In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus for forming a transistor that includes a silicon (Si) substrate, a dislocation filtering buffer formed over the Si substrate having a first buffer layer including gallium arsenide (GaAs) nucleation and buffer layers and a second buffer layer including a graded indium aluminium arsenide (InAlAs) buffer layer, a lower barrier layer formed on the second buffer layer formed of InAlAs, and a strained quantum well (QW) layer formed on the lower barrier layer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs). Other embodiments are described and claimed.