The invention relates to a method for operating semiconductor chips, particularly memory chips, which are arranged in groups on modules which are connected to a common data bus wherein each semiconductor chip on each module is connected to at least one data line in the common data bus comprising the following method steps:

• a) selecting a group of semiconductor chips from the semiconductor chips arranged on the modules based on a prescribed selection criterion independently of module, the selected group of semiconductor chips using data lines in the common data bus over the entire bus width;
• b) activating the semiconductor chips in the selected group; and
• c) performing data interchange between the data lines in the common data bus and the selected group of semiconductor chips.