Patent ID: 7724595

Claim:
A current-mode sense amplifier applied in a memory, the memory comprising a memory cell and a reference cell, the current-mode sense amplifier comprising: a first current mirror, for outputting a cell current to the memory cell and duplicating the cell current to generate a mirrored cell current; a second current mirror, for outputting a reference current to the reference cell and duplicating the reference current to generate a mirrored reference current; and an amplifying circuit, coupled to the first current mirror and the second current mirror, the amplifying circuit comprising: a first switch, comprising a first terminal for receiving the mirrored cell current, a second terminal for receiving the mirrored reference current, and a control terminal for receiving a first control signal; a second switch, comprising a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first switch, a control terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first switch, and a second terminal; a third switch, comprising a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first switch, a control terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first switch, and a second terminal; and a fourth switch, comprising a first terminal coupled to the second terminals of the second switch and the third switch, and a control terminal for receiving a second control signal.