The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 1999

Filed:

Sep. 26, 1997
Applicant:
Inventors:

Joseph G Nolan, III, San Jose, CA (US);

John C Holst, San Jose, CA (US);

Donald A Draper, San Jose, CA (US);

Assignee:

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
326 39 ; 326 40 ;
Abstract

The present invention discloses a differential logic circuit and sensing method providing differential sensing with greater speed and higher density than prior art techniques. One or more input signals are provided to a logic array and two output signals are produced from the logic array wherein one output signal of the logic array is a bit-line and one output signal of the logic array is a bit-bar-line as a reference signal, wherein both signals are provided as input signals to a differential sense amplifier having a binary output signal. The bit-line and the bit-bar-line are precharged to the same voltage level and a controlled input source-grounded transistor having less than fill drive strength is coupled to the bit-bar-line. A source-grounded transistor is coupled to each input signal of the logic array and is programmable to the bit-line by coupling the drain of the source-grounded transistor to the bit-line. A corresponding sourceless transistor, having a gate and a drain, but no source, is coupled to each input signal of the logic array and is programmable to the bit-bar-line by coupling the drain of the sourceless transistor to the bit-bar-line. The source-grounded transistors and the corresponding sourceless transistors are programmed identically providing substantially the same capacitance load on the bit-line and the bit-bar-line.


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