Patent ID: 6388937
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A semiconductor memory device comprising:a plurality of memory cell sub-array groups, each of which comprises a memory cell sub-array including a plurality of memory cells which are arranged at cross portions of a plurality of bit line pairs and a plurality of local word lines, a local row decoder for transmitting a row selecting signal for selecting each row of said memory cell sub-array, and a bit line peripheral circuit group including a plurality of bit line peripheral circuits which are connected to said bit line pairs of said memory cell sub-array, respectively, and to and from which said data signal transmitted by said bit line pairs are inputted and outputted; a global row decoder for decoding an inputted address to a row selecting signal for selecting the memory cells in each row of each of the memory cell sub-arrays, to output said row selecting signal to each of said local row decoders via a global word line; a column decoder for decoding said input address to a column selecting signal for selecting the memory cells in each column of each of said memory cell sub-arrays, to output said column selecting signal to each of said bit line peripheral circuits via a plurality of column selecting signal lines; a block decoder for decoding said inputted address to a first block selecting signal, which is the base of a signal for selecting each of said memory cell sub-arrays, to output said first block selecting signal; a burst counter for sequentially automatically generating an address of a predetermined bit number in synchronism with a clock on the basis of a predetermined sequence in the subsequent operation cycle in accordance with the inputted initial address, to output the generated address to said block decoder; a plurality of block decoder selection-time adjusting circuits for sequentially outputting said first block selecting signal, which is inputted from said block decoder, as a second block selecting signal at a timing corresponding to a read latency and for outputting said first block selecting signal as a third block selecting signal which is a signal having a length corresponding to said read latency and which is inputted to each of said local row decoders to controls the transmission of said row selecting signal based on each of said local row decoders; a plurality of block switches, each of which is connected to said bit line peripheral circuits of a corresponding one of said bit line peripheral circuit groups via a local data line pair and which controls the propriety of the input/output of data via said local data line pair in response to the input of said second block selecting signal; a data bus pair which is connected to each of said bit line pairs via a corresponding one of said block switches; and a reading circuit for reading data out of each of said memory cells via said bit line pairs, bit line peripheral circuits, local data line pairs, block switches and data bus pair, to amplify and output the read data.