A method for fabricating a non-volatile, ferroelectric random access memory (F-RAM) device with a reduced number of masking and etching steps is described. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an opening in an insulating layer over a surface of a substrate to expose a portion of the surface, and forming first spacers on sidewalls of the opening. A conductive layer is formed on the portion of the surface exposed in the opening and separated from the first spacers on the sidewalls of the opening by a gap therebetween. A bottom electrode of a ferroelectric capacitor is formed over the conductive layer and in the gap laterally of the conductive layer, a ferroelectric dielectric formed on the bottom electrode between the first spacers, and a top electrode formed on the ferroelectric dielectric.