Diamond Crystal Structure
Description

The diamond lattice is composed of two interpenetrating fcc lattices, one displaced 1/4 of a lattice constant in each direction from the other. Each site is tetrahedrally coordinated with four other sites in the other sublattice. When the two sublattices are of different atoms, then the diamond lattice becomes the zincblende or sphalerite lattice. Examples of materials with the diamond crystal structure are diamond, silicon and germanium.