The structural properties of TiO2 nanotubes with rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and traditional thermal annealing in O-2 were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering measurements. From analyzing the line width of XRD and the correlation length of the Raman peak, we demonstrate that RTA can be an effective tool for amorphous-anatase transformation in TiO2 nanotubes. The Raman peak redshifts and reduces its line width after thermal annealing and RTA, which may involves the reduction of oxygen-related defects. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.