Methods of forming a denuded zone in a semiconductor wafer using rapid laser annealing

Methods for forming a denuded zone in an oxygen-containing semiconductor wafer using rapid laser annealing (RLA) are disclosed. The method includes scanning an intense beam of laser radiation over the surface of the wafer to raise the temperature of each point on the wafer surface to be at or near the wafer's melting temperature for a time period on the order of a millisecond or so. This rapid heating and cooling causes oxygen in the wafer near the wafer surface to diffuse out from the wafer surface. Oxygen in the body of the wafer remains unheated and thus does not diffuse toward the wafer surface. The result is an oxygen-depleted zone-called a "denuded zone"-formed immediately adjacent the wafer surface. The methods further include forming a semiconductor device feature in the denuded zone such as by implanting the wafer with dopants.