Patent ID: 7271657

Claim:
A traveling wave amplifier comprising: (a) a first normally off MOS transistor including a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, the drain terminal of the first normally off MOS transistor connected to a drain line and the drain line connected to a first supply voltage potential, the gate terminal of the first normally off MOS transistor connected to a gate line operable to receive an input signal, and the source terminal of the first normally off MOS transistor connected to a second supply voltage potential; (b) at least one second normally off MOS transistor including a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, the drain terminal of the second normally off MOS transistor connected to the drain line, the gate terminal of the second normally off MOS transistor connected to the gate line, and the source terminal of the second normally off MOS transistor connected to the second supply voltage potential; (c) a normally off bias MOS transistor including a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, the drain terminal of the normally off bias MOS transistor connected to a reference current source, the gate terminal of the normally off bias MOS transistor connected to the drain terminal of the normally off bias MOS transistor and, the source terminal of the normally off bias MOS transistor connected to the second supply voltage potential via a terminating resistor; wherein the normally off bias MOS transistor forms a current mirror with the second normally off MOS transistor, wherein the drain line is operable to provide an output signal of the traveling wave amplifier.