A memory cell which comprises a substrate having a top surface; a capacitor extending vertically into the substrate for storing a voltage representing a datum, said capacitor occupying a geometrically shaped horizontal area; a transistor formed above the capacitor and occupying a horizontal area substantially equal to the geometrically shaped horizontal area, and having a vertical device depth, for establishing an electrical connection with the capacitor, in response to a control signal, for reading from, and writing to, the capacitor, wherein the transistor includes a gate formed near the periphery of said horizontal device area and having a vertical depth approximately equal to the vertical device depth; an oxide layer on an inside surface of the gate; a conductive body formed inside the oxide layer, said conductive body having a top surface and a bottom surface and a vertical depth approximately equal to the vertical device depth; and diffusion regions in the body near the top and bottom surfaces and a method of manufacturing the same is provided.