GaGdN nanorods were grown on Si (0 0 1) substrates with native silicon oxides at a low substrate temperature of 550 degrees C by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy, and the effect of low-temperature growth on the structural properties of GaGdN was investigated. It was found that Gd atoms mostly substituted Ga sites in the GaGdN nanorods. A secondary phase, such as NaCl-type GdN and Gd metal, was not observed even in samples with Gd concentration as high as 8.7%. However, with increase in Gd concentration, lattice constant was increased and the coordination environment around the Gd atom was disarranged. Moreover, high Gd fluxes gradually increased the diameter of GaGdN nanorods with the progress of growth. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.