The Poisson's ratios of crystals with diamond/zincblende structures ar
e studied by using a simple method which considers the elastic energy
to be due to bond lengths and bond angles. The relationships for two P
oisson's ratios, nu(110) and nu(001), are calculated with three slight
ly different models and compared with the experimental data. This inve
stigation of the materials' macroscopic properties of Poisson's ratios
reveals their behavior at the microscopic level. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc
ience Ltd. All rights reserved.