3C-SiC heteroepitaxy by means of direct irradiation of isotopically mass-selected Si-28 and C-12 ion beams onto Si substrates has been performed. The surface structural evolution during ion irradiation was monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The process temperatures of both carbonization and similar to15 nm-thick thin SiC layer formation are similar to670 degreesC which is quite low as compared to other conventional film growth methods using gas species providing nearly equilibrium processes. The results suggest that a far equilibrium and subplantation film growth process provided by low-energy ion beams contributes to the low temperature SiC epilayer formation. (C) 2063 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.