In recent years, electrically rewritable resistance-changing type memory such as ReRAM and PRAM is attracting attention. One example of such a resistance-changing type memory includes a variable resistance element and a rectifier element connected in series. The variable resistance element is configured having its resistance value variable, and a memory cell stores data by a change in that resistance value. The rectifier element is provided such that only a selected memory cell is subject to an operation. That is, the rectifier element is provided to prevent current from flowing in an unselected memory cell.
In the above-described kind of memory cell, it is required that both the variable resistance element and the rectifier element have a structure allowing characteristics of these elements to be drawn out to a maximum degree.