Small-signal MMIC amplifiers with bridged T-coil matching networks

Addresses the application of bridged T-coils to the design of multiplicative gain monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) amplifiers. The multiplicative gain MMIC amplifier exploits the broad-band matching properties of T-coils to achieve good input and output return loss, as well as high gain per stage. After reviewing the main theoretical aspects of this design approach, an actual circuit that provides gain, input, and output return losses in excess of 6, 10, and 8 dB, respectively, in the 50-MHz to 6-GHz bandwidth is described.<>