The evolution of the surface plasmon resonance of Al, Ga, and In deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on GaN surfaces was monitored in real-time using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The correlation between the metal plasmon resonance modes, the particle size, and the growth mode is addressed. Gaand In deposited on GaN substrates form nanoparticles while the Al is shown to form a nearly coalesced thin film. The plasmon resonance of the Ga and In nanoparticles redshift with increasing average particle size while the pseudodielectric function of Al approaches that of a Drude metal. (c) 2007 American Vacuum Society.