Patent ID: 6985397

Claim:
A semiconductor storage device comprising: a charge pump device; and a memory cell array to which an output from an output line of the charge pump device is fed and which uses nonvolatile memory elements as memory cells, wherein the charge pump device has: k (where k is a positive integer equal to or more than 2) charge pumps which are connected between an input line and the output line; output-side switch means for electrically connecting or disconnecting respective output terminals of the k charge pumps to or from the output line; input-side switch means for electrically connecting or disconnecting input respective terminals of the charge pumps except one charge pump, respectively, to or from the input line; and series-connection switch means for electrically connecting or disconnecting the output terminal of an nth (where n is an integer of 1 to k−1) charge pump to or from the input terminal of an (n+1)th charge pump, and wherein the nonvolatile memory elements each have: a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor layer with a gate insulator disposed therebetween; a channel region placed under the gate electrode with the gate insulator disposed therebetween; diffusion regions placed on opposite sides of the channel region, respectively, and having a conductive type opposite to that of the channel region; and memory-function bodies formed on opposite sides of the gate electrode, respectively, and having a function of holding electric charges.