High resolution Raman scattering measurements have been carried out on pulse and continuous‐wave laser annealed silicon samples with various surface preparations. These included polished and ion‐bombarded wafers, and saw‐cut crystals. The pulse annealing treatments were carried out in ultrahigh vacuum and in air. The residual strain was inferred from the frequency shift of the first‐order Raman active mode of Si, and was detectable in the range 10−2–10−3 in all except the polished samples.