Reasonably homogeneous samples were obtained by following the formula Y_(0.334)Ba_(0.666)CuO_(3-y) andusing citric acid as a complex-forming agent to improve the dispersion of the metal oxides. We havealso found that the variant condition in preparative procedure leads to variant deviation from tetrago-nality and that more pronounced deviation gives better superconducting properties. The crystal structure determined from X-ray powder diffraction diagrams confirms the stoichiom-etry of the metal ions and gives the positions of the oxygen atoms. The orthorhombic or pseudo-tetragonal unit cell with a=3.893, b= 3.813 and c= 11.687 A contains YBa_2Cu_3O_7. It is composed ofthree perovskite cubes with three copper atoms at their corners, the two barium atoms at the centers ofthe top and bottom cubes, and the yttrium at the center of the unit cell. The oxygen atoms sit on centersof cube edges. The positions (0 0 1/2) are vacant. The vacancies represented by (0(1/2)0) cause the ar-rangement of atoms to lose tetragonal symmetry, and have far-reaching effect for this phase. The yttriumand barium atoms are coordinated in a cuboctahedron respectively with four equatoria oxygen atoms at(0 0 1/2) and two at (0 1/2 0) removed. In the light of bond valence theory we can infer from the in-teratomic distances Y-O, Ba-O and Cu-O that the occupancy of the oxygen atoms at (1/2 0 0) is wellbelow unity while the positions (0 0 1/2) are vacant, the formula of the phase is YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-d), thefraction of Cu(Ⅱ) and (Ⅲ) for the set of copper at (0 0 0) is respectively d/0.5 and (1-d/0.5), and0.2