Patent · US Active

Sense amplifier circuit and semiconductor device

US8320208B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
1References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 15, 2010
Grant dateNov 27, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/4091
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A single-ended sense amplifier circuit of the invention comprises first and second MOS transistors and first and second precharge circuits. The first MOS transistor drives the bit line to a predetermined voltage and switches connection between the bit line and a sense node and the second MOS transistor whose gate is connected to the sense node amplifies the signal via the first MOS transistor. The first precharge circuit precharges the bit line to a first potential and the second precharge circuit precharges the sense node to a second potential. Before sensing operation, the bit line is driven to the predetermined voltage when the above gate voltage is controlled to decrease. The predetermined voltage is appropriately set so that a required voltage difference at the sense node between high and low levels can be obtained near a changing point between charge transfer/distributing modes.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.