A system for polishing a sample is provided. The system may comprise a motor. The system may also include a polishing element that is actuated by the motor. The system may also have a sample holder. The sample holder may hold a sample to be polished by the polishing element. In some examples, the sample holder has multiple degrees of movement in order to precisely polish, grind, or bevel the sample. In some examples, the system may further include an arm having a slurry dispenser, inlets for fluid, and a squeegee-like element to clean, wash, or brush off debris from the polishing element during a polishing process.

Polishing liquid comprising abrasive grains, a phosphonic acid compound having a molecular weight of 210 or more, and at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids and amino acid derivatives, in which a silanol group density of the abrasive grains is 6.5 groups/nm.sup.2 or less, and a degree of association of the abrasive grains is 1.5 or more.

A polishing pad includes: a polishing layer having a polyurethane sheet containing substantially spherical cells, wherein E′(90%)/E′(30%) falls within a range of 0.4 to 0.7, where E′(90%) represents a storage modulus of the polyurethane sheet that has been exposed to an environment with a temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 90%, as measured in a tension mode at 40° C. with an initial load of 148 g, a strain range of 0.1%, and a measurement frequency of 1.6 Hz, and E′(30%) represents a storage modulus of the polyurethane sheet that has been exposed to an environment with a temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 30%, as measured in a tension mode at 40° C. with an initial load of 148 g, a strain range of 0.1%, and a measurement frequency of 1.6 Hz. Also provided is a method for manufacturing the polishing pad.

A polishing pad includes: a polishing layer having a polyurethane sheet containing substantially spherical cells, wherein E′(90%)/E′(30%) falls within a range of 0.4 to 0.7, where E′(90%) represents a storage modulus of the polyurethane sheet that has been exposed to an environment with a temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 90%, as measured in a tension mode at 40° C. with an initial load of 148 g, a strain range of 0.1%, and a measurement frequency of 1.6 Hz, and E′(30%) represents a storage modulus of the polyurethane sheet that has been exposed to an environment with a temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 30%, as measured in a tension mode at 40° C. with an initial load of 148 g, a strain range of 0.1%, and a measurement frequency of 1.6 Hz. Also provided is a method for manufacturing the polishing pad.

To provide modified colloidal silica capable of improving the stability of the polishing speed with time when used as abrasive grains in a polishing composition for polishing a polishing object that contains a material to which charged modified colloidal silica easily adheres, such as a SiN wafer, and to provide a method for producing the modified colloidal silica. Modified colloidal silica, being obtained by modifying raw colloidal silica, wherein the raw colloidal silica has a number distribution ratio of 10% or less of microparticles having a particle size of 40% or less relative to a volume average particle size based on Heywood diameter (equivalent circle diameter) as determined by image analysis using a scanning electron microscope.

To provide modified colloidal silica capable of improving the stability of the polishing speed with time when used as abrasive grains in a polishing composition for polishing a polishing object that contains a material to which charged modified colloidal silica easily adheres, such as a SiN wafer, and to provide a method for producing the modified colloidal silica. Modified colloidal silica, being obtained by modifying raw colloidal silica, wherein the raw colloidal silica has a number distribution ratio of 10% or less of microparticles having a particle size of 40% or less relative to a volume average particle size based on Heywood diameter (equivalent circle diameter) as determined by image analysis using a scanning electron microscope.

Provided is a polishing liquid composition that is able to improve the polishing rate of a silicon oxide film in one aspect. An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a polishing liquid composition for a silicon oxide film. The polishing liquid composition contains cerium oxide particles (component A), an additive (component B), and an aqueous medium. The component B is a compound having a reduction potential of 0.45 V or more when a 10 ppm aqueous solution of the component B is measured by cyclic voltammetry (with an Ag/AgCl electrode as a reference).

A workpiece processing apparatus which coats a front surface of a workpiece with a resin, the workpiece having devices formed in regions demarcated by a plurality of planned dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern. The workpiece processing apparatus includes a cassette mounting base mounted with a cassette housing a plurality of workpieces, a resin coating unit that coats the front surface of the workpiece with the resin, a resin curing unit that cures the resin by applying an external stimulus to the coated resin, a resin grinding unit that flattens the cured resin by grinding the cured resin by a rotating grinding stone, and a conveying mechanism that conveys the workpiece between the units.

A workpiece processing apparatus which coats a front surface of a workpiece with a resin, the workpiece having devices formed in regions demarcated by a plurality of planned dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern. The workpiece processing apparatus includes a cassette mounting base mounted with a cassette housing a plurality of workpieces, a resin coating unit that coats the front surface of the workpiece with the resin, a resin curing unit that cures the resin by applying an external stimulus to the coated resin, a resin grinding unit that flattens the cured resin by grinding the cured resin by a rotating grinding stone, and a conveying mechanism that conveys the workpiece between the units.

A method of CMP includes providing a slurry solution including ≥1 per-compound oxidizer in a concentration between 0.01 M and 2 M with a pH from 2 to 5 or 8 to 11, and ≥1 buffering agent which provides a buffering ratio ≥1.5 that compares an amount of a strong acid needed to reduce the pH from 9.0 to 3.0 as compared to an amount of strong acid to change the pH from 9.0 to 3.0 without the buffering agent. The slurry solution is exclusive any hard slurry particles or has only soft slurry particles that have throughout a Vickers hardness <300 Kg/mm.sup.2 or Mohs Hardness <4. The slurry solution is dispensed on a hard surface having a Vickers hardness >1,000 kg/mm.sup.2 is pressed by a polishing pad with the slurry solution in between while rotating the polishing pad relative to the hard surface.