A nucleation structure for the epitaxial growth of three-dimensional semiconductor elements, including a substrate including a monocrystalline material forming a growth surface, a plurality of intermediate portions made of an intermediate crystalline material epitaxied from the growth surface and defining an upper intermediate surface, and a plurality of nucleation portions, made of a material including a transition metal forming a nucleation crystalline material, each epitaxied from the upper intermediate surface, and defining a nucleation surface suitable for the epitaxial growth of a three-dimensional semiconductor element.