Method and apparatus for amplifying a regulated differential signal to a higher voltage
US7489165B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 31, 2007 |
| Grant date | Feb 10, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C2207/005
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A sense amplifier for use in a memory device and in a memory-resident system. The sense amplifier operates on a lower voltage consistent with the voltage range of the differential input data and the sense amplifier further operates on a higher voltage to level-shift the output signal concurrently with the sensing operation. The sense amplifier includes a pair of differential cross-coupled inverters whose inputs are coupled to receive the data from the memory. Once the input nodes of the cross-coupled inverters are charged, the cross-coupled inverters are further coupled to pull-up and pull-down circuits that span the higher voltage range for performing the level-shifting functionality. In order to recondition the sense amplifier for a subsequent sensing process, a clamp circuit shorts the level-shifted outputs together to prevent a higher voltage level from being inadvertently passed to the memory device when isolating pass gates are reactivated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.