The article suggests that the important features are nano-scale things, like the "grain" of the molecules that comprise the surface, versus whether the surface

The article suggests that the important features are nano-scale things, like the "grain" of the molecules that comprise the surface, versus whether the surface is concave/convex/flat on a larger scale. I wonder if portions of a thin ribbon of float glass could be useful, if the ribbon is consistently and continuously removed from the molten metal in a way that protects the bottom surface.