Patent ID: 6856539

Claim:
A thin film magnetic memory device, comprising: a memory array including a plurality of magnetic memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each of said plurality of magnetic memory cells including a magnetic storage portion having a different resistance value according to a level of storage data written when a data write magnetic field applied by first and second data write currents is larger than a predetermined magnetic field; a plurality of read word lines provided corresponding to the respective rows of the magnetic memory cells, and driven to a first voltage according to an address selection result in a data read operation; a plurality of write word lines provided corresponding to the respective rows, and selectively activated according the address selection result so as to pass said first data write current therethrough in a data write operation; and a plurality of bit lines provided corresponding to the respective columns of the magnetic memory cells so as to extend in such a direction that intersects said plurality of write word lines, and each coupled to the corresponding magnetic storage portions, wherein one of said plurality of bit lines that is selected according to the address selection result passes therethrough a data read current and said second data write current in the data read operation and the data write operation, respectively, and each of said magnetic memory cells further includes a rectifying access element connected between the corresponding magnetic storage portion and a corresponding one of said plurality of read word lines.