# US 2010/0157708 A1 · Noise tolerant sense circuit

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- Number: US 2010/0157708 A1
- Document ID: US20100157708A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/643,520
- Filed: 2009-12-21
- Published: 2010-06-24
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-24
- Assignees: STMicroelectronics Pvt. Ltd.
- Inventors: Ashish Kumar; Manish Umedlal Patel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100157708A1

## CPC

- G11C 7/00: Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store (G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413)
- G11C 7/065: {Differential amplifiers of latching type}
- G11C 8/12: Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection
- G11C 2207/005: Transfer gates, i.e. gates coupling the sense amplifier output to data lines, I/O lines or global bit lines
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A device and a method for a sense circuit have been disclosed. In an implementation, the sense circuit includes a sense amplifier and at least one decoupling device. The decoupling device is coupled to the sense amplifier through at least one reference line. The sense amplifier reads a data value and the decoupling device decouples the sense amplifier from a power supply during a read operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sense circuit comprising:
a sense amplifier to read a data value; and
at least one decoupling device coupled to the sense amplifier and to at least one reference line, wherein the decoupling device decouples the sense amplifier from a power supply during a read operation and the at least one reference line remains coupled to the sense amplifier for a part of the read operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sense circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one reference line is coupled to a sampling device for charging the at least one reference line during a time interval between an end of the read operation and a next read operation of the sense amplifier.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sense circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sense amplifier includes a first sensing node and a second sensing node, wherein the first sensing node is decoupled from the power supply using a first decoupling device and the second sensing node is decoupled from the power supply using a second decoupling device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sense circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sense amplifier is a single-ended sense amplifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sense circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one reference line is shared between a plurality of input and output units in a memory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sense circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one reference line is coupled to a capacitor in a control block in a memory.

### Claim 7

A device comprising:
a one memory cell;
a bit line coupled to the memory cell; and
a circuit comprising,
a sense amplifier having a first sensing node and a second sensing node, wherein the second sensing node is coupled to the bit line; and
a power supply coupled to the first sensing node through a first reference line and to the bit line through a second reference line, wherein the power supply is decoupled from the first sensing node using a first decoupling device and from the bit line using a second decoupling device during a read operation of the sense amplifier, further wherein the first reference line remains coupled to the first sensing node and the second reference line remains coupled to the bit line for a part of the read operation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first reference line is coupled to a first capacitor in a control block.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second reference line is coupled to a second capacitor in a control block.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the first reference line and the second reference line is shared between multiple input and output units.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sense amplifier is a single-ended sense amplifier.

### Claim 12

A method comprising:
receiving a pre-charge signal to stop pre-charging reference lines and bit lines in a sense circuit;
decoupling a power supply from the reference lines and the bit lines in response to the pre-charge signal;
receiving a sense signal to activate a sense amplifier coupled to the reference lines and the bit lines;
decoupling the reference lines and the bit lines from the sense amplifier in response to the sense signal; and
reading a data value through the sense amplifier.