Sense amplifier having a circuit for compensating for potential voltage drops caused by parasitic interconnections

• US 5,659,260 A
• Filed: 02/20/1996
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kajimoto, Takeshi, Akamatsu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US08/602,521
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 365/207, 365/205, 327/227, 327/228, 327/229, 327/230, 327/51, 327/54, 327/55, 327/57
• US Class Current: 327/55
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/577 for plural loads
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4091 Sense or sense/refresh amplifiers, or associated sense circuitry, e.g. for coupled bit-line precharging, equalising or isolating
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/145 Applications of charge pumps; Boosted voltage circuits; Clamp circuits therefor G11C5/141 takes precedence

Abstract

A negative power supply circuit is connected via an NMOS transistor to a node receiving ground potential in a sense amplifier. A one shot pulse generation circuit provides a one shot pulse signal to the gate of the NMOS transistor. The NMOS transistor is turned on when a one shot pulse signal is applied to connect the negative power supply circuit to the node. This causes the potential of the node to be lowered to a negative potential. As a result, increase in the potential at the ground side of the sense amplifier caused by an interconnection resistance in the ground interconnection is suppressed. Therefore, variation in the potential received by the sense amplifier due to interconnection resistance can be suppressed.

Claims

1. A semiconductor circuit device comprising:

a ground node for receiving a ground potential,

a sense amplifier including a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor coupled to said ground node,

negative power supply means for generating a negative potential lower than said ground potential,

a switching NMOS transistor provided between said NMOS transistor of said sense amplifier and said negative power supply means, and

one shot pulse generation means for applying a one shot pulse signal to a gate of said switching NMOS transistor.

2. A semiconductor circuit device, comprising:

a sense amplifier including a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor,

negative power supply means for generating a negative potential,

a switching NMOS transistor provided between said NMOS transistor of said sense amplifier and said negative power supply means,

one shot pulse generation means for applying a one shot pulse signal to a gate of said switching NMOS transistor,

a ground node for receiving a ground potential,

a second switching NMOS transistor provided between said NMOS transistor of said sense amplifier and said ground node, and

control signal generation means for applying a control signal to a gate of said second switching NMOS transistor to turn said second switching NMOS transistor on after said one shot pulse signal is provided from said one shot pulse generation means.