The selective and alienable deposition of patterned thin film epitaxial GaAs/GaAlAs and InP/InGaAsP devices onto host substrates such as silicon for low cost hybrid integrated micro-opto-electronic systems is reported. Using a combination of semiconductor etch layers and selective etches, the epilayers can be separated from the growth substrate. We use a thin polyimide diaphragm as the transparent transfer medium for these epitaxial materials and devices. Each of these thin film devices or a group of these devices on the polyimide is optically aligned and selectively deposited onto the host substrate. Using this technique, GaAs and InP-based light emitting diodes and optical detectors which are microns thick were grown on lattice matched GaAs and InP substrates, lifted off, aligned and selectively deposited onto a silicon host substrate. The devices were then electrically contacted and tested using standard microelectronic fabrication and testing techniques. This method also enables the manufacturable, sparse distribution of costly photonic devices or the deposition of aligned arrays of devices to fabricate larger arrays. The integration of these light weight devices with microsensors and microactuators will foster micro-opto-electro-mechanical integration.