Abstract: To reduce dislocations produced in the formation of shallow trench isolation regions in a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate is annealed in N2 ambient pressure with an O2 partial pressure of less than about 10−4 at a temperature between about 950 C.° and about 1055 C.°. In addition, a method to reduce crystalline defects in semiconductor manufacturing in which a metal is deposited on an insulator to form metal silicide is provided. The method provides for etching the insulator to create an overhang by an amount equal to at least one half of the thickness of the metal, thereby creating a void between the surface of the semiconductor substrate and the insulator. The metal is deposited on the first insulator and on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor substrate is heated thereby forming metal silicide on the surface of the substrate.