Gallium nitride (GaN) films were grown on (100) GaAs substrates by hot-mesh chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A nitrided layer was also formed by the NHx radicals generated on a tungsten hot mesh surface. Nitridation conditions for the growth of GaN films with a cubic-type structure were investigated. Compared with the GaN films grown by hot-filament CVD, the GaN films grown by hot-mesh CVD on the GaAs surface layer nitrided at a substrate temperature of 550 degreesC, a mesh temperature of 1200 degreesC and an ammonia (NH3) pressure of 130 Pa have a more predominant cubic phase. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.