Method and apparatus for enhanced sensing of low voltage memory

Static information storage and retrieval – Read/write circuit – Flip-flop used for sensing

Reexamination Certificate

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C365S207000, C365S189110

Reexamination Certificate

active

06873559

ABSTRACT:
A differential sensing circuit and sensing method for use in a low voltage memory device. The sensing circuit includes a cross-coupled sensing circuit for coupling with a memory element, a pull-up circuit and a multistage pull-down circuit. The multistage pull-down circuit accelerates the latching process of the cross-coupled sensing circuit by briefly pulling the cross-coupled sensing circuit to a potential below ground in order to increase the gate potential differential on at least a portion of the transistors within the cross-coupled sensing circuit. Once the latching transitions have commenced at an acceptable rate, the below-ground potential is removed and the traditional logic level pull-up and ground-potential pull-down circuits are activated.

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Nobutaro Shibata, “Current Sense Amplifiers for Low-Voltage Memories”, IEICE Trans. Electron., Aug. 1997, pp. 1120-1130, vol. E79-C, No. 8.

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