This thesis describes the growth of Ti-Si-C MAX-phases on A1₂O₃(0001) and MgO(111) substrates with the emphasis on epitaxial Ti₃SiC₂ thin films by means of DC magnetron sputtering. Ti₃SiC₂, Ti₄SiC₃ as well as the two intergrown structures Ti₅Si₂C₃ and Ti₇Si₂C₅ were grown using sputtering from three individual elemental targets of Ti, Si, and C, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis of the films revealed single-phase and epitaxial growth of Ti_n+1SiC_n(0001) (n = 2, 3) MAX-phases at substrate temperatures above 700 °C. MgO(100) substrates as growth templates provided growth of Ti₃SiC₂ in a preferred orientation of (1015). TEM and XRD investigations showed that at 700 °C and below Si is accommodated at twin boundaries between TiC(111) planes. Depositions at substrate temperatures of 350 °C and RT resulted in nanocrystalline TiC growth with substitutionally-incorporated Si due to kinetic constraints.

Mechanical properties were investigated using nanoindentation with cube corner and Berkovich indenters. With small indentation depth, hardness values of up to 24 GPa were measured for Ti₃SiC₂ films. Increasing maximum loads yielded lower hardnesses approaching bulk values. Young's moduli of 320 and 343 GPa were observed applying cube comer and Berkovich indenter, respectively. Cross-sectional TEM through indentations made with a Berkovich indenter were used to study the deformation behavior of the MAX-phases. Deformation energy is dissipated in kink formation, with edge dislocation pile-ups at the kink boundary, and delamination along basal planes.

Four-point probe measurements on Ti₃SiC₂ MAX-phase thin films deposited at 900 °C showed a low room temperature resistivity of ~ 25 µΩcm, which increased with lower deposition temperatures. Ti₄SiC₃ films demonstrated an increased resistivity up to ~ 50 µΩcm.