The present invention provides a polishing composition capable of polishing a simple substance of silicon at a higher polishing speed.

The present invention is a polishing composition which is used for polishing a polishing object containing a simple substance of silicon and a silicon-containing compound other than the simple substance of silicon, the polishing composition including: abrasive grains; and a dispersing medium, wherein the number of silanol groups per unit surface area of the abrasive grains is more than 0/nm.sup.2 but 2.0/nm.sup.2 or less.

A polishing material including polishing abrasive grains, the polishing abrasive grain having a core material that includes a metal oxide, and a cover layer that is provided on a surface of the core material and includes an oxide of a metal, that is different from the core material, or an oxide of a semimetal. When the polishing abrasive grains are observed with a scanning electron microscope after boiling a slurry including the polishing abrasive grains for 5 hours, a ratio of a longitudinal axis to a lateral axis of the polishing abrasive grain is 1.0 or greater and less than 1.5. The polishing abrasive grain preferably has a mass ratio of the cover layer to the core material, cover layer/core material, of from 0.3 mass % to 30 mass % inclusive. The cover layer preferably has a thickness of from 0.2 nm to 500 nm inclusive.

A polishing material including polishing abrasive grains, the polishing abrasive grain having a core material that includes a metal oxide, and a cover layer that is provided on a surface of the core material and includes an oxide of a metal, that is different from the core material, or an oxide of a semimetal. When the polishing abrasive grains are observed with a scanning electron microscope after boiling a slurry including the polishing abrasive grains for 5 hours, a ratio of a longitudinal axis to a lateral axis of the polishing abrasive grain is 1.0 or greater and less than 1.5. The polishing abrasive grain preferably has a mass ratio of the cover layer to the core material, cover layer/core material, of from 0.3 mass % to 30 mass % inclusive. The cover layer preferably has a thickness of from 0.2 nm to 500 nm inclusive.

The present invention relates to a CMP apparatus having a polishing pad surface property measuring device for measuring surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The CMP apparatus includes a polishing pad surface property measuring device (30) configured to apply a laser beam to a surface of a polishing pad (2) and to receive reflected light from the polishing pad to obtain reflection intensity in each reflection angle, a processor (40) configured to perform a Fourier transform on a reflection intensity distribution obtained by the measuring device to obtain a spatial wavelength spectrum of the surface of the polishing pad and to obtain surface properties of the polishing pad by numerical analysis, a dressing control unit (23) configured to determine dressing conditions of the polishing pad (2) by a closed loop control based on the surface properties of the polishing pad obtained by the processor, and a dressing apparatus (20) configured to dress the polishing pad based on the dressing conditions determined by the dressing control unit.

Eddy current formable in a polishing target is detected as an impedance by an eddy current sensor. A resistance component and a reactance component of the impedance are associated with respective axes of a coordinate system having orthogonal axes, respectively. An angle calculator calculates the tangent of an intersection angle between a first straight line connecting a first point corresponding to an impedance for a zero film thickness, and a second point corresponding to an impedance for a non-zero film thickness, and a diameter of a circle passing through the first point. A film thickness calculator determines the film thickness from the tangent.

Provided is an abrasive agent for substrates that includes, as an abrasive material component in the abrasive agent, cerium oxide as the main component. The abrasive agent for substrates includes soluble silica and cerium oxide. The concentration ratio of the soluble silica, calculated as Si content, and the cerium oxide in the abrasive agent is 0.001:1 to 0.1:1.

Provided is an abrasive agent for substrates that includes, as an abrasive material component in the abrasive agent, cerium oxide as the main component. The abrasive agent for substrates includes soluble silica and cerium oxide. The concentration ratio of the soluble silica, calculated as Si content, and the cerium oxide in the abrasive agent is 0.001:1 to 0.1:1.

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.

An object is to provide a polishing apparatus and a polishing method with which surface modification is implemented on a workpiece surface in consideration of the distribution of recesses and protrusions on the workpiece surface and with short-time processability improved. As a solution, a polishing apparatus (10) polishes a workpiece (W) under the following requirements. The polishing apparatus (10) includes a cavitation generating emission device (50). The cavitation generating emission device (50) has an inner tube (54) in which a first liquid flow (A) flows. The inner tube (54) includes a cavitation generating unit (54a). The cavitation generating emission device (50) is configured to generate cavitation in the first liquid flow (A) and make the first liquid flow (A) collide with the workpiece (W).

A chemical mechanical polishing pad, polishing layer analyzer is provided, wherein the analyzer is configured to detect macro inhomogeneities is polymeric sheets and to classify the polymeric sheets as either acceptable or suspect.