Patent ID: 8743588

Claim:
A resistance-change memory device comprising: a bit line; a voltage supplying layer; a memory element connected between said bit line and said voltage supplying layer, a resistance value of said memory element being changed in accordance with an applied voltage; and a drive controlling circuit causing a first current to flow through said bit line and causing a second current smaller than the first current to flow through said bit line, thereby controlling a resistance decreasing operation in which said memory element is made to transit from a high resistance state to a low resistance state by using the second current, wherein said drive controlling circuit includes (a) an initial current driving portion configured to be connected to said bit line and cause the first current to flow, (b) an element current controlling portion configured to be connected in parallel with said initial current driving portion for said bit line and control the second current, and (c) said initial current driving portion and said element current controlling portion are controlled, thereby switching the current caused to flow through said bit line from the first current to the second current.