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US 7,023,243 B2Granted
Current source evaluation sense-amplifier
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorsPanduka Wijetunga, Anthony Levi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sense-amplifier based on current-source-evaluation. Compared to conventional sense-amplifiers, a design based on static-current sources scales better to small transistor geometries. The design has lower power consumption, reduced noise, and improved clock scaling.
Claims2
A clocked sense amplifier having a differential input stage connected to a current mode core that:
- includes two substantially matched current sources;
- includes at least one evaluation path consisting of a single transistor;
- and that
- is configured to have current flowing through the current mode core at all times during the operation of the clocked sense amplifier so as to minimize the turn-on time of the evaluation path in the current mode core,
- whereby the clocked sense amplifier is configured to have a pre-charge or pre-discharge phase followed by an evaluation phase.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.