Patent ID: 7133310

Claim:
A thin film magnetic memory device, comprising: a memory array having 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 resistance value that varies according to a level of storage data to be written by first and second data write currents, and a memory cell selection gate for passing a data read current therethrough into said magnetic storage portion in a data read operation; a plurality of read word lines provided corresponding to the respective rows of the magnetic memory cells, for actuating the corresponding memory cell selection gate according to a row selection result in said data read operation; a plurality of signal lines provided corresponding to the respective columns of the magnetic memory cells, a corresponding one of said plurality of signal lines being shared by adjacent magnetic memory cells in the row direction; a read/write control circuit for supplying said first data write current and said data read current to said signal lines in a data write operation and said data read operation, respectively; a plurality of write word lines provided corresponding to the respective rows, and selectively activated according to a row selection result in said data write operation so as to cause said second data write current to flow therethrough; and a plurality of control switches provided respectively corresponding to said plurality of signal lines, for electrically coupling a reference voltage that is used in said data read operation to a corresponding one of said plurality of signal lines, wherein said plurality of control switches each couples a selected one of two signal lines corresponding to the respective magnetic memory cells to said reference voltage, according to said column selection result.