Densely packed standard cells for integrated circuit products, and methods of making same

1. A method, comprising:

forming first and second transistor devices in and above adjacent first and second active regions that are separated by an isolation region formed in a semiconductor substrate, said first and second transistors comprising at least one source/drain region and a shared gate structure:

forming a continuous conductive line that spans across said isolation region, wherein said continuous conductive line contacts said at least one source/drain region of each of said first and second transistors; and

performing an etching process through a patterned mask layer on said at least one continuous conductive line to form separated first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, wherein said first unitary conductive source/drain contact structure contacts only said at least one source/drain region of said first transistor and said second unitary conductive source/drain contact structure contacts only said at least one source/drain region of said second transistor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a via layer comprised of first and second conductive vias that contact said first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first transistor is an NFET transistor and said second transistor is a PFET transistor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second transistors are FinFET transistors.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a gate contact structure that is conductively coupled to said common gate structure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, after forming said gate contact structure, the method further comprises forming a via layer comprised of first, second and third conductive vias that contact said first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures and said gate contact structure, respectively.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said unitary conductive source/drain contact structure is positioned in a single layer of insulating material.

8. A method, comprising:

forming first and second transistor devices in and above adjacent first and second active regions that are separated by an isolation region formed in a semiconductor substrate, said first and second transistors comprising at least one source/drain region and a shared gate structure;

performing a first etching process through a first patterned mask layer to form a continuous conductive line that spans across said isolation region, wherein said continuous conductive line contacts said at least one source/drain region of each of said first and second transistors;

removing said first patterned mask layer; and

performing at least one second etching process through a second patterned mask layer on said at least one continuous conductive line to form separated first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, wherein said first unitary conductive source/drain contact structure contacts only said at least one source/drain region of said first transistor and said second unitary conductive source/drain contact structure contacts only said at least one source/drain region of said second transistor.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a via layer comprised of first and second conductive vias that contact said first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, respectively.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a gate contact structure that is conductively coupled to said common gate structure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, after forming said gate contact structure, the method further comprises forming a via layer comprised of first, second and third conductive vias that contact said first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures and said gate contact structure, respectively.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures are positioned in a single layer of insulating material.

13. A method, comprising:

forming first, second, third and fourth spaced-apart active regions in a semiconductor substrate;

forming first, second, third and fourth transistor devices in and above said first, second, third and fourth active regions, respectively, wherein each of said transistors comprises at least one source/drain region;

forming a first shared gate structure for said first and second transistors above said first and second active regions;

forming a second shared gate structure for said third and fourth transistors above said third and fourth active regions;

performing a first etching process through a first patterned mask layer to form a continuous conductive line that spans across said first, second, third and fourth active regions, wherein said continuous conductive line contacts said at least one source/drain region of each of said first, second, third and fourth transistors;

removing said first patterned mask layer;

performing at least one second etching process through a second patterned mask layer on said at least one continuous conductive line to form a plurality of separated unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, wherein each unitary conductive source/drain contact structure spans respective width of the first, second, third, and fourth active regions;

removing said second patterned mask layer;

performing at least one third etching process through a third patterned mask layer to form a first gate contact structure that is conductively coupled to said first shared gate structure and to form a second gate contact structure that is conductively coupled to said second gate shared gate structure; and

forming a via layer comprised of a plurality of conductive vias that collectively contact said plurality of unitary conductive source/drain contact structures and said first and second gate contact structures.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming a metallization layer on the plurality of conductive vias.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of unitary conductive source/drain contact structures are positioned in a single layer of insulating material.