Silicon carbide (SiC) films were grown on SiNx/Si structures. The SiNx layers were fabricated on Si surface with different thickness by either the nitridation of Si(111) surface with NH3 or the deposition of thick SiNx films by rf magnetron sputtering technique. The grown films were a single-crystalline 3C-SiC(111) which follows the crystal orientation of Si substrate. The thickness of SiC films grown on SiNx/Si substrates decreased with the increase of the nitridation time as well as the SiNx thickness. The formation of voids was significantly suppressed from SiC/Si interface by the nitridation of Si surface. It was observed that SiC films grown on 100, 300, and 500 nm thick SiNx/Si substrates consisted of columnar grains of SiC crystal. This work suggests that the fabrication of SiC devices can be realized in the SiC/SiNx/Si structure. (C) 2001 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.