The integration of thin film edge emitting lasers onto silicon enables the realization of planar photonic structures for interconnection and for miniaturized optical systems that can be integrated in their entirety at the chip scale. These thin film emitters are compound semiconductor lasers that are optimized for operation without the growth substrate. Removal of the laser growth substrate, coupled with bonding to the silicon host substrate, enable the integration of high quality edge emitting lasers with silicon. This paper explores the challenges, approaches, fabrication processes, and progress in the integration of thin film edge emitting lasers integrated onto silicon. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.