Patent ID: 7592563

Claim:
A method for smoothing and polishing a to-be-smoothed surface, comprising: a first treatment step comprising remelting the to-be-smoothed surface using energetic radiation while employing first treatment parameters at least once down to a first remelting depth which is greater than a structural depth of to-be-smoothed structures of said to-be-smoothed surface, wherein the using of energetic radiation includes using continuous energetic radiation or pulsed energetic radiation with a pulse duration of ≧100 μs, such that said surface is remelted down to a first remelting depth of about 5 to 100 μm, and a second treatment step comprising leveling micro-roughness remaining on said surface after said first treatment step by remelting the micro-roughness using said energetic radiation while employing second treatment parameters down to a second remelting depth, and by evaporating roughness peaks, wherein the second remelting depth is less than said first remelting depth.