A polishing agent containing abrasive grains and water, in which the abrasive grains contain silica particles, an average particle diameter R.sub.ave of the abrasive grains is 50 nm or more, a ratio R.sub.ave/R.sub.min of the average particle diameter R.sub.ave to an average minor diameter R.sub.min of the abrasive grains is 1.0 to 2.0, and a zeta potential of the abrasive grains in the polishing agent is positive.

A polishing composition is provided that is capable of quickly removing oxide film even with lower abrasive concentration. A polishing composition includes: silica with a silanol group density of 2.0 OH/nm.sup.2 or higher; and an organic silicon compound having, at a terminal, an amino group, methylamino group, dimethylamino group or quaternary ammonium group, the organic silicon compound having two or more alkoxyl groups or hydroxyl groups bonded to an Si atom thereof. However, the quaternary ammonium group of the organic silicon compound does not have an alkyl group with a carbon number of two or more.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a stage for holding a wafer, a catalyst processing member for processing the surface of the wafer using a catalyst, a pressing mechanism for pressing the catalyst processing member against the wafer, a relative motion mechanism for causing the catalyst processing member and the wafer to make a relative movement, and a supply mechanism for supplying a process liquid to the surface the wafer. The catalyst processing member has a processing surface opposed to the wafer, and includes a base material on which a groove is formed on the processing surface and the catalyst. The processing surface of the base material includes a plurality of regions sectioned by the groove. The catalyst processing member holds different types of catalysts in the plurality of regions.

The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a semiconductor chip, in which the manufacturing yield is excellent, and a kit. According to the present invention, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor chip includes Process 1 of forming an insulating layer on a base material, Process 2 of forming a patterned resist film on the insulating layer, Process 3 of forming the insulating layer having an opening portion by etching the insulating layer with the patterned resist film as a mask, Process 4 of removing the patterned resist film, Process 5 of filling the opening portion of the insulating layer with metal, and Process 6 of performing chemical-mechanical polishing on the insulating layer filled with metal. In at least one process of Process 1 to Process 6, a chemical liquid which includes an organic solvent and metal impurities including at least one metal atom selected from the group consisting of a Fe atom, a Cr atom, a Ni atom, and a Pb atom, and in which the total content of the metal atom is 0.001 to 100 mass ppt is used.

The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a semiconductor chip, in which the manufacturing yield is excellent, and a kit. According to the present invention, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor chip includes Process 1 of forming an insulating layer on a base material, Process 2 of forming a patterned resist film on the insulating layer, Process 3 of forming the insulating layer having an opening portion by etching the insulating layer with the patterned resist film as a mask, Process 4 of removing the patterned resist film, Process 5 of filling the opening portion of the insulating layer with metal, and Process 6 of performing chemical-mechanical polishing on the insulating layer filled with metal. In at least one process of Process 1 to Process 6, a chemical liquid which includes an organic solvent and metal impurities including at least one metal atom selected from the group consisting of a Fe atom, a Cr atom, a Ni atom, and a Pb atom, and in which the total content of the metal atom is 0.001 to 100 mass ppt is used.

A polishing agent for a synthetic quartz glass substrate contains polishing particles and water. The polishing particles are composite oxide particles of cerium and yttrium. A content by percent of the cerium in the polishing particles is 71 mol % or more and 79 mol % or less. This provides a polishing agent for a synthetic quartz glass substrate, the polishing agent being capable of sufficiently reducing generation of defects on the surface of the synthetic quartz glass substrate due to polishing without decreasing the polishing rate.

To planarize a substrate having irregularities on its surface. Provided is a method of chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate. The method includes the step of polishing the substrate using a processing solution, and the step of changing concentration of an effective component in the processing solution, which contributes to the polishing of the substrate.

A polishing composition for use in polishing an object to be polished, which comprises abrasive grains, a dispersing medium, and an additive, wherein the abrasive grains are surface-modified, the additive is represented by the following formula 1:

##STR00001##

wherein in the formula 1, X.sub.1 is O or NR.sub.4, X.sub.2 is a single bond or NR.sub.5, R.sub.1 to R.sub.5 are each independently a hydrogen atom; a hydroxy group; a nitro group; a nitroso group; a C.sub.1-4 alkyl group optionally substituted with a carboxyl group, an amino group, or a hydroxy group; or CONH.sub.2; with the proviso that R.sub.2 and R.sub.5 may form a ring; when X.sub.2 is a single bond, R.sub.3 is not a hydrogen atom, or R.sub.1 to R.sub.3 are not a methyl group; and when X.sub.2 is NR.sub.5 and three of R.sub.1 to R.sub.3 and R.sub.5 are a hydrogen atom, the other one is not a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and a pH is 5.0 or less. According to the present invention, a polishing composition capable of polishing not only polycrystalline silicon but also a silicon nitride film at high speed and also suppressing a polishing speed of a silicon oxide film is provided.

Provided are an abrasive, a polishing composition, and a polishing method capable of polishing the surface of an alloy or metal oxide at a sufficient polishing removal rate and providing a high-quality mirror surface. The abrasive contains alumina having an -conversion rate of 80% or more and having a 50% particle diameter, in a volume-based cumulative particle diameter distribution, of 0.15 m or more to 0.35 m or less. The polishing composition contains this abrasive and has a pH of 7 or less. These abrasive and polishing composition are used for polishing polishing objects containing at least one of an alloy and a metal oxide.

Provided are an abrasive, a polishing composition, and a polishing method capable of polishing the surface of an alloy or metal oxide at a sufficient polishing removal rate and providing a high-quality mirror surface. The abrasive contains alumina having an -conversion rate of 80% or more and having a 50% particle diameter, in a volume-based cumulative particle diameter distribution, of 0.15 m or more to 0.35 m or less. The polishing composition contains this abrasive and has a pH of 7 or less. These abrasive and polishing composition are used for polishing polishing objects containing at least one of an alloy and a metal oxide.