Decoding circuit and method for a semiconductor memory device

摘要

A decoding circuit and method for a semiconductor memory device simplifies a decoding process by individually performing a large block decoding and small block decoding operations, and thereby reduces the total time delay taken in an address decoding process and layout area occupied by decoding circuits. The decoding circuit for a semiconductor memory device having a memory cell array including a plurality of large blocks, each large block including m small blocks (wherein m=2,3, . . . ) and having a plurality of memory cells being arranged in a matrix form, and a plurality of reading/writing circuits each corresponding to said large blocks, includes a first decoding circuit for receiving a first address to simultaneously select respective specific small block in each of the large blocks, corresponding to the first address, and a second decoding circuit for receiving a second address to enable a selected one of the reading/writing circuits corresponding to said second address.