Biasing circuit for sense amplifier
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMakoto Ihara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When a common source line of sense amplifiers in a semiconductor memory device is pulled down via a pull-down transistor, a current level signal indicative of the level of the current which flows through the pull-down transistor is generated. The current level signal is compared with a reference level signal indicative of an allowable maximum level of the current which flows through the pull-down transistor. When the current level signal exceeds the allowable maximum level, the pull-down transistor is controlled to reduce the current flowing therethrough.
Claims9
In a semiconductor device comprising pulling means for receiving a control signal, and for pulling a voltage level of a line of said semiconductor device toward a predetermined level in accordance with said control signal,
- said semiconductor device further comprises:
- generating a current level signal generation means for generating a current level signal indicative of a level of a current which flows through said pulling means, said current signal generating means being connected to said line of said semiconductor device;
- reference level signal generation means for generating a reference level signal indicative of an allowable maximum level of the current which flows through said pulling means;
- and
- comparison means for receiving said current level signal and said reference level signal, and for comparing said current level signal with said reference level signal, and for adjusting said control signal so as to prevent said current level signal from exceeding said reference level signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.