Use of high ramp rates (>400degreesC/s) in rapid thermal annealing after ion implantation leads to experimentally observed improvements in junction depth and the reverse narrow-channel effect. However, a straightforward explanation for this effect has been lacking. Via modeling, we find that increasing the heating rate permits clusters with dissociation energies lower than the maximum of 3.5-3.7 eV to survive to higher temperatures. This improved survival delays the increase in Si interstitial concentrations near the top of an annealing spike, which decreases the profile spreading. (C) 2003 The Electrochemical Society.