We have studied a novel approach for the growth of GaN layers, namely plasma-assisted electroepitaxy (PAEE). We have designed and built a new growth chamber which allowed us to combine a plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy process with a liquid phase electroepitaxy. We have demonstrated that it is possible to grow continuous GaN layers by PAEE from a liquid Ga melt at growth temperatures as low as similar to 650 degrees C, with low nitrogen overpressures of similar to 3 x 10(-5) Torr. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.