Low-defect density gallium nitride semiconductor structures and fabrication methods

A low-defect gallium nitride structure including a first gallium nitride layer comprising a plurality of gallium nitride columns etched into the first gallium nitride layer and a first dislocation density; and a second gallium nitride layer that extends over the gallium nitride columns and comprises a second dislocation density, wherein the second dislocation density may be lower than the first dislocation density. In addition, a method for fabricating a gallium nitride semiconductor layer that includes masking an underlying gallium nitride layer with a mask that comprises an array of columns and growing the underlying gallium nitride layer through the columns and onto said mask using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition pendeo-epitaxy to thereby form a pendeo-epitaxial gallium nitride layer coalesced on said mask to form a continuous pendeo-epitaxial monocrystalline gallium nitride semiconductor layer.