A microelectronic device and a method of forming same. The method comprises: a transistor gate; a first spacer and a second spacer respectively adjacent a first side and a second side of the gate; a diffusion layer supra-adjacent the gate; contact regions super-adjacent the diffusion layer and adjacent the first spacer and the second spacer; a protective cap super-adjacent the gate and between the contact regions, the protective cap being adapted to protect the device from shorts between the gate and the contact regions.