Cubic gallium nitride epitaxial layers were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on GaN templates obtained by nitridation of GaAs substrates. The GaN structure can be peeled off the GaAs substrate and it can be handled separately. X-ray diffraction, Raman and photoluminescence measurements show that the epitaxial layers are cubic and monocrystalline. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.