The in-air treatment of large ceramic and metallic material surfaces of low roughness with high power density and over a material depth of only a view #mu#m can be currently realized only by application of excimer lasers. Spectral resolution and time-integrated characterization of plasma luminescence can be used for on-line quality control of excimer laser treatment. In simple off-line cases efficient quality control can be achieved by spectroscopically dispersed difference reflectometry. Technical feasibility and a pronounced improvement of material properties is demonstrated with contact materials and with components for the automotive industry. For technical aluminium alloys a considerable increase in corrosion resistance as a result of the laser treatment has been demonstrated. (WEN)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F95B904+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman