Non-polar a-plane (1 1 (2) over bar 0) GaN thin films were grown on r-plane (1 (1) over bar 0 2) sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. In order to obtain a-plane GaN films with better crystal quality and surface morphology, detailed comparisons between different growth conditions were investigated. The results showed that high-temperature and low-pressure conditions facilitating two-dimensional growth could lead to a fully coalesced a-plane GaN layer with a very smooth surface. The best mean roughness of the surface morphology was 10.5 angstrom. Various thickness values of AlN nucleation layers and the V/III ratios for growth of the a-plane GaN bulk were also studied to determine the best condition for obtaining a smooth surface morphology of the a-plane GaN layer. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.