A composition including a carrier comprising a liquid, an abrasive particulate contained in the carrier, an accelerant contained in the carrier, the accelerant including at least one free anion selected from the group of iodide (I.sup.−), bromide (Br.sup.−), fluoride (F.sup.−), sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2−), sulfide (S.sup.2−), sulfite (SO.sub.3.sup.2−), chloride (Cl.sup.−), silicate (SiO.sub.4.sup.4−), phosphate (PO.sub.4.sup.3−), nitrate (NO.sub.3.sup.−), carbonate (CO.sub.3.sup.2−), perchlorate (ClO.sub.4.sup.−), or any combination thereof, and a buffer contained in a saturated concentration in the carrier, the buffer including a compound selected from M.sub.aF.sub.x, N.sub.bF.sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.bF.sub.x, M.sub.aI.sub.x, N.sub.bI.sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.bI.sub.x, M.sub.aBr.sub.x, N.sub.bBr.sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.bBr.sub.x, M.sub.a(SO.sub.4).sub.x, N.sub.b(SO.sub.4).sub.x, MaN.sub.b(SO.sub.4).sub.x, M.sub.aS.sub.x, N.sub.bS.sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.bS.sub.x, M.sub.a(SiO.sub.4).sub.x, N.sub.b(SiO.sub.4).sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.b(SiO.sub.4).sub.x, M.sub.a(PO.sub.4).sub.x, N.sub.b(PO.sub.4).sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.b(PO.sub.4).sub.x, M.sub.a(NO.sub.3).sub.x, N.sub.b(NO.sub.3).sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.b(NO.sub.3).sub.x, M.sub.a(CO.sub.3).sub.x, N.sub.b(CO.sub.3).sub.x, M.sub.aN.sub.b(CO.sub.3).sub.x, or any combination, wherein M represents a metal element or metal compound; N represents a non-metal element; and a, b, and x is 1-6.

An etching composition for silicon nitride layers and a method of etching a silicon nitride layer using the composition, the etching composition including an inorganic acid or a salt thereof; a solvent; an acid-modified silica or an acid-modified silicic acid; and a cyclic compound containing four or more nitrogen atoms.

A chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a substrate includes a liquid carrier and cationic metal oxide abrasive particles dispersed in the liquid carrier. The cationic metal oxide abrasive particles have a surface modified with at least one compound consisting of a silyl group having at least one quaternary ammonium group. A method for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate including a metal layer includes contacting the substrate with the above described polishing composition, moving the polishing composition relative to the substrate, and abrading the substrate to remove a portion of the metal layer from the substrate and thereby polish the substrate.

A chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a substrate includes a liquid carrier and cationic metal oxide abrasive particles dispersed in the liquid carrier. The cationic metal oxide abrasive particles have a surface modified with at least one compound consisting of a silyl group having at least one quaternary ammonium group. A method for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate including a metal layer includes contacting the substrate with the above described polishing composition, moving the polishing composition relative to the substrate, and abrading the substrate to remove a portion of the metal layer from the substrate and thereby polish the substrate.

A polishing composition includes an abrasive; an optional pH adjuster; a barrier film removal rate enhancer; a TEOS removal rate inhibitor; a cobalt removal rate enhancer; an azole-containing corrosion inhibitor; and a cobalt corrosion inhibitor.

Described herein are chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry compositions, such as CMP slurry compositions for polishing an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer, along with methods of fabricating a semiconductor device using such a CMP slurry composition. The CMP slurry composition can include a polishing particle, a dispersing agent, an auxiliary oxidizing agent, and a sugar alcohol compound.

A CMP slurry composition and a method of polishing a metal layer are provided. In some embodiments, the CMP slurry composition includes about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a metal oxide, and about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a chelator. The chelator includes a thiol compound or a thiolether compound.

A polishing liquid containing: abrasive grains; a hydroxy acid; a polymer compound having at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group and an amide group; and a liquid medium, in which a zeta potential of the abrasive grains is positive, and a weight average molecular weight of the polymer compound is 3000 or more.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polishing liquid containing abrasive grains, a hydroxy acid, a polyol, at least one zwitterionic compound selected from the group consisting of an aminocarboxylic acid and an aminosulfonic acid, and a liquid medium, in which a zeta potential of the abrasive grains is positive, an isoelectric point of the aminocarboxylic acid is smaller than 7.0, and pKa of the aminosulfonic acid is larger than 0.

Described herein is an etching solution comprising water; an oxidizer; a water-miscible organic solvent; a fluoride ion source; a corrosion inhibitor and optionally, a surfactant, optionally a buffer, optionally a chelating agent. Such compositions are useful for the selective removal of silicon-germanium over germanium from a microelectronic device having such material(s) thereon during its manufacture.