A method for preparation of orientation-patterned (OP) templates comprising the steps of: depositing a first layer of a first material on a common substrate by a far-from-equilibrium process; and depositing a first layer of a second material on the first layer of the first material by a close-to-equilibrium process, wherein a first assembly is formed. The first material and the second material may be the same material or different materials. The substrate material may be Al2O3 (sapphire), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), GaAs, GaP, GaSb, InAs, InP, CdTe, CdS, CdSe, or GaSe. The first material deposited on the common substrate may be one or more electronic or optical binary materials from the group consisting of AlN, GaN, GaP, InP, GaAs, InAs, AlAs, ZnSe, GaSe, ZnTe, CdTe, HgTe, GaSb, SiC, CdS, CdSe, or their ternaries or quaternaries. The far-from-equilibrium process is one of MOCVD and MBE, and the close-to-equilibrium process is HVPE.