A polishing agent for polishing a resin comprises abrasive grains, a water-soluble polymer having an ether bond, an organic solvent and water, wherein the abrasive grains have a positive charge in the polishing agent and an average particle diameter of the abrasive grains is larger than 20 nm.

A polishing agent for polishing a resin comprises abrasive grains, a water-soluble polymer having an ether bond, an organic solvent and water, wherein the abrasive grains have a positive charge in the polishing agent and an average particle diameter of the abrasive grains is larger than 20 nm.

To provide a means capable of suppressing the generation of gelation at the time of or after the addition of a silane coupling agent in the production of a cationically modified silica including modifying a silica raw material with a silane coupling agent. The present invention is a method for producing a cationically modified silica, including: mixing a silica raw material having a negative zeta potential with a silane coupling agent having an amino group or a quaternary cationic group; and reacting the silica raw material with the silane coupling agent to obtain a cationically modified silica, in which the cationically modified silica satisfies the following relational expression (1):
X<Yrelational expression (1) in the relational expression (1), X is a pH value at which an isoelectric point is shown in the cationically modified silica, and Y is a pH value of the cationically modified silica.

To provide a means capable of suppressing the generation of gelation at the time of or after the addition of a silane coupling agent in the production of a cationically modified silica including modifying a silica raw material with a silane coupling agent. The present invention is a method for producing a cationically modified silica, including: mixing a silica raw material having a negative zeta potential with a silane coupling agent having an amino group or a quaternary cationic group; and reacting the silica raw material with the silane coupling agent to obtain a cationically modified silica, in which the cationically modified silica satisfies the following relational expression (1):
X<Yrelational expression (1) in the relational expression (1), X is a pH value at which an isoelectric point is shown in the cationically modified silica, and Y is a pH value of the cationically modified silica.

Provided is a polishing composition that allows carbon-added silicon oxide (SiOC) to be polished at a higher polishing speed than the polishing speed of silicon nitride (i.e., the selection ratio of SiOC/silicon nitride is high).

A polishing composition containing spinous silica particles and a dispersing medium, in which the pH is less than 5.

The present invention provides a liquid supplying device that can determine whether a CLC can be used appropriately. A liquid supplying device for supplying a liquid from a liquid source to a cleaning device is provided. The liquid supplying device includes a flow rate control device that measures a flow rate of a liquid from the liquid source and controls the flow rate based on the measured value, an IN-side pressure gauge provided between the liquid source and the flow rate control device and an OUT-side pressure gauge provided between the flow rate control device and the cleaning device.

The present invention provides a liquid supplying device that can determine whether a CLC can be used appropriately. A liquid supplying device for supplying a liquid from a liquid source to a cleaning device is provided. The liquid supplying device includes a flow rate control device that measures a flow rate of a liquid from the liquid source and controls the flow rate based on the measured value, an IN-side pressure gauge provided between the liquid source and the flow rate control device and an OUT-side pressure gauge provided between the flow rate control device and the cleaning device.

In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad, a polishing head configured to hold a substrate to be polished by the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid feeder configured to feed a polishing liquid to the polishing pad. The apparatus further includes a heat exchanger configured to be placed on the polishing pad and control temperatures of the polishing pad and the polishing liquid, and one or more protruding portions provided on a side face or a bottom face of the heat exchanger.

An apparatus and method for sequential application of cleaning fluids for improved maintenance of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems is disclosed. A method includes transferring a first substrate to a first polishing station of a plurality of polishing stations, polishing the first substrate at the first polishing station, transferring the first substrate to a second polishing station, and transferring a second substrate to the first polishing station. The method includes cleaning a first surface of a plurality of surfaces of the polishing system by dispensing a first cleaning fluid from a first one or more nozzles of a plurality of nozzles to direct the first cleaning fluid onto the first surface and dispensing a second cleaning fluid from the first one or more nozzles to direct the second cleaning fluid onto the first surface, where the second cleaning fluid is different from the first cleaning fluid.

In an embodiment, a method includes: performing a self-limiting process to modify a top surface of a wafer; after the self-limiting process completes, removing the modified top surface from the wafer; and repeating the performing the self-limiting process and the removing the modified top surface from the wafer until a thickness of the wafer is decreased to a predetermined thickness.