The present invention provides a metal nitride platform for semiconductor devices, including, a pre-defined array of catalyst sites, disposed on a substrate. Metal nitride islands with lateral to vertical size ratios of at least greater than one (1) are disposed on the array of catalyst sites, where the surfaces of the metal nitride islands are with reduced dislocation densities and side walls with bending of dislocations. The platform of metal nitride islands is further used to build electrically and optically-active devices. The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of a metal nitride platform, selectively, on the array of catalyst sites, in the presence of a reactive gas and precursors and under preferred reaction conditions, to grow metal nitride islands with lateral to vertical size ratios of at least greater than one (1).