the first contact hole exposes a top surface of the substrate;

forming a metal silicide pattern on the top surface of the substrate exposed by the first contact hole; and

forming a plug electrically connected to the metal silicide pattern.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal silicide pattern is self-aligned with the spacer, and the plug is self-aligned with the spacer and the first hard mask.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the gate structure includes:

forming a dummy gate structure on the substrate,

forming the spacer on a sidewall of the dummy gate structure,

forming the first insulating interlayer on the substrate to cover the dummy gate structure and the spacer,

planarizing an upper portion of the first insulating interlayer to expose the dummy gate structure,

removing the exposed dummy gate structure to form an opening, and

forming the gate structure in the opening.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein forming the dummy gate structure includes forming a dummy gate insulation layer pattern, forming a dummy gate electrode, and forming a dummy gate mask.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein planarizing the upper portion of the first insulating interlayer is performed until a top surface of the dummy gate electrode is exposed.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first hard mask and the spacer are formed using silicon nitride, and the first insulating interlayer is formed using silicon oxide.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising forming a second hard mask on the first hard mask, the second hard mask including a silicon based spin-on hard mask.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein forming the first and second hard masks includes:

forming a first hard mask layer on the gate structures and the first insulating interlayer,

forming the second hard mask on the first hard mask layer, and

patterning the first hard mask layer using the second hard mask as an etching mask to form the first hard mask.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein forming the plug includes:

forming a second insulating interlayer on the first hard mask, the spacer, and the metal silicide pattern such that the second insulating interlayer fills the first contact hole,

partially removing the second insulating interlayer to form a second contact hole, the second contact hole exposing the metal silicide pattern,

forming a conductive layer on the first hard mask, the conductive layer filling the second contact hole, and

planarizing the conductive layer until a top surface of the first hard mask is exposed.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising forming an offset spacer on sidewalls of the first hard mask, on sidewalls of the spacer, and on a portion of the metal silicide pattern prior to forming the plug.

11. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming first and second gate structures through a first insulating interlayer on first and second regions of a substrate, respectively, the first and second gate structures including first and second spacers on respective sidewalls thereof;

forming a first hard mask directly on the first and second gate structures and directly on the first and second spacers;

partially removing the first insulating interlayer using the first hard mask as an etching mask to form a first contact hole, the first contact hole exposing a top surface of the first region of the substrate;

forming a metal silicide pattern on the top surface of the first region of the substrate exposed by the first contact hole; and

forming a first plug electrically connected to the metal silicide pattern.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first region is a cell region and the second region is a peripheral circuit region.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the metal silicide pattern is self-aligned with the first spacer, and the first plug is self-aligned with the first spacer and the first hard mask.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising forming a second plug electrically connected to the second gate structure.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising forming an offset spacer on sidewalls of the first hard mask, on sidewalls of the first spacer, and on a portion of the metal silicide pattern prior to forming the first plug.

16. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a dummy gate structure on a substrate having an impurity region, the dummy gate structure including a spacer on sidewalls thereof;

forming a first insulating interlayer surrounding the dummy gate structure;

removing the dummy gate structure to form a void surrounded by the spacer;

forming a gate structure in the void;

forming a first hard mask directly on the gate structure and directly on the spacer;

partially removing the first insulating interlayer using the first hard mask as an etching mask to form a first contact hole adjacent to the spacer, the first contact hole exposing the impurity region of the substrate;

forming a metal silicide pattern on the impurity region exposed by the first contact hole; and

forming a plug in the first contact hole, the plug being electrically connected to the metal silicide pattern.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein forming the metal silicide pattern includes self-aligned the metal silicide pattern using the spacer, and forming the plug includes self-aligned the plug using the spacer and the first hard mask.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the metal silicide pattern is adjacent to the spacer, and the plug is adjacent to the spacer and the first hard mask.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising forming an offset spacer on sidewalls of the first hard mask, on sidewalls of the first spacer, and on a portion of the metal silicide pattern prior to forming the first plug, wherein

forming the plug includes depositing a conductive layer on the offset spacer, the metal silicide pattern being formed before depositing the conductive layer.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising:

forming a second insulating interlayer overlapping the first hard mask after forming the plug in the first contact hole, and

forming wirings on the second insulating interlayer.