We have directly grown zinc-blende (zb)-type MnAs thin films on InP (001) substrates without the aid of any buffer layer using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). From the High-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, assuming face-centered cubic (fcc) MnAs structure, the average lattice constants values were calculated to be 6.068 and 6.060 angstrom for growth temperatures of 250 and 300 degrees C, respectively. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations and selected-area electron-diffraction (SAD) verified the successful growth of zb-type cubic MnAs coexisting with the NiAs-type hexagonal MnAs. The saturation magnetization was estimated to be 300 emu/cm(3) determined from the magnetic field dependence of the magnetization curves. From the temperature dependence of magnetization, the Curie temperature was found to be approximately 308 K. success in the growth of zb-type MnAs thin films could be reasonably explained by the existence of a monolayer of InAs at the interface between the MnAs and InP substrates. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.