Ti3SiC2 films were grown on polycrystalline Ti3SiC2 bulk substrates using DC magnetron sputtering. The crystallographic orientation of the film grains is shown to be determined by the respective substrate-grain orientation through homoepitaxial MAX-phase growth. For a film composition close to Ti:Si:C = 3:1:2, the films predominantly consist of MAX phases, both Ti3SiC2 and the metastable Ti4SiC3. Lower Si content resulted in growth of TiC with Ti3SiC2 as a minority phase. Thus, MAX-phase heterostructures with preferred crystallographic relationships can also be realized. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.