Controlled registration of InAs clusters and selective‐area growth of InAs thin films on GaAs substrates is achieved via a combined high dose electron beam lithography/metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique. Auger electron spectroscopy and secondary electron microscopy measurements show that growth inhibition is not a consequence of native oxide masking or processing related surface contamination, but instead is attributable to modification of the GaAs surface energy. This phenomenon is observed for a wide range of lithographic patterns and growth conditions on both (100) and (111)B orientedn‐type and semi‐insulating GaAs substrates. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.