A new reconfigurable field-effect transistor (RFET) named as recessed-channel RFET (RC-RFET) is introduced herein to improve scalability, current drivability and subthreshold swing (S). There are two distinct features which allow RC-RFET to show enhanced performance than conventional RFET. First, a novel structure based RC and stacked gates increases effective channel length which results in suppressed short-channel-effect without any integration density penalty. Second, the switching mechanism of RC-RFET (thermionic emission) differs from that of conventional RFET (Schottky barrier tunnelling). It enables RC-RFET to overcome the fundamental limit of S degradation as a function of gate voltage and promises higher ON–OFF current ratio (ION/IOFF) and its low-power applications. As a result, the RC-RFET shows ION/IOFF higher than 107, small drain induced barrier lowering about 15 mV/V and ideal S (∼63 mV/decade) for 50 nm gate length.