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US4859882A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Sense amplifier

Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1988-12-07
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Granted: 1989-08-22
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Expires: 2008-12-07
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Abstract

Abstract A sense amplifier of the invention includes a PMOS transistor, the source and the drain of which are respectively connected to a power source and an EP-ROM as a signal source to be detected, and the gate and the drain of which are controlled to be at the same potential, a PMOS transistor connected to the power source and the EP-ROM in parallel with the PMOS transistor, and a ratio circuit in which the gate of one PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor constituting a CMOS transistor is connected to the signal source. This arrangement of the invention enables a high speed operation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Osamu Matsumoto
  • 👤 Isao Abe
  • 👤 Takeshi Nakashiro

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 03:45
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C16/00; G11C16/02; G11C16/06; G11C16/26; G11C7/00; G11C7/06; G11C7/067

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 189 words
A sense amplifier, comprising: a signal source to be detected; a first MOS transistor, one end of a channel conductive path of which is connected to said signal source, and gate of which is grounded, for causing a current from a power source to flow toward said signal source when said signal source is turned on; second MOS transistor, a gate and one end of a channel conductive path of which are connected to said signal source, for quickly increasing potential at a node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor to V DD -|Vthp| (V DD : a power source voltage, Vthp: a threshold value of said second MOS transistor) after said signal source is switched from an ON state to an OFF state; a ratio circuit constituted by a third MOS transistor having a constant ON resistance and a fourth MOS transistor having a ON resistance changed in accordance with a change in potential at the node, for changing an output in accordance with a change in ON resistance of said fourth MOS transistor; and an inverter for inverting the output from said ratio circuit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 189 words
A sense amplifier, comprising: a signal source to be detected; a first MOS transistor, one end of a channel conductive path of which is connected to said signal source, and gate of which is grounded, for causing a current from a power source to flow toward said signal source when said signal source is turned on; second MOS transistor, a gate and one end of a channel conductive path of which are connected to said signal source, for quickly increasing potential at a node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor to V DD -|Vthp| (V DD : a power source voltage, Vthp: a threshold value of said second MOS transistor) after said signal source is switched from an ON state to an OFF state; a ratio circuit constituted by a third MOS transistor having a constant ON resistance and a fourth MOS transistor having a ON resistance changed in accordance with a change in potential at the node, for changing an output in accordance with a change in ON resistance of said fourth MOS transistor; and an inverter for inverting the output from said ratio circuit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A sense amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said signal source to be detected comprises an EP-ROM.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 272 words
A sense amplifier, comprising: a signal source, one end of which is grounded; a first MOS transistor of a first channel type, one end of a channel conductive path of which is connected to the other end of said signal source, and a gate of which is grounded, for constituting a current path together with said signal source, said current path allowing a current from a power source to flow in a ground direction; a second MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate and one end of a channel of which are connected to the other end of said signal source, for quickly incresing potential at a node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor of the first channel type to V DD -|Vthp| (V DD : a power source voltage, Vthp: a threshold voltage of said second MOS transistor of the first channel type) after said signal source is switched from an ON state to an OFF state; a ratio circuit, constituted by a third MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate of which is grounded, and which has a constant ON resistance, and a fourth MOS transistor of a second channel type, a gate of which is connected to the node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor of the first channel type and which has an ON resistance changed in accordance with a change in potential at the node, for changing an output in accordance with a change in ON resistance of said fourth MOS transistor of the second type; and an inverter for inverting the output from said ratio circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 272 words
A sense amplifier, comprising: a signal source, one end of which is grounded; a first MOS transistor of a first channel type, one end of a channel conductive path of which is connected to the other end of said signal source, and a gate of which is grounded, for constituting a current path together with said signal source, said current path allowing a current from a power source to flow in a ground direction; a second MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate and one end of a channel of which are connected to the other end of said signal source, for quickly incresing potential at a node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor of the first channel type to V DD -|Vthp| (V DD : a power source voltage, Vthp: a threshold voltage of said second MOS transistor of the first channel type) after said signal source is switched from an ON state to an OFF state; a ratio circuit, constituted by a third MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate of which is grounded, and which has a constant ON resistance, and a fourth MOS transistor of a second channel type, a gate of which is connected to the node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor of the first channel type and which has an ON resistance changed in accordance with a change in potential at the node, for changing an output in accordance with a change in ON resistance of said fourth MOS transistor of the second type; and an inverter for inverting the output from said ratio circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
A sense amplifier according to claim 3, wherein said signal source comprises an EP-ROM.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 275 words
A sense amplifier, comprising: signal source, one end of which is grounded; a first MOS transistor of a first channel type, one end of a channel conductive path of which is connected to the other end of said signal source, and a gate of which is grounded, for constituting a current path together with said signal source, said current path allowing a current from a power source to flow in a ground direction; a second MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate and one end of a channel of which are conneted to the other end of said signal source, for quickly increasing potential at a node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor of the first channel type to V DD -|Vthp| (V DD : a power source voltage, Vthp: a thershold voltage of said second MOS transistor of the first channel type) after said signal source is switched from an ON state to an OFF state; a ratio circuit, constituted by a third MOS transistor of a second channel type, a gate of which is connected to a power source, and which has a constant ON resistance, and a fourth MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate of which is connected to the node between said signal source and said second MOS transistor of the first channel type and which has an ON resistance changed in accordance with a change in potential at the node, for changing an output in accordance with a change in ON resistance of said fourth MOS transistor of the first type; and an inverter for inverting the output from said ratio circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 275 words
A sense amplifier, comprising: signal source, one end of which is grounded; a first MOS transistor of a first channel type, one end of a channel conductive path of which is connected to the other end of said signal source, and a gate of which is grounded, for constituting a current path together with said signal source, said current path allowing a current from a power source to flow in a ground direction; a second MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate and one end of a channel of which are conneted to the other end of said signal source, for quickly increasing potential at a node between said signal source and said first MOS transistor of the first channel type to V DD -|Vthp| (V DD : a power source voltage, Vthp: a thershold voltage of said second MOS transistor of the first channel type) after said signal source is switched from an ON state to an OFF state; a ratio circuit, constituted by a third MOS transistor of a second channel type, a gate of which is connected to a power source, and which has a constant ON resistance, and a fourth MOS transistor of the first channel type, a gate of which is connected to the node between said signal source and said second MOS transistor of the first channel type and which has an ON resistance changed in accordance with a change in potential at the node, for changing an output in accordance with a change in ON resistance of said fourth MOS transistor of the first type; and an inverter for inverting the output from said ratio circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 14 words
A sense amplifier according to claim 5, wherein said signal source comprises an EP-ROM.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 14 words
A sense amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said inverter comprises a CMOS inverter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 14 words
A sense amplifier according to claim 3, wherein said inverter comprises a CMOS inverter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
A sense amplifier according to claim 5, wherein said inverter comprises a CMOS inverter.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4348601A Cited
US4742253A Cited
US4535259A Cited
US4692642A Cited
US4634890A Cited
US4802138A Cited
US4788460A Cited
US4804871A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-08-21 1993-02-20 1993-08-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-08-21 1997-02-20 1997-08-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-08-21 2001-02-20 2001-08-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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