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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 22, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 29, 2002
Applicant:
Inventor:
James L. Worley, Flower Mound, TX (US);
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics, Inc., Carrollton, TX (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 7/02 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 7/02 ;
Abstract
A sense amplifier for use in memory devices. The sense amplifier may include a pair of cross-coupled inverters, each inverter including at least two transistors. The sense amplifier may further include a first capacitor coupled to a first input/output terminal of the sense amplifier and a second capacitor coupled to a second input/output terminal thereof. A change in voltage differential appearing across the input/output terminals bootstraps the cross-coupled inverters to facilitate activation and deactivation of the transistors in the cross-coupled inverters. Consequently, response time of the sense amplifier is reduced.