Metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor with metal source making ohmic contact to channel-base region

Claim 1

A memory cell with metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors comprising: a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; first and second MOS transistors formed in said first semiconductor layer, each having one conductivity type channel and having a source region, drain region and gate electrode, source regions of said first and second MOS transistors receiving a first power source voltage; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type; third and fourth MOS transistors formed in said second semiconductor layer, each having the opposite conductivity type channel and having a drain region, gate electrode and means for providing an inversion layer carrier source consisting essentially of a metal diffusion region, formed in said second semiconductor layer in ohmic contact with said second semiconductor layer, wherein (i) current flows in a first direction between said metal diffusion region and said drain of each of said third and fourth MOS transistors through an inversion layer which is induced in the surface of said second semiconductor layer under said gate electrode of each of said third and fourth MOS transistors and which is coupled to the associated metal diffusion region when a first polarity voltage is applied to the associated gage electrode, and (ii) a current flows in a second, opposite direction between said metal diffusion region of each of said third and fourth MOS transistors and said second semiconductor layer, and a p-n junction between said second semiconductor layer and said drain region of each of said third and fourth MOS transistors is reverse biased when a second polarity voltage is applied to the associated gate electrode; the drain region of said third MOS transistor being connected to the drain region of said first MOS transistor, the drain region of said fourth MOS transistor being connected to the drain region of said second MOS transistor, the gates of said first and third MOS transistors being connected to each other and also connected to a node between the drains of said second and fourth MOS transistors, the gate of said second and fourth MOS transistors being connected to each other and also connected to a node between the drains of said first and third MOS transistors; and means for supplying said second semiconductor layer with a second power source voltage to permit said second power source voltage to be supplied to said metal diffusion region of said third and fourth MOS transistors.