High-quality GaN layer was successfully grown on a SiO2 nanorod-array patterned sapphire substrate (NAPSS) using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition by a nanoscaled epitaxial lateral overgrowth (NELO) method. From tunneling electron microscope images, well coalescence and turned dislocations are parallel to the surface direction were clearly observed. The Raman shift measurement shows the residual stress in GaN was greatly reduced from 1.359 to 0.652 GPa when compared to a GaN on flat sapphire substrate. Also, a high-efficiency GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were demonstrated on the NELO NAPSS GaN, the respective output power and external quantum efficiency of the NELO NAPSS LEDs were estimated to be 22 mW and 40.2% at an injection current of 20 mA, showing an enhancement factor of 52% over conventional LEDs. The significant improvement resulted from both the enhanced light extraction assisted by the NAPSS, and the reduced dislocation densities using the NELO method. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.