The electrical properties and interface chemistry of Cr/6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) contacts have been studied by current-sensing atomic force microscopy (CS-AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cr layers were vapor deposited under ultrahigh vacuum onto both ex situ etched in H-2 and in situ Ar+ ion-bombarded samples. The Cr/SiC contacts are electrically non-uniform. Both the measured I-V characteristics and the modeling calculations enabled to estimate changes of the Schottky barrier height caused by Ar+ bombardment. Formation of ohmic nano-contacts on Ar+-bombarded surfaces was observed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.