InGaN nanowires were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the obtained InGaN nanowires were randomly aligned on the substrates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that the nanowires have a core/ shell structure. Both TEM and X-ray diffraction show that InGaN nanowires are of a mixture of cubic and hexagonal phases. The turn-on electric field of the InGaN nanowires for generating a current density of 2.83 mu A/cm(2) is 10 V/mu m and the current density is about 2.9 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of about 24 V/mu m. The corresponding Fowler-Nordheim plot shows a linear behavior. The possible emission mechanism was discussed. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.