US Patent 9859432 Semiconductor devices having spacer protection pattern

A semiconductor device may include a pair of active patterns spaced apart from each other in a first direction, a pair of gate electrodes intersecting the pair of the active patterns in a second direction crossing the first direction, gate spacers on sidewalls of the pair of the active patterns, source/drain regions on the pair active patterns between the pair of the gate electrodes, and a spacer protection pattern between the pair of the gate electrodes and between the pair of the active patterns. The spacer protection pattern may be commonly connected to the gate spacers.