Semiconductor memory device including a data transfer circuit for

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device containing a cache includes a static random access memory (SRAM) as a cache memory, and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) as a main memory. Collective transfer of data blocks is possible between the DRAM and the SRAM through a bi-directional data transfer gate circuit and through an internal data line. A DRAM row decoder and a DRAM column decoder are provided in the DRAM. A SRAM row decoder and an SRAM column decoder are provided in the SRAM. Addresses of the SRAM and DRAM can be independently applied. The data transfer gate includes a latch circuit for latching data from the SRAM, which serves as a high speed memory, an amplifier circuit and a gate circuit for amplifying data from the DRAM, which serves as a large capacity memory, and for transmitting the amplified data to the SRAM, and a gate circuit, responsive to a DRAM write enable signal for transmitting write data to corresponding memory cells of the DRAM. After the data of the SRAM has been latched by a latch circuit, write data is transmitted from the gate circuit to the DRAM, and the write data is transmitted to the SRAM through the amplifier circuit and the gate circuit.