It has been found that the advantages of rapid thermal processing during various stages of semiconductor processing are strongly dependent on the source used to heat the wafer and the system configuration. Examples of process data are presented that were obtained using a system based on the water-wall DC arc.High power levels incident on one side of the wafer allow very fast heating rates (ambient to 1200 °C in under 3 s) while at the same time permitting direct-feedback control of temperature via monitoring with an infrared pyrometer. Rapid-rise times also minimize dopant diffusion while eliminating residual crystal damage at relatively low temperatures. SIMS studies show that the junction movement is typically under 1000 Å for common implant species. Reflows of low-temperature glass such as PSG with 5–6% phosphorus concentrations have been achieved without significant diffusion of underlying structures. Silicides of most common refractory metals have been formed, which show resistivities comparable to furnace annealing with much less diffusion.