SiGaN/SiOxNy nanocables and SiOxNy-based nanostructures on silicon and silica substrates, respectively, have been firstly synthesized via using GaN as a resource of Ga. The silica wafer is mainly responsible for the formation of SiOxNy-based nanostructures and the intermediate Ga plays an important role in the formation of diverse nanostructures. SEM, TEM, line scan and SAED were employed to characterize as-prepared samples. The growth mechanism of as-prepared samples is also discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.