Strain- and composition-engineered multi-quantum wells and superlattices of IV-IV compounds have numerous potential applications in electronic, optoelectronic and optical devices in Si-compatible technology. Rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) at low pressure and low temperature is a particularly promising technique for growing such heterostructures. Binary and ternary SiGeC multilayers were grown on (001)-Si by computer-controlled RTCVD. Hydrogen-diluted SiH4, GeH4 and SiH3CH3 were used as precursors. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction demonstrated that these structures had abrupt interfaces and were free of extended crystal defects. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy was used to check their chemical composition. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry showed that carbon was only substitutionally incorporated under optimized growth conditions. The band structure and electron-hole recombination were investigated by photoluminescence and infrared absorption measurements. The infrared absorption spectra showed intersubband transitions in Si/SiGeC multi-quantum wells for the first time.