X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to study the effect of the metal composition on the electrical and thermal properties of Au/Pd/Ti/Pd contacts to SiC. No reactions and interdiffusion between the contact components and SiC are found for the as-deposited contact layer. The steep metal/SiC interface corresponds to the Schottky behaviour observed before the annealing. Annealing at 900 ° C causes Pd2Si formation at the SiC interface and ohmic properties appearance. Due to the addition of Ti to the contact composition the carbon resulting from the SiC dissociation during annealing is completely consumed, which leads to improvement of the thermal stability.