GaN nanorods were synthesized by ammoniating Ga2O3/BN films deposited on the Si (111) substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were carried out to characterize the structural and morphological properties of the as-synthesized nanorods. The results showed that the synthesized nanorods were single-crystal hexagonal wurtzite GaN with diameters ranging from 100 to 400 nm and lengths typically up to 10 mu m. The representative photoluminescence spectra measured at room temperature exhibited a strong and broad emission peak at 369 nm and a relatively weak emission peak at 403 nm. The growth mechanism of GaN nanorods is briefly discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.