Silicon carbide (SiC) is a candidate material for electronic devices to operate upon crucial environment. Electronic states of silicides and/or carbide/graphite formed in metal/SiC contact system is fundamentally important from the view point of device performance. We study interface electronic structure of vanadium (V) thin-film deposited on 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) Si-face by using a soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (SXES). For specimens of V(38 nm)/6H-SiC (substrate) contact systems annealed at 850 degrees C, the Si L-2,L-3 emission spectra indicate different shapes and peak energies from the substrate. The product of materials such as silicides and/or ternary materials is suggested. Similarly, the C K alpha emission spectra show the shape and peak energy characteristic of vanadium carbide including substrate 6H-SiC signal. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.