The lateral oxidation rate of AlAs layers decreases dramatically for layers thinner than about 500 Å, because the activation energies for the rate constant of the reaction at the oxidation front increases by an amount inversely proportional to the layer thickness. We derive a model for the thickness dependence of the lateral oxidation rate of AlAs based on the surface energy of the curvature observed at the oxide tip. From the model, we show that the linear oxidation rate has anexp(−&thgr;0/&thgr;)dependence on the AlAs layer thickness&thgr;, and we can predict the slowing of oxidation when the AlAs layer is cladded with AlGaAs barriers. Also, we estimate the surface energy of the AlAs/oxide interface to be 50 eV/nm2. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.