View a VRML model of this structure
|
THE ZINC BLENDE STRUCTURE |
|
Zinc sulfide exists as two forms, zinc blende and wurtzite.
Zinc blende is cubic zinc structure in which the sulfide ions forn a face-centered
cubic array and the zinc ions fill one-half of the tetrahedral holes. This
illustration shows a side view of the zinc blende structure; two unit cells
are shown. The white spheres represent the sufide ions and the red spheres
represent the zinc ions. The sulfide ions are quite large (atomic
radius184 pm) relative to the size of the zinc ions (74 pm). View a VRML model of this structure |
| This illustration shows a perpective view of the previous model, as seen from the top. |  |
 |
This model outlines the occupied tetrahedral holes in the structure. Recall above that in the zinc blende structure only half of the tetrahedral holes are occupied. The unoccupied tetrahedral holes are not shown. Can you find them? |
| This illustration shows a perpective view of the previous model, as seen from the top. |  |
Additional Links
Crystal Structure Home Page
Introduction to Close-Packed Structures
The Hexagonal Close-Packed Structure
The Face-Centered Cubic Lattice
The Halite Structure
The Fluorite Structure
The Zinc Blende Structure
The Diamond Structure