A semiconductor circuit comprising: a field effect transistor (1150, 1250, 1480, 1554, 1854) comprising a plurality of semiconductor layers (1352, 1356, 1532, 1534, 1832, 1834) disposed on a substrate, a source (1158, 1258, 1326, 1462, 1830), drain (1152, 1252, 1348, 1478, 1814), and gate (1156, 1256, 1328, 1332, 1336, 1340, 1346, 1464, 1828, 1824, 1820, 1812) electrically coupled to the semiconductor layers, and a capacitively coupled charge distribution structure (1174, 1204) disposed over the semiconductor layers, said charge distribution structure being configured to produce a surface discharge on a surface portion of the transistor disposed between the gate and drain during a transient from an on-state to an off-state and a surface recharge on said surface portion during a transient from the off-state to the on-state; wherein the charge distribution structure has a plurality of conductors with a floating potential; and a static discharge system (1102, 1202, 1402, 1552, 1852) removing charge that accumulates on at least a subset of the conductors, said static discharge system removing the charge that accumulates on the subset of conductors when the semiconductor device is in a first state while allowing charge to accumulate on the subset of conductors when the semiconductor device is in a second state. a field effect transistor (1150, 1250, 1480, 1554, 1854) comprising a plurality of semiconductor layers (1352, 1356, 1532, 1534, 1832, 1834) disposed on a substrate, a source (1158, 1258, 1326, 1462, 1830), drain (1152, 1252, 1348, 1478, 1814), and gate (1156, 1256, 1328, 1332, 1336, 1340, 1346, 1464, 1828, 1824, 1820, 1812) electrically coupled to the semiconductor layers, and a capacitively coupled charge distribution structure (1174, 1204) disposed over the semiconductor layers, said charge distribution structure being configured to produce a surface discharge on a surface portion of the transistor disposed between the gate and drain during a transient from an on-state to an off-state and a surface recharge on said surface portion during a transient from the off-state to the on-state; wherein the charge distribution structure has a plurality of conductors with a floating potential; and a plurality of semiconductor layers (1352, 1356, 1532, 1534, 1832, 1834) disposed on a substrate, a source (1158, 1258, 1326, 1462, 1830), drain (1152, 1252, 1348, 1478, 1814), and gate (1156, 1256, 1328, 1332, 1336, 1340, 1346, 1464, 1828, 1824, 1820, 1812) electrically coupled to the semiconductor layers, and a capacitively coupled charge distribution structure (1174, 1204) disposed over the semiconductor layers, said charge distribution structure being configured to produce a surface discharge on a surface portion of the transistor disposed between the gate and drain during a transient from an on-state to an off-state and a surface recharge on said surface portion during a transient from the off-state to the on-state; wherein the charge distribution structure has a plurality of conductors with a floating potential; and a static discharge system (1102, 1202, 1402, 1552, 1852) removing charge that accumulates on at least a subset of the conductors, said static discharge system removing the charge that accumulates on the subset of conductors when the semiconductor device is in a first state while allowing charge to accumulate on the subset of conductors when the semiconductor device is in a second state.