The electronic and geometrical structures of silicon carbide thin films are presented. The films were deposited on graphite by ion-beam deposition using tetramethylsilane (TMS) as an ion source. In the Si K-edge near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra for sub-monolayered film, sharp peaks due to the resonance from Si 1s to pi(*)-like orbitals were observed, suggesting the existence of Si=C double bonds. On the basis of the polarization dependencies of the Si 1s --> pi(*) peak intensities, it is elucidated that the direction of the pi(*)-like orbitals is just perpendicular to the surface. We conclude that the sub-monolayered SiC. film has a flat-lying hexagonal structure of which configuration is analogous to the single sheet of graphite. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.