An article of manufacture having a substrate having a top surface and a first layer on the top surface. The top surface contains titanium carbide, vanadium carbide, zirconium carbide, niobium carbide, hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide, tungsten carbide, chromium nitride, molybdenum nitride, tungsten nitride, titanium nitride, vanadium nitride, zirconium nitride, or a combination thereof. The first layer contains one or more group III-V metal nitrides.