Magnetic memory device and reading method of magnetic memory device

A reading method of a magnetic memory device comprising a magnetic memory cell which can store multivalued memory information, and whose electric resistance given when memory information of a first value is stored is a first resistance value, whose electric resistance given when memory information of a second value is stored is a second resistance value larger than the first resistance value, whose electric resistance given when memory information of a third value is stored is a third resistance value larger than the second resistance value and whose electric resistance given when memory information of a fourth value is stored is a fourth resistance value larger than the third resistance value;

• a first reference cell whose electric resistance is set at a fifth resistance value larger than the first resistance value and smaller than the second resistance value;
• a second reference cell whose electric resistance is set at a sixth resistance value larger than the second resistance value and smaller than the third resistance value;
• and a third reference cell whose electric resistance is set at a seventh resistance value larger than the third resistance value and smaller than the fourth resistance value, the method comprising:
• comparing a signal corresponding to the electric resistance of the magnetic memory cell and a signal corresponding to the electric resistance of the first reference cell with each other by a first comparator;
• comparing a signal corresponding to the electric resistance of the magnetic memory cell and a signal corresponding to the electric resistance of the second reference cell with each other by a second comparator;
• comparing a signal corresponding to the electric resistance of the magnetic memory cell and a signal corresponding to the electric resistance of the third reference cell with each other by a third comparator;
• and
• reading the memory information stored in the magnetic memory cell, based on comparison results by the first comparator, the second comparator and the third comparator.