Surface asperities, such as roughness characteristics, are reduced or otherwise mitigated via the control of surface regions including the asperities in different regimes. In accordance with various embodiments, the height of both high-frequency and low-frequency surface asperities is reduced by controlling characteristics of a surface region under a first regime to flow material from the surface asperities. A second regime is implemented to reduce a height of high-frequency surface asperities in the surface region by controlling characteristics of the surface region under a second regime to flow material that is predominantly from the high-frequency surface asperities, the controlled characteristics in the second regime being different than the controlled characteristics in the first regime. Such aspects may include, for example, controlling melt pools in each regime via energy pulses, to respectively mitigate/reduce the asperities.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of laser assisted modification, i.e., laser polishing, of ceramic substrates, or ceramic coated substrates, to desirably reduce the surface roughness and porosity thereof. In one embodiment, a method of laser polishing a workpiece surface includes scanning at least a portion of the workpiece surface with a pulsed laser beam. The laser beam has a pulse frequency of about 50 kHz or more and a spot size of about 10 mm.sup.2 or less and the workpiece surface comprises a ceramic material.

A diamond smoothing method of irradiating a laser light onto a raised and recessed surface of a diamond, so as to smooth the raised and recessed surface, by ablation that is caused to occur in the diamond by irradiation of the laser light onto the raised and recessed surface. The method includes: a threshold-energy-density detecting step of irradiating the laser light onto the raised and recessed surface, and changing an irradiation energy density of the laser light, so as to detect a threshold energy density as a lower threshold value of the irradiation energy density that causes the ablation to occur; and a smoothing processing step of executing a smoothing processing by irradiating the laser light onto the raised and recessed surface with a smoothing irradiation energy density that is set to be within a range from 1 to 15 times as large as the threshold energy density.

A fastening tool having a socket and a socket wrench with laser induced friction surfaces or lines on the outer surface of the socket is described herein. The laser induced friction surfaces may have a plurality of kerfs with recast material to increase the coefficient of friction on the outer surface of the socket. As a result, the user of the fastening tool may pull the socket off a head of a fastener with his or her hands instead of having to dislodge the socket first with a blunt object, such as a hammer. It is contemplated that the socket wrench may have laser induced friction surfaces or lines also.

A direct write laser based machining process wherein a laser beam is controlled to machine a glass material in an interlaced raster scan pattern. An embodiment of machining a glass substrate to form an optical element is described. An ultrashort pulsed laser is used for machining and smoothing fused silica, followed by CO.sub.2 laser polishing. High speed and high quality machining is possible using this approach, which allows efficient use of high laser repetition rates.

Apparatus, methods and systems for nano/micro machining. A lathe head has a microscopic pivot aperture for seating a conical tip. The conical tip is carried on a turnable part at one end thereof and is polished down to a microscopic apex. The microscopic pivot aperture is dimensioned for seating the concentric tip in the pivot aperture such that an apex of the conical tip protrudes through and beyond the aperture to a position in close proximity with the aperture. A driver system can comprise a rotator for axially rotating the turnable part, including the conical tip seated in the pivot aperture, and a forward pressure applicator for concurrently applying forward pressure to the conical tip in the direction of the pivot aperture. A light/particle beam system can be utilized to machine the rotating conical tip and the rotating turnable part, including the tip, can be easily removed after machining.

A knife configured for use with an electrosurgical forceps having curved jaw members and a method of manufacturing the same. The knife includes a distal body having an inner side and an outer side, a first etching on the outer side of the distal body defining a distal cutting edge and a second etching on the outer side of the distal body extending along a portion of a length of the distal body to define relatively protruded and relatively recessed surfaces extending along a portion of the length of the distal body on the outer side thereof.

A surface processing method is for removing a surface of a processing object by moving a laser beam spot with respect to the processing surface, where the beam spot is formed by condensing a continuous wave laser beam on an irradiation surface of the processing object. An irradiation time length is 20 ?-second or less when the beam spot passes through one point on the irradiation surface. A relative speed of the beam spot to the irradiation surface is 3 m/s or more.

A method of removing material from a surface, which includes the steps of providing a base layer, at least one layer attached to the base layer, an intermediate finish surface, and a bonding interface surface. The intermediate finish surface is formed by removing the at least one layer and a portion of the base layer during a material removal process. The bonding interface surface is formed by a polishing process applied to the intermediate finish surface. There is an oxidation layer which is part of the base layer, as well as a mold release layer and a contamination layer, both of which are part of the at least one layer. The material removal process involves laser etching the at least one layer to create the intermediate finish surface, and the polishing process includes applying a second laser etching to the intermediate finish surface, forming the bonding interface surface.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to energy beam ablation machining methods that are used to machine polycrystalline diamond tables (e.g., polycrystalline diamond compacts that each includes polycrystalline diamond tables). Embodiments disclosed herein also are directed to polycrystalline diamond tables machined according to at least one of the energy beam ablation machining methods disclosed herein.