High-quality thick GaN films without cracks were achieved by using a new nozzle structure in the reactor grown by the hydride vapor phase epitaxy on sapphire substrates. Optical contrast microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray double diffraction (XRD) and cathodoluminescence ( CL) were carried out to reveal the surface, crystal and optical properties of the GaN epilayer. It was found that the nozzle structure in the reactor has a large effect on the growth rate, surface. at, crystal quality, and the uniformity of the growth. Compared with the old one, the new nozzle structure ( denoted as multi-layers nozzle) can improve dramatically the properties of thick GaN. Mirror, colorless and flat GaN thick film was obtained and its (0 0 0 2) FWHM results were reduced from 1000 to 300 arcsec when the new nozzle was used. AFM result revealed a step flow growth mode for GaN layer with the new nozzle. Room-temperature CL spectra on the GaN films showed a strong near-band-edge peak for the new nozzle, but there is only weak emitting peak for the old nozzle. New nozzle structure can improve the uniform of flow field near the surface of substrates compared with the old one, which leads to the improvement of properties of GaN thick film by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.