Patent ID: 7142444

Claim:
A data reading method in a semiconductor memory device, said semiconductor memory device having a memory cell that stores data by state of polarization of a ferroelectric capacitor, said data reading method comprising: a first reading step for applying a first reading pulse to said memory cell to generate a first signal corresponding to the stored data; a writing step for writing reference signal generating data corresponding to a signal on a high level side to said memory cell; a second reading step for applying a second reading pulse to said memory cell to generate a second signal corresponding to said reference signal generating data; a reference signal generating step for generating a reference signal on a basis of said second signal; and a determining step for comparing said first signal with said reference signal, and determining said stored data stored in said memory cell, wherein said first signal and said second signal are generated according to a potential change occurring in a load capacitance, and in said reference signal generating step, said reference signal is generated by distributing said second signal to a load having a substantially identical capacitance.