Patent ID: 8742853

Claim:
An amplifier system, comprising: a cascode common-source (CS) amplifier including a plurality of transistors connected in a common-source configuration; and a stress reducing circuit connected to at least one of the plurality of transistors to equalize a voltage drop across the plurality of transistors, wherein the cascode CS amplifier includes: N first transistors, each including a control terminal, a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein N is an integer greater than two, and wherein the stress reducing circuit includes: N−1 second transistors each including a control terminal, a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the second terminals of the N−1 second transistors are connected to the second terminals of N−1 of the N first transistors, respectively; and N−1 capacitances each having first terminals connected to the control terminals of the N−1 second transistors, respectively, and second terminals connected to the control terminal of one of the N first transistors.