When AlAs/GaAs layer samples are subjected to Ar+ion bombardment at liquid‐nitrogen temperature, it is shown that very different damage structures are produced in the two materials. While the GaAs is relatively easily amorphized, the AlAs is quite resistant to damage accumulation and remains crystalline for the ion doses employed in these investigations. Epitaxial regrowth of buried amorphous GaAs layers of thicknesses up to 150 nm can be induced by rapid thermal annealing. It is demonstrated that differences in the initial damage state have a strong influence upon the nature of lattice defects produced by annealing.