Following an already established polarity control scheme for GaN thin films, we developed a process to simultaneously grow Ga- and N-polarity layers side by side on c-plane sapphire. The simultaneous growth is achieved by properly treating the AlN nucleation/buffer layer and subsequent substrate annealing. During this process, the growth is mass-transfer-limited, permitting the same growth rate for both types of polarity domains. Smooth domains of both polarity types (RMS roughness similar to 1-2 nm) were obtained. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.