The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a crack free monocrystalline nitride layer having the composition AlxGa1-xN, where 0≦x≦0.3, on a substrate that is likely to generate tensile stress in the layer and to structures containing such layer and substrate. The method includes forming a nucleation layer on the substrate; forming a monocrystalline intermediate layer of aluminum or gallium nitride at a selected thickness on the nucleation layer; forming a monocrystalline seed layer of an AlBN compound in which the boron content is between 0 and 10% at a selected temperature and thickness on the intermediate layer with the thicknesses of the seed and intermediate layers being in a ratio of between 0.05 and 1; and forming the monocrystalline nitride layer of AlxGa1-xN nitride at a selected temperature on the seed layer, with the temperature of formation of the seed layer being 50 to 150° C. higher than the temperature of formation of the monocrystalline nitride layer in order to avoid producing cracks in the monocrystalline nitride layer.