Patent ID: 8144499

Claim:
A variable resistance memory device comprising: a first common line; a second common line; plural memory cells each formed by serially connecting a memory element, resistance of which changes according to applied voltage, and an access transistor between the second common line and the first common line; and a driving circuit that drives the plural memory cells through the first common line and the second common line, wherein the driving circuit has: a common line pass transistor of an N type connected between the first common line and a supply node that is supplied with a predetermined voltage; a gate driver circuit for the common line pass transistor that current-drives the first common line when the memory element of the memory cell is changed from one side of a low resistance state and a high resistance state into the other side, and voltage-drives the first common line when a state of the memory element is reversely changed from the other side into the one side of the resistance states; and a driving voltage circuit that controls, when the gate driver circuit current-drives the common line pass transistor of the N type, the predetermined voltage to a value lower than voltage of the second common line and controls, when the gate drive circuit voltage-drives the common line pass transistor of the N-Type, the predetermined voltage to a value higher than the voltage of the second common line.