Abstract: A sense line termination circuit is provided intercoupled between a sense line of a plurality of static memory cells and a supply bus of high pull-up voltage to provide fast access to the memory cells with limited medium power dissipation. The termination circuit functions to pull up the sense line toward a predetermined intermediate high voltage value (which is about one threshold voltage Vt below the high pull-up voltage) when no memory cell has a low voltage memory node coupled to the sense line. The sense line termination circuit limits the voltage excursion of the sense lines and also permits the sense line to be pulled down with predetermined current limitation to a low voltage value when the sense line is coupled to a low voltage memory node.

Abstract: An improved driving circuit is provided especially for use in an integrated circuit semiconductor memory which operates on low power supply voltage, such as 5 volts, the drive circuit employing field effect transistors coupled with bootstrap capacitor devices and responsive to an input pulse for supplying, at its output terminal, a pulse having a peak voltage potential substantially equal to the power supply voltage value despite the inherent threshold voltage drops of the field effect transistors utilized. In the drive circuit, in response to an input pulse, the reference voltage for charged capacitor devices is switched between a first level and a raised second, higher level to place the capacitor devices in series with each other and the raised reference voltage to overdrive an output switch device so as to connect substantially its full power supply voltage to its output terminal during a corresponding output pulse.