A self-aligned-gate GaInAs metal-insulator-semiconductor FET (MISFET) fabrication process that minimizes gate overlap capacitance and offers the potential of achieving submicrometer gate lengths is described. GaInAs MISFETs (1-µm gate length) fabricated with this process have given 0.49-W/mm gate width and corresponding power-added efficiencies of 48 and 39 percent at 4 and 8 GHz, respectively, at a drain voltage of 5.5. V. A small-signal gain of 3.2 dB was obtained at 15 GHz. The estimated carrier velocity was 1.7 × 107cm/s. More recent devices have carrier velocities of 2.5 × 107cm/s and are expected to have improved microwave performance.