| CPC G01N 21/255 (2013.01) [G01N 21/27 (2013.01); G01N 21/4133 (2013.01); G01N 2201/061 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |

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1. A method of quickly determining absorption and extinction coefficient of a sample having a front (F) and a back (B) side, said front and back sides being substantially planar but are not parallel to one another, said method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a sample having a front (F) and a back (B) side, said front and back sides each being substantially planar but are not parallel to one another;
b) providing:
a source of a beam of electromagnetic radiation that comprises at least one wavelength which is subjected to absorption in said sample when caused to enter and pass therethrough; and
a detector of electromagnetic radiation which is sensitive to the at least one wavelength provided said source thereof;
c) positioning said sample and said source of a beam of electromagnetic radiation such that in use a beam of electromagnetic radiation from said source thereof is caused to enter the front side thereof, pass therethrough, exist the back side thereof, and enter said detector;
d) while causing the location at which said beam enters said sample to move along a path transversing the front side of said sample by moving said beam and/or said sample such that electromagnetic radiation entering said detector continually increases, or continually decreases as said path is traversed, obtaining a data set relating beam intensity vs. beam position on said sample along said path;
e) conducting a mathematical regression of an equation:
I=I0 exp(−az),
where a=(4 Pi k)/λ, I0 is an initial beam intensity, λ is wavelength, and k is the extinction coefficient;
onto said data set to the end that the absorption and extinction coefficients are determined.
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