Abstract
GaN nanowires are grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy using nickel as a catalyst. The properties of the obtained GaN nanowires are characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, room-temperature photoluminescence and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results show that the nanowires are wurtzite single crystals growing along the [0001] direction and a redshift in the photoluminescence is observed due to a superposition of several effects. The Raman spectra are close to those of the bulk GaN and the significantly broadening of those modes indicates the phonon confinement effects associated with the nanoscale dimensions of the system.