MEMORY ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING BIAS IN MEMORY ELEMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide bias to a plurality of memory sectors in a memory element by bulk of a smaller region in a non-volatile memory element of especially a flash type and providing method for bias in a memory element. SOLUTION: A memory element 21 having a plurality of memory sectors 15 each sector of which includes a plurality of memory cells 1 is provided with a hierarchical sector decoding means. One group out of a plurality of groups of bias lines 28-32 is provided to each sector row, and is extended in parallel to a sector row. Each of a plurality of sector switching stages 35 is connected between a corresponding memory sector and a group corresponding to a bias line. A sector switching stage connected to memory sectors arranged in the same sector column is controlled by the same control signals S0, S1 supplied to a control line 40 extending in parallel to a sector column.