Patent ID: 7625803

Claim:
A method of forming a memory device, comprising: providing a substrate having a horizontal upper surface; forming a transistor supported by the substrate, the transistor comprising a source/drain region; and forming a capacitor which comprises: at least one reference plate, the plate comprising a horizontally-extending region which contains at least two prongs; the prongs each having a lateral periphery; a dielectric material surrounding the lateral peripheries of the prongs; a storage node surrounding the majority of the lateral peripheries of the prongs; the storage node being in electrical contact with the source/drain region and being separated from the reference plate by at least the dielectric material; and wherein: the substrate comprises a crystalline layer; the crystalline layer is less than or equal to about 2000 Å thick; the crystalline layer comprises a material which includes silicon and germanium; the transistor has a gate over the crystalline layer and an active region proximate the gate; at least a portion of the active region is within the material of the crystalline layer; and the active region within the material is contained within a single crystal of the material.