The growth of Ti3SiC2 thin films was studied onto 4H-SiC (0 0 0 1) 8 degrees and 4 degrees-off substrates by thermal annealing of TixAl1-x(0.5 <= x <= 1) layers. The annealing time was fixed at 10 min under Argon atmosphere. The synthesis conditions were also investigated according to the annealing temperature (900-1200 degrees C) after deposition. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) show that the layer of Ti3SiC2 is epitaxially grown on the 4H-SiC substrate. In addition the interface looks sharp and smooth with evidence of interfacial ordering. Moreover, during the annealing procedure, the formation of unwanted aluminum oxide was detected by using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS); this layer can be removed by using a specific annealing procedure. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.