A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a plurality of parallel fins extending above the substrate, a plurality of gate structures perpendicular to the plurality of fins and including a plurality of sidewall spacers, and a plurality of source-drain regions intermediate the plurality of gate structures. A liner of a silicon-containing material is deposited over outer surfaces of the plurality of gate structures; over the liner, an inter-layer dielectric material is deposited. The semiconductor substrate with the deposited liner of silicon-containing material and deposited inter-layer dielectric material is annealed to at least partially consume the liner of silicon-containing material into the inter-layer dielectric material, to control residual stress such that resultant gate structures following the annealing have an aspect ratio range of 3:1 to 10:1, and are uniform in range to within seven percent of a target critical dimension.