Apparatus and method for transient thermal infrared emission spectrometry

An apparatus for enabling analysis of a solid material comprising:

• means for applying energy to a surface region of the solid material sufficient to cause transient heating in a thin surface layer portion of the solid material so as to enable transient thermal emission of infrared radiation from the thin surface layer portion;
• and
• means for detecting substantially only the transient thermal emission of infrared radiation from the thin surface layer portion of the solid material, the detected transient thermal emission of infrared radiation being sufficiently free of self-absorption by the solid material of emitted infrared radiation, so as to be indicative of characteristics relating to molecular composition of the solid material.

A method for enabling analysis of a solid material comprising the steps of:

• transiently generating a temperature differential between a thin surface layer portion of the solid material and a lower portion of the solid material sufficient to alter the thermal infrared emission spectrum of the solid material from the black-body thermal infrared emission spectrum of the solid material;
• and
• detecting the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum of the solid material while the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is sufficiently free of self-absorption by the solid material of emitted infrared radiation, prior to the temperature differential propagating into the lower portion of the solid material to an extent such that the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is no longer sufficiently free of self-absorption by the solid material of emitted infrared radiation, so that the detected altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is indicative of characteristics relating to molecular composition of the solid material.

An apparatus for enabling analysis of a solid material comprising:

• means for transiently generating a temperature differential between a thin surface layer portion of the solid material and a lower portion of a solid material sufficient to alter the thermal infrared emission spectrum of the solid material from the black-body thermal infrared emission spectrum of the solid material;
• and means for detecting the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum of the solid material while the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is sufficiently free of self-absorption by the solid material of emitted infrared radiation, prior to the temperature differential propagating into the lower portion of the solid material to an extent such that the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is no longer sufficiently free of self-absorption by the solid material of emitted infrared radiation, so that the detected altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is indicative of characteristics relating to molecular composition of the solid material.