The effect of donor-like surface traps on two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and drain current collapse of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) has been investigated in detail. The depletion of 2DEG by the donor-like surface states is shown. The drain current collapse is found to be more sensitive to the addition of positive surface charges. Surface trap states with higher energy levels result in weaker current collapse and faster collapse process. By adopting an optimized backside doping scheme, the electron density of 2DEG has been improved greatly and the current collapse has been greatly eliminated. These results give reference to the improvement in device performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.