Semiconductor memory device

Claim 2

A semiconductor memory device operatively connected to receive a clear control signal and input data, and to generate output data, said memory device comprising: a plurality of bit-line pairs; a plurality of memory cells operatively connected to respective bit lines of said bit-line pairs; a plurality of sense amplifiers, operatively connected between said bit-line pairs, each of said sense amplifiers corresponding to one of said bit-line pairs and each having a pair of complementary signal terminals operatively connected to respective bit lines of said corresponding bit-line pairs; a pair of data buses, operatively connected to said bit-line pairs, for inputting and outputting data to and from a selected bit-line pair; a data inverting circuit, operatively connected to said pair of data buses, for selectively inverting the input/output data such that the charging states of respective memory cells connected to said bit-line pairs become equal for the same input/output data and for outputting complementary signals; and a clamp circuit, operatively connected to said bit-line pairs, for drawing the potentials of said bit-line pairs to a predetermined potential in response to the clear control signal applied when the contents of all of said memory cells are to be cleared.

Claim 3

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said memory cells comprises: a capacitor for storing data; and an MIS transistor, operatively connected between each of said memory cells and said capacitor, for transferring said data between one of said bit lines and said capacitor, whereby said semiconductor memory device is a dynamic random access memory.

Claim 4

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising: an output buffer circuit, operatively connected to said data inverting circuit, for providing the output data; and a write-in amplifier, operatively connected to said data inverting circuit, for receiving the input data.

Claim 5

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said output buffer circuit includes two input terminals for receiving the complementary signals, said output data being determined in response to the complementary signals, and wherein said write-in amplifier includes two output terminals for providing complementary output signals determined in response to the complementary signals.

Claim 6

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said data inverting circuit comprises switching means for connecting said pair of data buses to said two input terminals of said output buffer circuit and to said two output terminals of said write-in amplifier, in one of a cross connection and a straight connection in accordance with a selection of one of said memory cells.

Claim 7

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 5, further comprising: first and second groups of word lines, located adjacent first and second groups of said memory cells, respectively, for selecting first and second groups of said memory cells connected to respective data buses via respective bit lines of said corresponding bit line pairs; a word decoder, operatively connected to receive address signals and operatively connected to said word lines, for selecting one of said word lines; wherein said switching means comprises: a first transistor, operatively connected between said first one of said data buses, and a first one of said inputs of said output buffer circuit and a first one of said outputs of said write-in amplifier; a second transistor, operatively connected between said second one of said data buses, and a second one of said inputs of said output buffer circuit and a second one of said outputs of said write-in amplifier; a third transistor, operatively connected between said second one of said data buses, and said first one of said inputs of said output buffer circuit and said first one of said outputs of said write-in amplifier; a fourth transistor, operatively connected between said first one of said data buses, and said second one of said inputs of said output buses and said second one of said outputs of said write-in amplifier; said first and second transistors being simultaneously turned ON in response to said address signals when said first group of word lines is selected, and said third and fourth transistors being simultaneously turned ON in response to said address signals when said second group of word lines is selected.

Claim 8

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said word decoder comprises word-line simultaneous selecting means, operatively connected to said word lines, for simultaneously raising the potentials of all of said word lines to a higher voltage than the threshold voltage of said MIS transistor when the contents of all of said memory cells are to be cleared.

Claim 9

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said word decoder further comprises: an address buffer unit for forming complementary signals of said address signals; and a plurality of NOR gates, operatively connected to said address buffer unit, for selectively receiving said complementary signals for selecting one of said word lines; and wherein said word-line simultaneous selecting means comprises means for making all of the complementary signals a low level, whereby all of the outputs of said NOR gates become a high level.

Claim 10

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said word decoder further comprises: an address buffer unit for forming complementary signals of said address signals; and a plurality of NOR gates, operatively connected to said address buffer unit, for selectively receiving said complementary signals for selecting one of said word lines; wherein said word-line simultaneous selecting means includes means for making all of the outputs of said NOR gates a high level.

Claim 11

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 7, having a reset interval and an active interval, wherein said word decoder further comprises: an address buffer unit for forming complementary signals of said address signals; and a plurality of NOR gates, operatively connected to said address buffer unit, for selectively receiving said complementary signals to select one of said word lines, said NOR gates each having an output transistor; wherein said word-line simultaneous selecting means includes means for charging up each gate of said output transistor during said reset interval and for disconnecting each gate of said output transistor from the remaining portion of each of said NOR gates.

Claim 12

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of word lines intersecting said bit-line pairs, said MIS transistor in each of said memory cells having a gate electrode connected to a respective one of said word lines; and word-line simultaneous selecting means, operatively connected to said word lines, for simultaneously raising the potentials of all of said word lines to a voltage higher than the threshold voltage of each of said MIS transistors when the contents of all of said memory cells are to be cleared.

Claim 13

A semiconductor memory device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said clamp circuit comprises a plurality of clamping transistors, each of said clamping transistors operatively connected between one of said bit lines and ground, said clamping transistors having gate electrodes operatively connected to receive the clear control signal when the contents of all of said memory cells are to be cleared.