NOVELTY - The method involves depositing a layer of a dielectric material onto a substrate (101). Openings in the dielectric material are patterned to expose portions of a surface of the substrate. A bottom diode region (102) is formed by growing a compound semiconductor material that is lattice mismatched to the substrate in the openings and allowing the semiconductor material to fill in the openings and coalesce above the openings to form a continuous layer. An active diode region (103) is formed on the bottom diode region. A top diode region (104) is formed on the active diode region.    USE - Method for making a semiconductor photonic device. Uses include but are not limited to an LED, laser, multi-junction solar cell, photovoltaic device and optoelectronic device.    ADVANTAGE - The method enables reducing costs of the semiconductor photonic device by creating the semiconductor photonic device on high- quality, large-area, low-cost silicon wafers. The method enables divots to effectively limit an area of a coalesced film so as to reduce thermally induced stresses in the semiconductor material. The method enables the semiconductor material to accommodate and largely reduce or eliminate wafer bow if the divots are provided with a proper size and spacing. The method enables an intermediate layer to be provided between the top diode region and the handle substrate so as to improve adhesion and minimize thermal mismatch. The method enables a width of a trench to be equal to or less than thickness of the dielectric material, so that the trench can trap threading dislocations.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The substrate is selected from a group consisting of a single crystal silicon, a gallium nitride substrate, an aluminum nitride substrates and a handle substrate.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic view of a semiconductor diode.    Substrate (101)    Bottom diode region (102)    Active diode region (103)    Top diode region (104)    Bottom of semiconductor photonic device (106)