Fundamental growth properties were investigated for the size-controlled selective MBE growth of AlGaN/GaN nanowires on the GaN (0001) prepatterned substrates both experimentally and theoretically. The lateral size of the present GaN nanowire was determined by two facet boundaries formed within AlGaN barrier layers. From the series of wire growth experiments, the growth selectivity and the measured angle of the facet boundary strongly depended on the Al composition and the initial crystalline facets of the mesa patterned templates. The experimental evolution of the cross-sectional structures was well reproduced by a computer simulation based on the phenomenological growth model where the slope angle dependence of lifetime of adatoms was taken into account. The lateral width of present nanowires could be kinetically controlled by the growth conditions and the supply thickness of AlGaN layers. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.