Indium nitride (InN) film was successfully grown on sapphire (0 0 0 1) substrate using a simple resistive heated metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system by utilizing a pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) heater with a precise temperature control within VC. Structural studies and optical property measurement by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence of the films were presented. An improved epitaxy was achieved in films grown at a high substrate temperature (540 degreesC). The room temperature photoluminescence spectrum of the InN film showed a strong peak at 1.8 eV. Further high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) investigation revealed some inclusion of nanocrystalline phase, which might be responsible for the strong photoluminescence signal.