Patent ID: 6996002

Claim:
A thin film magnetic memory device, comprising: a memory cell array having a plurality of magnetic memory cells arranged therein, each magnetic memory cell having a magnetic layer magnetized in a direction in accordance with stored data; a plurality of bit lines each provided corresponding to respective one of prescribed sections of said plurality of magnetic memory cells; a plurality of first and second bit line drivers provided corresponding to respective ends of said plurality of bit lines to cause a data write current generating a data write magnetic field for magnetization of said magnetic layer to pass through at least one of said plurality of bit lines at the time of data write; a read data line provided along a direction crossing said plurality of bit lines for transmitting read data from selected one of said plurality of memory cells; and a read select gate for connecting one of said plurality of bit lines that is connected to said selected memory cell with said read data line at the time of data read; said read select gate being arranged more outward from said memory cell array than one of said plurality of first and second bit line drivers.