Semiconductor memory device and method of reading a data therefrom

摘要

A semiconductor memory device wherein source lines of a memory cell array constituted by a plurality of memory cells arranged in the form of a matrix at intersecting points of word lines and bit lines are arranged in a row direction or a column direction and the source lines of the nonselected rows or the nonselected columns are inversely biased with respect to the semiconductor substrate, thereby to prevent erroneous reading by the leakage current at the time of reading data and further reduce the write current at the time of writing. Further, the read operation is kept from deteriorating by reducing the amplitude of the source line at the time of reading by setting the inverse bias voltage at a minimum constant voltage smaller than the power source voltage.