Consider
the compound ZnS (sphalerite). Sulphur atoms occupy fcc sites with zinc atoms displaced by
¼ ¼ ¼ from these sites. Click on the animation opposite to show this structure. The
unit cell can be reduced to four atoms of sulphur and 4 atoms of zinc.
Many important compounds adopt this structure. Examples
include ZnS, GaAs, InSb, InP and (AlGa)As. Diamond
also has this structure, with C atoms replacing all
the Zn and S atoms. Important semiconductor materials
silicon and germanium have the same structure as diamond.
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