In this study, we report on the growth of the defect-free (dislocation-free) InGaN nanorods on (1 1 1) silicon substrate by our hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) system. Morphological and structural characterization of the InGaN nanorods by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) indicates that the nanorods are straight and preferentially oriented in the c-axis direction. Cathodoluminescence (CL) characteristic of the single InGaN nanorod shows a strong blue emission peaking at around 428 nm at room temperature. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.