A systematic study of the impact of As+ ion implantation on strain relaxation and dopant activation of biaxially strained SSOI layers and uniaxially strained/unstrained NWs is presented. Three aspects are investigated: (i) the quality of the single crystalline layers and the NWs, (ii) strain relaxation of the implanted NWs and (iii) dopant activation of the layers and NWs. Optimization of the doping conditions resulted into very low contact resistivities of NiSi contacts on strained and unstrained 70 nm SOI layers and Si NWs. For NW contacts values as low as 1.2 x 10(-8) Omega cm(2) for an As+ dose of 2 x 10(15) cm(-2) were achieved, which is 20 times lower than for planar contacts made under the same implantation and annealing conditions. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.