Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jae-Yoon Shim

Jei-Hwan Yoo

Kyu-Nam Lim

Jong-Won Lee

Young-Gu Kang

Young-gu Kang

A current sense amplifier includes a pair of cross-coupled transistors, each transistor being connected between a respective input signal line and a respective output signal generating node, for amplifying voltage difference between the output signal generating nodes. Additionally, the current sense amplifier may include a constant current circuit connected between the output signal generating nodes and a common node for allowing current to flow between the common node and the output signal generating nodes in response to a bias voltage; and a voltage generating circuit for causing a voltage difference between the output signal generating nodes by being turned on in response to a respective output signal.

Current sense amplifier

A semiconductor memory device with a bit line sense enable signal generating circuit is disclosed. The semiconductor memory device includes a word line selection signal generating circuit for generating a word line selection signal for selecting a word line; a delay circuit for generating a delayed signal by delaying a signal to the same extent of time period which is needed for the word line selection signal generating circuit to generate the word line selection signal; and a Schmitt trigger for generating a word line enable detecting signal by receiving an output signal from the delay circuit and that is connected to a power supply voltage which has the same voltage level as the voltage level used to enable the word line. The bit line sense enable signal generating circuit in the present invention occupies a relatively smaller layout area than that of conventional semiconductor memory devices. Furthermore, the generating circuit generates a bit line sense enable signal with constant delay time that is immune from process changes, voltage fluctuations, and temperature fluctuations.

Semiconductor memory device including a delaying circuit capable of generating a delayed signal with a substantially constant delay time

In a semiconductor memory device, a circuit for controlling a voltage level applied to a bit line isolation circuit preferably includes a memory cell connected between a cell bit line pair and a word line; a bit line pre-charge circuit; a sense amplifier bit line pre-charge circuit; a charge transfer circuit connected between the cell bit line pair and the sense amplifier bit line pair; a first sense amplifier circuit for amplifying a voltage of the sense amplifier bit line pair to a first voltage in response to a first control signal; and a second sense amplifier circuit for amplifying the voltage of the sense amplifier bit line pair to a second voltage in response to a second control signal. The combination of the two-stage sense amplifier ciruitry allows for the accurate determination of minimally-different logical voltage levels and minimized circuit area.

Semiconductor memory device and bit line sensing method thereof

The present invention provides a temperature-compensating reference voltage generator, including a temperature-compensating voltage divider, or variable voltage generator, for dividing an input reference voltage in order to generate a temperature-compensated output voltage. Preferably included, are a first differential amplifier for amplifying a voltage difference between a first reference voltage and a first feedback voltage in order to output an internal reference voltage, a first voltage divider for generating and outputting a first feedback voltage in response to the temperature-compensated voltage, the first voltage divider further including, two resistive elements for controlling a magnitude of reference voltage. In an embodiment of the present invention, operation of MOS transistors in a weak inversion region compensates for changes in temperature, thereby generating a temperature-independent voltage reference, and thus a temperature-independent power supply voltage, thereby reducing fluctuations in performance of semiconductor devices caused by variations in temperature.

Internal power supply for an integrated circuit having a temperature compensated reference voltage generator

A high voltage generating circuit is described that includes, a control signal generating circuit for generating a first control signal in a first time period, and for generating second, third and fourth control signals in second, third and fourth time periods in this order; first, second and third pre-charge circuit for pre-charging first, second and third nodes in response to the first control signal; first and second step-up and charge transferring circuits for stepping up the first and third nodes in response to the second control signal and for performing a charge sharing operation between the first and second nodes and between the third and fourth nodes; a third step-up and charge transferring circuit for stepping up the second node in response to the third control signal and for performing a charge sharing operation between the second and fourth nodes; a pre-charge and charge supplying circuit for pre-charging the fourth node and for supplying charges to the fourth node; and a fourth step-up and charge transferring means for stepping up the fourth node in response to the fourth control signal and for transferring charges of the fourth node to a high voltage generating terminal.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon, South Korea

Jae-Yoon Shim