Patent ID: 7324381

Claim:
A sense amplifier circuit for sensing a programmed state of a plurality of memory cells, the circuit comprising: a ramp generator for generating a time varying signal; a plurality of sense amplifiers that are each coupled to a current signal from a different set of the plurality of memory cells, each of the plurality of sense amplifiers generating a digital output signal in response to the current signal; a plurality of latches, each latch coupled to a digital output signal of the plurality of sense amplifiers, the latches latching the digital output signal in response to a level of the time varying signal; and a plurality of reference memory cells that each generates a different input reference signal, wherein each reference signal is a memory cell reference current, wherein the time varying signal is a ramping current signal, and a latch signal from a first reference sense amplifier toggles when the ramping current signal exceeds the memory cell reference current that is input to the first reference sense amplifier.