Patent ID: 8526256

Claim:
A sense amplifier, comprising: a precharge device coupled to an equalizer device, wherein the precharge device and the equalizer device turn off in an evaluation phase; a first node coupled to the equalizer, a source follower device, a set device, and an input of an inverting amplifier, wherein, responsive to receiving a set signal to turn on the set device and a precharged voltage level read bit line signal, a precharged voltage level of the first node remains above a switching point of the inverting amplifier such that a second node coupled to the output of the inverting amplifier is in a LOW state; and a keeper device coupled to an output of the inverting amplifier and a global bit line, wherein the keeper device turns on in response to receiving a LOW signal from the inverting amplifier and pulls up the voltage at the first node so that a HIGH signal is output onto a global bit line.