We have grown high-quality and large-area (18 x 18 mm(2)) 3C-SiC crystals on 6H-SiC seed crystals heteroepitaxially using a top-seeded solution method. The key technique here is the intentional inducement of a stacking error just at the surface of the seed crystal and crystal growth under conditions where the 3C-SiC is thermodynamically stable. The solution method developed here can be used to grow larger-area 3C-SiC crystals using 6H-SiC seed crystals 2-4 in. in diameter grown by a sublimation method. In cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images, a transition area composed of twinned 3C-SiC variants was observed just above the boundary where the polytype changed from 6H-SiC to 3C-SiC. This transition area can be explained by lateral growth and collision of different variant 3C-SiC crystals. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.