We prepared V-Al-C films on glass and silicon (with native SiO2 layer) substrates using magnetron co-sputtering at 600 degrees C. The composition and microstructure of these films were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Polycrystalline V2AlC phase was obtained in the films with nearly stoichiometric composition. The microstructural evolution includes random nucleation at the film/substrate interface, competitive growth resulting in a (110) preferred orientation with increasing thickness. The mechanism for crystallization could be understood in terms of polymorphic crystallization. The results show that polycrystalline MAX-phase V2AlC could be directly synthesized on amorphous substrates. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.