Patent ID: 7768855

Claim:
A sense amplifier comprising: a first equalizer and a second equalizer connected to a first bit line pair and a second bit line pair, respectively, the first bit line pair and the second bit line pair extending from a memory cell array and being adjacent to each other, wherein each of the first equalizer and the second equalizer comprises: a bit line potential supply line to which a bit line potential is supplied; a transistor group that is arranged between a corresponding bit line pair among the first bit line pair and the second bit line pair, is connected to the bit line potential supply line, and is turned on when a precharge signal is active, thereby to supply the bit line potential to the corresponding bit line pair; and a gate electrode supplying the precharge signal to a gate of a transistor of the transistor group, and wherein the gate electrode extends across the first equalizer and the second equalizer and has a ring-like shape at a boundary portion between the first equalizer and the second equalizer.