The lattice-mismatch stress-induced two-dimensional-to-three-dimensional morphology change is combined with interfacet adatom migration to selectively assemble parallel chains of InAs islands on top of [11¯0] oriented stripe mesas of sub-100-nm widths on GaAs(001) substrates. On such mesa stripes, preparedin situvia size-reducing epitaxy, deposition of InAs amounts subcritical for island formation on planar GaAs (001) is shown to allow self-assembly of three, two, and single chains of InAs three-dimensional island quantum dots selectively on the stripe mesa tops for widths decreasing from 100 nm down to 30 nm. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.