Cubic gallium nitride (GaN) films were grown on nitrided layers of GaAs(100) by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. The nitrided layer was also formed by NHx radicals generated on a tungsten hot-wire surface. Nitridation conditions for the growth of GaN with a cubic-type structure were investigated. As a result, GaN film with a preponderant cubic phase was grown on the GaAs surface layer nitrided at a substrate temperature of 550 degreesC, a filament temperature of 1200 degreesC and an ammonia (NH3) pressure of 1 Torr. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.