The thermal emission from a Ni–P disk substrate heated by a pulsed excimer laser is measured with nanosecond time resolution. A fast InGaAs photodetector is employed to capture the thermal emission signal. The spectral surface reflectivity is simultaneously measuredin situ. The transient surface temperature is derived from the spectral thermal emission signal on the basis of Planck’s blackbody radiation intensity distribution. The experimental results and analytical solutions are compared and an important parameter involving the thermal diffusivity and conductivity in the transient temperature response of the material is evaluated. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.