The Miller effect is a phenomenon observed in amplifier circuits, particularly in configurations that involve capacitive coupling between different stages of amplification. It refers to the apparent increase in the effective input capacitance of an amplifier due to the presence of a voltage gain stage connected to its input and output.
In more technical terms, when a voltage amplifier stage is connected between the input and output of an amplifier, the input capacitance of the following stage can effectively "see" a larger capacitance than what is physically present. This happens because the voltage gain stage introduces a feedback effect through the coupling capacitor, causing the voltage changes at the input to be amplified at the output. As a result, the effective input capacitance is increased, and this can lead to various performance issues and limitations, such as reduced bandwidth and increased susceptibility to instability.
The Miller effect is most commonly encountered in common-emitter transistor amplifier configurations, where the coupling capacitor between the transistor's collector and the next stage's input contributes to this phenomenon. It can impact the amplifier's frequency response, stability, and overall performance. Design techniques, such as compensation networks, are often employed to mitigate the negative effects of the Miller effect in amplifier circuits.