Electronic Properties of Materials

Lecture – 2: Crystal Directions

Instructor: Muhammad Suhail Najeeb (MDSN)

Lecturer, Dept. of ECE, EWU

Reference: Principles of Electronic Materials & Devices – S. O. Kasap – 3 rd Edn.

Crystal Direction(1.8.2)
• In explaining crystal properties, we
must frequently specify a direction
in a crystal, or a particular plane of
atoms. Many properties, for
example, the elastic modulus,
electrical resistivity, magnetic
susceptibility, etc., are directional
within the crystal.
Crystal Direction

If any integer is a negative number, we use a bar on

top of that integer.
Crystal Direction
Crystal Planes: Miller indices
Crystal Planes: Miller Indices
• We take the intercepts (x0, y0, and zo) of the plane on the (x, y, and z)
axes
• We express the intercepts (x0, y0, and zo) in terms of the lattice
parameters (a, b, and c) respectively, to obtain (x1, y1, and z1)
• We then invert these numbers/taking the reciprocals.
• We then clear all fractions, without reducing to lowest integers, to
obtain a set of integers, say h, k, and l.
• We then put these integers into parentheses, without commas, that
is, (hkl).
Important Features of Miller Indices
• A plane which is parallel to any one of the co-ordinate axes has an intercept
of infinity.
• Therefore the Miller index for that axis is zero; i.e. for an intercept at infinity,
the corresponding index is zero.
• A plane passing through the origin is defined in terms of a parallel plane
having non zero intercepts.
• All equally spaced parallel planes have same ‘Miller indices’ i.e. The Miller
indices do not only define a particular plane but also a set of parallel planes.
• Thus the planes whose intercepts are 1, 1,1; 2,2,2; -3,-3,-3 etc., are all
represented by the same set of Miller indices.
Miller Indices
Miller Indices
 Shifting the plane
 All planes that have been shifted by a lattice
parameter have identical Miller indices.
 Note that not all parallel planes are identical.
 Planes can have the same Miller indices only
if they are separated by a multiple of the lattice
parameter. For example, the (010) plane is not
identical to the (020) plane, even though they
are geometrically parallel
Draw (200) Draw (101)
Draw (011) Draw (-101)
Draw (231)
Example 1.14

1
• 

𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒= ×4+1=2

4
Planar Concentration of an atom
Planar Concentration of (111)
• 
Try Yourself:
Drawing the Diamond Unit Cell
APF Calculation for Diamond:
• Shown in Class
Try