Directions, Planes and Miller Indices: by Srilakshmi B Ucst, Tumkur

DIRECTIONS, PLANES AND
MILLER INDICES
By Srilakshmi B
UCST,
Tumkur
CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• NEED OF DIRECTIONS AND PLANES
• GENERAL RULES AND CONVENTION
• MILLER INDICES FOR DIRECTIONS
• MILLER INDICES FOR PLANES
• IMPORTANT FEATURES OF MILLER INDICES
INTRODUCTION
The crystal lattice may be regarded as made
up of an infinite set of parallel equidistant
planes passing through the lattice points
which are known as lattice planes.
In simple terms, the planes passing through
lattice points are called ‘lattice planes’.
For a given lattice, the lattice planes can be
chosen in a different number of ways.
• The orientation of planes or faces in a crystal can
be described in terms of their intercepts on the
three axes.
• Miller introduced a system to designate a
plane in a crystal.
• He introduced a set of three numbers to
specify a plane in a crystal.
• This set of three numbers is known as
‘Miller Indices’ of the concerned plane.
NEED OF DIRECTIONS AND PLANES
• Deformation under loading (slip) occurs
certain on
crystalline planes and in certain crystallographic
directions.
• Before we can predict how materials fail, we need
to know what modes of failure are more likely to
occur. Other properties of materials (electrical
conductivity, thermal conductivity,
elastic modulus) can vary in a crystal with
orientation.
GENERAL RULES FOR LATTICE
DIRECTIONS, PLANES AND MILLER
INDICES
• Miller indices used to express lattice planes and
directions
• x, y, z are the axes (on arbitrarily
positioned origin)
• a, b, c are lattice parameters (length of unit
cell along a side) h, k, l are the Miller indices
for planes and directions -
expressed as planes: (hkl) and directions: [hkl]
CONVENTION FOR NAMING
• There are NO COMMAS between numbers
• Negative values are expressed with a bar
over the number
Example: -5 is expressed 5
MILLER INDICES FOR DIRECTIONS
• Draw vector, and find the coordinates of
the head, h1,k1,l1 and the tail h2,k2,l2.
• subtract coordinates of tail from
coordinates of head
• Remove fractions by multiplying by
smallest possible factor
• Enclose in square brackets
The direction can also
be determined
by coordinates
the giving of the
first whole numbered
point (x,y)
which each ofthrough the
direction passes.
In this figure direction of
OA is[110] and OB is
[520]
IMPORTANT DIRECTIONS IN A CRYSTAL
MILLER INDICES FOR PLANES
• If the plane passes through the origin,
select an equivalent plane or move the origin
• Determine the intersection of the plane
with the axes in terms of a,b, and c
• Take the reciprocal (1/∞ = 0)
• Convert to smallest integers
• Enclose by parentheses
EXAMPLE
• Here x,y and z

intercepts are 1,1,1.
• Therefore (111) is the
miller indices of the
plane
• DETERMINATION OF
‘MILLER INDICES
• Step 1:The intercepts are 2,3 and

2 on the three axes.
• Step 2:The reciprocals are 1/2,

1/3 and 1/2.
• Step 3:The least common

denominator is ‘6’.
Multiplying each reciprocal by
lcd, we get, 3,2 and 3.
• Step 4:Hence Miller indices for

the plane ABC is (3 2 3)
IMPORTANT FEATURES OF MILLER
INDICES
• A plane passing through the origin is defined in
terms of a parallel plane having non zero
intercepts.
• All equally spaced parallel planes have same

‘Miller indices’ i.e. The Miller indices do not only
define a particular plane but also a set of
parallel planes. Thus the planes whose intercepts
are 1, 1,1; 2,2,2; -3,-3,-3 etc., are all
represented by the same set of Miller indices.
• It is only the ratio of the indices which is
important in this notation. The (6 2 2) planes
are the same as (3 1 1) planes.
• If a plane cuts an axis on the negative side
of the origin, corresponding index is negative.
It
_
is represented by a bar, like (1 0 0). i.e. It
indicates that the plane has an intercept
in the –ve X –axis.
Planes and their negatives are
equivalent
In the cubic system, a plane and a
direction with the same indices are
orthogonal
Here the direction is

[001]
and plane is (001)
SOME IMPORTANT PLANES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• SOLID STATE PHYSICS BY S.O.PILLAI, FIFTH
EDITION BY NEW AGE INTERNATIONAL
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DIRECTIONS, PLANES AND

• Here x,y and z

• Step 1:The intercepts are 2,3 and

• Step 2:The reciprocals are 1/2,

• Step 3:The least common

• Step 4:Hence Miller indices for

• All equally spaced parallel planes have same

Here the direction is

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