Using grazing‐angle high‐energy electron diffraction (HEED) epitaxial crystallites of &bgr;‐Sic have been observed on Si surfaces simultaneously with the silicon fractional‐order surface structures. SiC has not been observed with the LEED technique under comparable experimental conditions. The surfaces containing SiC were prepared by iodine desorption. Surfaces prepared by oxide decomposition at 1200 °C or byin situpyrolysis of SiH4were carbide free. The experiments showed the carbide was due to decomposition of a carbon adsorbate.