Damaging in Al‐implanted 3C‐SiC and subsequent crystal recovery due to thermal treatments up to 1350 °C are evaluated by X‐ray diffraction and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Reciprocal space mapping of (004) 3C‐SiC planes shows a low‐intensity implantation‐induced secondary peak at higher interplanar spacing in the as‐implanted 3C‐SiC sample, with a generated misfit between the implanted and the epitaxial region of about 0.6%. Increasing the annealing temperature from 950 °C to 1350 °C, the secondary peak is gradually re‐absorbed within the epitaxial 3C‐SiC reciprocal lattice point. Finally, the disappearance of the secondary peak after a 1350 °C thermal treatment is observed. Thus, implantation‐induced average strain, resulting in a severe 3C‐SiC deforma‐ tion, has been totally relieved at the highest annealing temperature. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)