We have developed an asymmetric recess etch in conjunction with a gamma metal gate process for the fabrication of high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). This process is based on direct electron-beam lithography with a single exposure of a three stack poly (dimethylglutarimide) and poly (methyl methacrylate) photoresists. It can modify the voltage drop over a wider region fabricated by the, so called wide-recess technique as compared with the conventional approach, while maintaining a low source resistance, to reduce the electric field intensity at the gate edge, and therefore enhance the breakdown voltage. This gate engineering process for the 0.2 mum InAlAs/InGaAs metamorphic HEMTs achieved a 45% off-state breakdown voltage improvement as compared with the traditional bilayer T-gate device. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.