The propagation of incipient n(+) and p(+) source/drain (S/D) implant damage into extended dislocations at gate and field edges was studied for a variety of different processing conditions used to fabricate typical Ti-salicided complimentory metal oxide semiconductor transistors. Gate edge dislocations were observed predominantly in n-wells, while field edge defects occurred in both n and p-wells. Both gate edge and field edge dislocations were found to be strongly affected by stresses from field oxide edges and overlying dielectric spacer layers. The use of a low-stress polysilicon-to-metal dielectric is effective in reducing the density of extended dislocations in both n- and p-wells. Moderation of field oxide edge stress, either by reducing the field oxide thickness or by tapering the field to active area transition region, is also effective in reducing dislocation density in the n-well.