Abstract: A memory cell device having circuitry located between memory cell arrays comprises power and ground lines to the circuitry formed directly above the memory cell arrays. The power and ground lines are parallel and positioned in an adjacent alternating pattern such that a power line is positioned adjacent a ground line, which is positioned adjacent another power line and so on. Signal lines carrying signals to and from the circuitry are also formed directly above memory cell arrays.

Abstract: A precharge circuit for use in a static random access memory is disclosed two step bit line pair precharging scheme in a precharge cycle performed prior to a read operation. The first precharging step is performed via each drain-source path of N-channel MOS transistor pair to the corresponding bit lines in response to a first pulse generated by the write enable signal and the following second precharging step is performed via means for precharging more dominantly than the transistor pair in response to a second pulse generated by the address transition detection circuit. Owing to the off-state of the N-channel MOS transistor pair in a read operation after a write operation, high speed read operation is obtained.