The results of an investigation of the impact of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at two different temperatures, 750 and 1050degreesC, on the electrical behavior and the morphology of a Si wafer surface are presented. A remarkable degradation of the surface and subsurface regions of Si wafers is detected after the RTA: the maximum electrical damage is observed after the 750degreesC anneal, while surface roughening is induced by the 1050degreesC anneal. Several mechanisms responsible for the observed changes in the electrical and morphological wafer characteristics are discussed.