Editing Solid-state physics (section)

==Crystal structure and properties==
[[File:Fcc lattice 4.jpg|190px|thumb|An example of a [[cubic crystal system|cubic lattice]]]]
Many properties of materials are affected by their [[crystal structure]]. This structure can be investigated using a range of [[Crystallography|crystallographic]] techniques, including [[X-ray crystallography]], [[neutron diffraction]] and [[electron diffraction]].

The sizes of the individual crystals in a crystalline solid material vary depending on the material involved and the conditions when it was formed. Most crystalline materials encountered in everyday life are [[polycrystal]]line, with the individual crystals being microscopic in scale, but macroscopic [[single crystal]]s can be produced either naturally (e.g. [[diamond]]s) or artificially.

Real crystals feature [[Crystallographic defect|defects]] or irregularities in the ideal arrangements, and it is these defects that critically determine many of the electrical and mechanical properties of real materials.