This paper describes a study comparing the results of the electrical measurements and the regrowth behavior of ion-implanted silicon annealed with an 80-ns (FWHM) laser pulse at 1.06 μm. Certain correlations were established among the threshold energy density required for melting, the dopant distributions, and the diode junction depth and leakage. It is demonstrated that in order to obtain low-leakage diodes, the anneaing energy density, which depends upon the implant conditions, far exceeds the melting energy density as determined from the transient optical-reflectivity change.