High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of pendeo-epitaxial (PE) GaN films confirmed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results regarding the reduction in dislocations in the wings. Wing tilt Յ0.15°was due to tensile stresses in the stripes induced by thermal expansion mismatch between the GaN and the SiC substrate. A strong D°X peak at Ϸ 3.466 eV (full-width half-maximum (FWHM) Յ 300 eV) was measured in the wing material. Films grown at 1020°C exhibited similar vertical [0001] and lateral [112 -0] growth rates. Increasing the temperature increased the latter due to the higher thermal stability of the GaN(112 -0). The (112 -0) surface was atomically smooth under all growth conditions with a root mean square (RMS) ϭ 0.17 nm.