Patent ID: 7327194

Claim:
A class A/B amplifier output stage comprising: a first output driver transistor having a source, a gate, and a drain; a second output driver transistor having a source, a gate, and a drain, the drain of said first output driver transistor being coupled to the drain of said second output driver transistor; a first high swing cascode structure coupled to said first output driver transistor and to said second output driver transistor; a second high swing cascode structure coupled to said first output driver transistor and to said second output driver transistor; and a voltage source coupled to said first high swing cascode structure, said voltage source providing a minimum operating voltage of about 3VDS sat , where VDS sat is the drain-to-source voltage at saturation for said first output driver transistor and said second output driver transistor, and wherein said first high swing cascode structure and said second high swing cascode structure bias said first output driver transistor to its subthreshold operating region, and bias said second output driver transistor to its subthreshold operating region.