Patent ID: 8268648

Claim:
A method comprising: forming a trench on a silicon semiconductor substrate, the substrate having a first surface along the (100) crystal plane and the trench having a second surface that is not parallel with the first surface of the substrate, the second surface formed along the (111) crystal plane; forming a buffer layer on, conforming with and parallel with a substantial portion of the second surface while leaving the first surface along the (100) crystal plane substantially free of buffer material; forming a first III-V compound layer on, conforming with and parallel with a substantial portion of the buffer layer; forming a quantum-well layer on, conforming with and parallel with a substantial portion of the first III-V compound layer, wherein the quantum-well layer is configured to emit light when an electric current is produced in the quantum-well layer; and forming a second III-V compound layer on, conforming with and parallel with at least a substantial portion of the quantum-well layer.