High Performance Time-Continuous Differential Sense Amplifier in Time Domain Sensing with 28 nm Technology for Automotive Applications

A fast sense amplifier (SA) is required to face the challenges of sensing techniques in embedded memory systems in micro-controller units (MCU's) for automotive applications. This paper presents, compares and analyzes key benchmark performance parameters within state-of-the-art time-continuous sense amplifiers for time domain sensing. There are two main approaches to the design of time-continuous sense amplifiers in time domain sensing; differential based sense amplifier and common gate based sense amplifier. Comparative simulation results of state-of-the-art sense amplifier designs for multi-Ievel-cell (MLC) embedded memories in time domain are presented in 28 nm technology. High performance differential based SA with 40% lower sensing delay and 30% higher selectivity for stronger programmed cells compared to the state-of-the-art common gate approach for automotive SA designs with 28 nm technology is presented.