Engineering Physics

3.1 Crystal planes, directions and Miller indices

Crystal planes are defined as some imaginary planes inside a crystal in which large concentration of atoms are present. Inside the crystal, there exists certain directions along which large concentration of atoms exists. These directions are called crystal directions. Figure 3.1 shows a two-dimensional lattice with different orientations of crystal planes.

 

Figure 3.1 A two-dimensional lattice with crystal planes

Crystal planes and directions can be represented by a set of three small integers called Miller indices [because Miller derived a method of representing crystal planes]. These integers ...