A multi-stage transistor device is described. One embodiment of such a device is a dual-gate transistor, where the second stage gate is separated from a barrier layer by a thin spacer layer and is grounded through a connection to the source. In one embodiment the thin spacer layer and the second stage gate are placed in an aperture in a spacer layer. In another embodiment, the second stage gate is separated from a barrier layer by a spacer layer. The device can exhibit improved linearity and reduced complexity and cost.