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Structures of Solids

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...

Unit Cells

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A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Verification for Dislocation Reduction in Germanium Epitaxial Layers with Semicylindrical Voids on Silicon

Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Verification for Dislocation Reduction in Germanium Epitaxial Layers with Semicylindrical Voids on Silicon

Published on: July 17, 2020

Substantial crystalline topology in amorphous silicon.

J M Gibson¹, M M J Treacy, T Sun

¹Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|September 28, 2010

Summary

Unannealed amorphous silicon exhibits significant local crystallinity, with over 50% of the volume showing topological crystalline order up to 2 nm. This finding challenges previous assumptions about amorphous silicon structures.

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Verification for Dislocation Reduction in Germanium Epitaxial Layers with Semicylindrical Voids on Silicon

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Published on: July 17, 2020

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Nanotechnology

Background:

Amorphous silicon is widely used in electronics and energy applications.
Previous studies suggested limited local crystalline order in unannealed amorphous silicon.
Understanding the atomic structure is crucial for optimizing material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the extent of local crystallinity in unannealed amorphous silicon.
To quantify the topological crystalline order and correlation lengths.
To challenge existing models of amorphous silicon structure.

Main Methods:

Utilized electron correlograph analysis, a variant of fluctuation electron microscopy.
Analyzed coherent nanodiffraction patterns from sputtered amorphous silicon.
Compared experimental data with simulations for various structural models.

Main Results:

Coherent nanodiffraction patterns reveal unexpected local crystallinity.
A substantial volume fraction (>50%) of unannealed amorphous silicon is topologically crystalline.
Observed correlation lengths of local crystalline order up to 2 nm.

Conclusions:

Unannealed amorphous silicon possesses significantly more local crystalline order than previously assumed.
Electron correlograph analysis is sensitive to four-body correlations, enabling the detection of local ordering.
The findings necessitate a revision of structural models for amorphous silicon.