A method for forming a conformal group III / V layer on a silicon substrate and the resulting substrate with the group III / V layers formed thereon. The method includes removing the native oxide from the substrate, positioning a substrate within a processing chamber, heating the substrate to a first temperature, cooling the substrate to a second temperature, flowing a group III precursor into the processing chamber, maintaining the second temperature while flowing a group III precursor and a group V precursor into the processing chamber until a conformal layer is formed, heating the processing chamber to an annealing temperature, while stopping the flow of the group III precursor, and cooling the processing chamber to the second temperature. Deposition of the III / V layer may be made selective through the use of halide gas etching which preferentially etches dielectric regions.