Low pressure chemical vapour deposition was used to define the channel length of vertical Si p-MOS transistors. Comparing to a conventional lateral transistor, the vertical structure is expected to enhance the packing density. The growth technique permits an easy reduction of the channel length without complex technological preparation steps. Besides, it allows a selective deposition in which facet growth occurs, which in turn leads to a thinner channel length compared to the distance between the two pn-junctions in the volume area. Therefore, the facet growth leads to a shift of the punch-through effect to higher voltages. Device characteristics of a non-optimized transistor geometry, on which the gate oxide is prepared after the epitaxial growth, with a channel length of approximately 250 nm and a gate oxide thickness of 12 nm, show a transconductance of 70 mS mm(-1), an ideal sub-threshold behaviour of 100 mV dec(-1) an off-current below 10(-12) A mu m(-2) and a breakthrough voltage V-D>4 V. Devices with a preparation of the gate oxide before epitaxial growth have also been studied. These devices show a transconductance of 25 mS mm(-1) for a gate oxide thickness of 40 nm.