Patent ID: 7528002

Claim:
A method for forming a plurality of nanowhiskers having at least a base portion of a first Group III-V semiconductor material including a combination of at least two elements, on a substrate of a silicon material, comprising: providing a substrate of said silicon material, wherein a Si(111) surface of said substrate comprises catalytic particles on an atomically flat growth region prepared by etching with a solution comprising hydrofluoric acid in order to terminate at least a portion of the substrate surface with hydrogen; annealing the substrate prior to growing the plurality of nanowhiskers, wherein during the step of annealing, the substrate surface is not exposed to any gas used to form the plurality of nanowhiskers; and initiating the flow of Group III and Group V precursors substantially simultaneously into a MOVPE growth chamber such that the plurality of nanowhiskers grow on said growth region via said catalytic particles substantially only in a [111]B direction corresponding to vertical growth from the Si(111) surface.