Patent ID: 6490217
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A magnetic memory device for selectively writing one or more memory cells therein, each of at least a portion of the memory cells including at least one transistor operatively coupled to a magneto-resistive memory element, the magnetic memory device comprising:a plurality of global write lines for selectively conveying a destabilizing current, the global write lines being disposed from the memory cells such that the destabilizing current passing through the global write lines does not substantially disturb unselected memory cells in the memory device, each global write line including a plurality of segmented write lines operatively connected thereto; a plurality of segmented groups of memory cells, each segmented group including a plurality of memory cells operatively coupled to a corresponding segmented write line, each segmented write line being disposed in relation to the plurality of corresponding memory cells such that the destabilizing current passing through the segmented write line destabilizes the corresponding memory cells for writing; a plurality of segmented group select switches, each group select switch being operatively connected between a corresponding segmented write line and a global write line, the group select switch including a group select input for receiving a group select signal, the group select switch completing an electrical circuit between the corresponding segmented write line and the global write line in response to the group select signal; a plurality of bit lines operatively coupled to each of the memory cells for selectively writing a state of the memory cells; and a plurality of read/write word lines, at least a portion of the read/write word lines being operatively coupled to the at least one transistor in one or more corresponding memory cells and one or more segmented group select switches corresponding thereto in a substantially word dimension.