  Although most insulators are expected to undergo insulator to metal
transition on lattice compression, tetrahedral semiconductors Si, GaAs and InSb
can become metallic on compression as well as by expansion. We focus on the
transition by expansion which is rather peculiar; in all cases the direct gap
at $\Gamma$ point closes on expansion and thereafter a zero-gap state persists
over a wide range of lattice constant. The solids become metallic at an
expansion of 13 % to 15 % when an electron fermi surface around L-point and a
hole fermi surface at $\Gamma$-point develop. We provide an understanding of
this behavior in terms of arguments based on symmetry and simple tight-binding
considerations. We also report results on the critical behavior of conductivity
in the metal phase and the static dielectric constant in the insulating phase
and find common behaviour. We consider the possibility of excitonic phases and
distortions which might intervene between insulating and metallic phases.
