The optical properties of homoepitaxial GaN layers deposited by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on stripe-patterned GaN films on 6H-SiC substrates have been investigated. Analysis of the spatially-resolved Raman scattering spectra indicate an improvement in material quality of the overgrown region. Room-temperature color cathodoluminescence imaging and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements indicate that a donor and an acceptor, different from those detected in the underlying GaN/AlN/SiC substrate, have been incorporated in the epitaxial layer. Detailed photoluminescence studies of the near-band-edge emission strongly suggest that Si is the additional donor detected in the homoepitaxial GaN layer. Its occurrence, along with that of an acceptor-related defect which is primarily found in the laterally overgrown region, is discussed. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.