Preamplification method and apparatus for dram sense amplifiers

Claim 1

A semiconductor memory device comprising: a memory cell array having a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines arranged in a crossed manner at right angles with said word lines and a plurality of memory cells arranged at intersections between said word lines and bit lines, said bit lines being first bit lines and second bit lines which constitute a plurality of bit line pairs, respectively; a plurality of sense amplifiers connected between said first bit lines and said second bit lines of said bit line pairs lead from said memory cell array to amplify a potential difference produced between said first and second bit lines at the time of applying a reading signal to said memory cells through said word lines and to assure a level of rewriting into said memory cells after reading; and a preamplifier provided between said memory cell array and each said sense amplifier to amplify a potential difference produced between said first and second bit lines at the time of applying said reading signal and to output the amplified potential difference to the corresponding one of said sense amplifiers, each said preamplifier comprising a step-up capacitor for raising a potential of said corresponding first bit line, a step-down capacitor for lowering potential of said corresponding second bit line, first switching means for connecting said step-up capacitor and said step-down capacitor between said first bit line and said second bit line, and second switching means for connecting in series said step-up capacitor to one input terminal of said sense amplifier in a positive direction and for connecting in series said step-down capacitor to the other input terminal of said sense amplifier in a negative direction, the number of said step-down capacitors being selected to be twice as many as that of said step-up capacitors.