Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) micro-pillars were fabricated on Si (100) substrate by vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process. The microstructure and residual stress of the micro-pillars were investigated by electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The selected area diffraction pattern of the SiC micro-pillar indicated that the micro-pillar was 3C-SiC single crystal. The residual stress of about 0.3 GPa in the micro-pillar calculated from Raman spectrum indicated that the VLS grown 3C-SiC micro-pillars had good crystalline quality. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.