Abstract Specular m -plane (10 1 ¯ 0) gallium nitride (m -GaN) epi-layer are grown on m -plane (10 1 ¯ 0) sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition using a three-step approach. A two-step approach was used to grow m -GaN buffer layer (BL), while a three-step approach was applied to improve the surface morphology of the top m -GaN epi-layer at high temperature. The three-step approach started with growing m -aluminum nitride nucleation layer with an optimized ammonia flux during the growth of aluminum nitride. Then the temperature was ramped up during the recrystallization step before the m -GaN BL deposition at low-temperature and the growth of m -GaN layer at high-temperature for the final step. Unexpectedly, when ammonia flow was intentionally halted during the recrystallization step, the surface morphology of the BL drastically changed from three- to two- dimensional with an abrupt cross-sectional structure. This in turn facilitated the complete coalescence of the m -GaN layer as revealed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The three-step technique was found to affect the quality of m -GaN epi-layer as the samples exhibit improved crystallinity with X-ray diffraction rocking curves widths of 4680 and 1980 arcsec along the azimuth, perpendicular and parallel to [10 1 ¯ 0] directions, respectively. Highlights • Three-step approach is a key factor to obtain a smooth surface of m -plane GaN. • No ammonia during recrystallization steps promotes two-dimensional m -GaN epi-layer. • m -GaN grown at low V/III ratio exhibits [10 1 ¯ 0] orientation with lower FWHM value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]