Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) device including a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor layers provided on the substrate, where a top semiconductor layer is a heavily doped cap layer and another one of the semiconductor layers directly below the cap layer is a Schottky barrier layer, and where a gate recess is formed through the cap layer and into the Schottky barrier layer. The FET device also includes a gate terminal having a titanium layer, an inhibitor layer provided on the titanium layer and a gold layer provided on the inhibitor layer, where the gate terminal is formed in the recess so that the titanium layer is in contact with the Schottky barrier layer, and where the inhibitor layer is effective for preventing hydrogen gas from being dissociated into hydrogen atoms so as to reduce or prevent hydrogen poisoning of the FET device.