Abstract: A low power high sensitivity detector having two pairs of MOS cross coupled transistors, voltage equalization circuitry, and a single input, with no external reference, forms the basic configuration of a detector-level shifter circuit which is compatible with today's single chip large capacity memories. The lengths of the channels of one of the pairs of cross coupled transistors are designed to be longer than the other pair. This provides a built-in imbalance which provides good tolerance to transistor parameter variation due to semiconductor processing variations.

Abstract: A dynamic sense-refresh detector amplifier consists essentially of a cross coupled MOS transistor pair and two sets of load-refresh circuits which each include a capacitor and three MOS transistors. The load-refresh circuits eliminate the negative effect of threshold voltage losses on noise margin by allowing the memory cell from which information is read out and sensed to be refreshed to full 1 and 0 levels. A control terminal of a transistor of each load-refresh circuit is coupled to the transistor of cross coupled pair not associated with that load-refresh circuit. In addition, a voltage clamping transistor is used with each load device to further increase operating noise margins. The dynamic operation of the amplifier allows for relatively low power dissipation.