High‐quality ultraviolet photoconductive detectors have been fabricated using GaN layers grown by low‐pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on (11⋅0) sapphire substrates. The spectral responsivity remained nearly constant for wavelengths from 200 to 365 nm and dropped sharply by almost three orders of magnitude for wavelengths longer than 365 nm. The kinetics of the photoconductivity have been studied by the measurements of the frequency‐dependent photoresponse and photoconductivity decay. Strongly sublinear response and excitation‐dependent response time have been observed even at relatively low excitation levels. This can be attributed to redistribution of the charge carriers with increased excitation level. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.