An embodiment concerns forming an EPI film on a substrate where the EPI film has a different lattice constant from the substrate. The EPI film and substrate may include different materials to collectively form a hetero-epitaxial device having, for example, a Si and/or SiGe substrate and a III-V or IV film. The EPI film may be one of multiple EPI layers or films and the films may include different materials from one another and may directly contact one another. Further, the multiple EPI layers may be doped differently from another in terms of doping concentration and/or doping polarity. One embodiment includes creating a horizontally oriented hetero-epitaxial structure. Another embodiment includes a vertically oriented hetero-epitaxial structure. The hetero-epitaxial structures may include, for example, a bipolar junction transistor, heterojunction bipolar transistor, thyristor, and tunneling field effect transistor among others. Other embodiments are described herein.