Conventional laterla trench-based components, such as trench lateral transistors, typically have a substantial undesirable capacitance related to the overlap of gate and drain electrodes in the same trench. Particularly, many trench-type lateral transistors are fabricated with the gate and the drain formed in the same trench, typically separated by an oxide layer. The overlap of the gate and drain regions results in a parasitic gate-to-drain capacitance, which can damage frequency response. This invention is directed to a lateral metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) having a gate field plate structure incorporated within the trench to reduce the electric field, preventing premature breakdown. This structure provides flexibility in that it is possible to vary the breakdown voltage by designing appropriate oxide spacer and gate trench depths.