Narrow < 110 >(Si) oriented trenches with high aspect ratio served as template to grow Ge on Si (001) substrate. Cross section high resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals a high crystalline quality relaxed Ge inside the trench with only a few structural detects in the vicinity of a well ordered misfit dislocation grid at the Ge/Si interface. These dislocations are formed along the < 110 >(Ge) lattice planes and terminate in the first 20 nm of grown Ge. The high structural Ge quality is maintained both parallel and perpendicular to the trench as was confirmed by additional plan view and cross section inspections along the trench. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.