Definition of Schottky Defect

A Schottky defect is a type of point defect in ionic crystals. It occurs when an ion leaves its lattice site, creating a vacancy. To maintain electrical neutrality, an equal number of cations and anions leave their lattice sites. This results in vacant sites in the crystal lattice, but the stoichiometry of the compound remains unchanged. Schottky defects are common in ionic compounds with similar sizes of cations and anions, like NaCl.