Epitaxial growth has been performed on off-axis 4H-SiC (000-1) by chimney-type vertical hot-wall CVD in a SiH4-C3H8-H-2 system at 1750 degreesC. Typical growth rates are 14-19 mum/h. The epilayers show mirror-like surfaces, but 3C-SiC hillocks are occasionally observed, due to a high nucleation rate on this face. By increasing the C/Si ratio to 0.6, the hillock density is decreased to I cm(-2). Micropipes are dissociated into closed-core screw dislocations under a lower C/Si ratio. At a C/Si ratio of 0.4, all the micropipes (more than 100 micropipes) are closed. By growth at low pressure and increasing C/Si ratio to 0.6, the net donor concentration is reduced to 4.9 x 10(14) cm(-3). The Z(1/2) center concentration is typically 1 x 10(13) cm(-3), which slightly decreases by increasing the C/Si ratio. Both the Z(1/2) and EH6/7 concentrations of (000-1) epilayers are comparable to those of (0001) epilayers.