Patent ID: 7106630

Claim:
A semiconductor storage device, comprising: a memory array comprising a plurality of memory elements; a section for performing an erase operation with respect to the memory array; a section for receiving a suspend command, and in response to the suspend command, suspending the erase operation; and a section for receiving a resume command, and in response to the resume command, resuming the suspended erase operation, wherein each of the plurality of memory elements comprises a gate electrode provided via a gate insulating film on a semiconductor layer, a channel region provided under the gate electrode, diffusion regions provided on opposite sides of the channel region and having a conductivity type opposite to that of the channel region, and memory function sections provided on opposite sides of the gate electrode and having a function of retaining charges to store information in the memory function sections, each memory function section being formed by at least one of an insulating film including an insulator having the function of retaining charges, an insulating film including at least one conductor or semiconductor dot, and an insulating film including a ferroelectric film in which inner charge is polarized by an electric field and the polarized state is maintained.