The time and spatial dependence of the temperature rise produced in ion‐implanted silicon subjected to pulsed electron beam bombardment has been numerically calculated. The temperature profiles generated were then used to calculate the thermoelastic stresses produced by the deposited energy. Experimental measurements of the incident energy density thresholds for fracture of the silicon have beem compared with damage threshold levels suggested by this analysis. The temperature calculations have been qualitatively verified by diffusion profile measurements as compared with calculated profiles based on dopant diffusion in liquid silicon. The shear forces produced by the large temperature gradients have been proposed as the primary cause of fracture which occurs at high beam fluences.