Patent ID: 8644101

Claim:
A local sense amplifier circuit in a semiconductor memory device, the local sense amplifier circuit comprising: a local data sensing unit configured to amplify a voltage difference between a local input/output (I/O) line pair based on a local sensing enable signal to provide the amplified voltage difference to a global I/O line pair, the local I/O line pair including a first local I/O line and a second local I/O line; and a local I/O line control unit including a first capacitor and a second capacitor, the first capacitor increasing a voltage level of the first local I/O line based on the local sensing enable signal, the second capacitor increasing a voltage level of the second local I/O line based on the local sensing enable signal, wherein the first capacitor is a first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor that includes a gate electrode connected to the first local I/O line, a first electrode receiving the local sensing enable signal, and a second electrode connected to the first electrode of the first MOS transistor, and wherein the second capacitor is a second MOS transistor that includes a gate electrode connected to the second local I/O line, a first electrode receiving the local sensing enable signal, and a second electrode connected to the first electrode of the second MOS transistor.