Homoepitaxial growth on 4H-SiC(0 3 (3) over bar 8) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the MOS interface have been investigated. Unintentionally-doped 4H-SiC(0 3 (3) over bar 8) epilayers showed a low background doping concentration of 3 x 10(14) cm(-3) and a low trap concentration of 8 x 10(11) cm(-3). Almost complete (similar to100%) closing of micropipes was realized, although some of very large (>3 mum) micropipes were threading into epilayers. Conductance measurements on n-type MOS capacitors revealed that the interface state density (D-it) near the conduction-band edge is lower on 4H-SiC(0 3 (3) over bar 8) than on 4H-SiC(0 0 0 1). Higher channel mobility was obtained for inversion-type (0 3 3 8) MOSFETs, compared to (0 0 0 1) MOSFETs. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.