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The strain-relaxation phenomena during the early stages of plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy growth of lattice-mismatched wurtzite (0001) AlN/GaN heterostructures have been studied by real-time recording of the in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic-force microscopy. A pseudo-two-dimensional layer-by-layer growth is observed at substrate temperatures of 640–660 C, as evidenced by RHEED and TEM. However, the variation of the in-plane lattice parameter during growth and after growth has been found to be complex. Three steps have been seen during the deposition of lattice-mismatched AlN and GaN layers: they were interpreted as the succession of the formation of flat platelets, 3–6 monolayers high (0.8–1.5 nm) and 10–20 nm in diameter, their partial coalescence, and gradual dislocation introduction. Platelet …