A GaN-based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device includes a semiconductor structure comprising a channel layer and a barrier layer sequentially stacked on a substrate, a drain contact and a source contact on the barrier layer, and a gate contact on the barrier layer between the drain contact and the source contact. A sheet resistance of a drain access region and/or a source access region of the semiconductor structure is between 300 and 400 Ω/sq.