Patent ID: 7489400

Claim:
A material system investigation system comprising at least one Xenon source of a polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation, a material system supporting stage, a detector, and a processor for performing calculations that evaluate detector output signal; there optionally being present a polarizer between said source and said material system supporting stage, an analyzer between said material system supporting stage and said detector, and optionally at least one compensator between said polarizer and analyzer; such that in use said Xenon source of a polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation is caused to provide a beam of electromagnetic radiation and direct it to interact with a sample which is placed on said material system supporting stage after optionally passing through said polarizer and analyzer and at least one compensator, and into said detector which in turn produces data corresponding to a parameter vs. at least one selection from the group consisting of: angle-of-incidence; and wavelength; including mathematical equivalents thereof; said material system investigation system being characterized in that said source of a polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation comprises only at least one Xenon arc lamp which is used to provide UV/deep UV wavelength electromagnetic radiation without application of a supplemental source of electromagnetic radiation, in optional combination with a means for attenuating the intensity of other wavelengths.