a b s t r a c tUndoped AlN layers have been grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition in order to study the effects of ammonia (NH 3 ) flow rate and layer thickness on the structural quality and surface morphology of AlN layers by highresolution X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Lower NH 3 flow rate improves crystallinity of the symmetric (0 0 0 2) plane in AlN layers. Ammonia flow rate is also correlated with surface quality; pit-free and smooth AlN surfaces have been obtained at a flow rate of 70 standard cm 3 per minute.Thicker AlN films improve the crystallinity of the asymmetric (1 0 1 2) plane.