Patent ID: 7745813

Claim:
A layered structure comprising: a single crystal, epitaxial layer of a second crystalline material grown on a surface of a substrate of a first crystalline material, the second crystalline material being different from the first crystalline material; wherein: a plurality of nanowhiskers of the second crystalline material extend from the surface of the substrate in the epitaxial layer of the second crystalline material; the plurality of nanowhiskers constitute nucleation sites for the epitaxial layer of the second crystalline material; the entire epitaxial layer of the second crystalline material contains substantially no misfit dislocations, grain boundaries or antiphase domains; the plurality of nanowhiskers and the epitaxial layer of the second crystalline material comprise a same III-V semiconductor material; the surface of the substrate of the first crystalline material comprises silicon; the substrate comprises a crystalline silicon (100) substrate; and the surface of the substrate comprises a (111) silicon surface exposed in V-shaped grooves in the substrate.