Patent ID: 7042761

Claim:
A thin film magnetic memory device, comprising: a memory array having a plurality of magnetic memory cells arranged in a matrix, each of said magnetic memory cells having a magnetic element which is magnetized in a direction corresponding to storage data; a plurality of write current lines for selectively receiving a data write current in order to selectively apply a data write magnetic field to a selected memory cell of said plurality of memory cells; a plurality of write drive circuits provided corresponding to said plurality of write current lines, each for supplying said data write current to a corresponding write current line of said write current lines according to an address selection result; a first line provided in a direction crossing said plurality of write current lines, for transmitting said data write current supplied from a current supply circuit to said plurality of write drive circuits; and a second line provided in a direction crossing said plurality of write current lines, for guiding said data write current which has passed through at least one of said plurality of write current lines to a ground node, wherein each of said plurality of write drive circuits includes a gate circuit provided between one of said first and second lines and said corresponding write current line, and turned ON or OFF in accordance with said address selection result, and said first and second lines, said current supply circuit and said ground node are arranged so that said data write current on said first line, the gate circuit, the write current line corresponding to selected memory cell, and said second line has an approximately uniform current path length regardless of said address selection result.