LiGaO2 single crystal, a promising substrate for GaN arid ZnO epitaxial growth, has been grown by the Czochralski method. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, micro Raman, DUV-visible-NlR, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence were used to characterize as grown LiGaO2 single crystals. The polished LiGaO2 substrates displayed improved surface morphology with inconspicuous surface scratches. The optical band gap energy of the LiGaO2 single crystal was found to be 526 eV. The cathodoluminescence spectrum of the LiGa02 single crystal exhibited strong UV emission, accompanied by weak, green-yellow emission. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.