A slurry for chemical mechanical planarization includes a surfactant, and abrasive particles having an average diameter between 20 and 30 nm and an outer surface of ceria. The abrasive particles are formed using a hydrothermal synthesis process. The abrasive particles are between 0.1 and 3 wt % of the slurry.

A method for producing a liquid dispersion containing irregular-shaped silica particles in which two or more primary particles are linked together, by simultaneously adding a liquid A containing silane alkoxide and a liquid B containing an alkali catalyst and water to a liquid I consisting substantially of an organic solvent to cause hydrolysis and polycondensation of the silane alkoxide, wherein the period from the start of the addition until the silica concentration of the reaction system at the end of the addition reaches 70% is 20% or less of the full reaction time period.

Provided is a polishing composition for a silicon oxide film that can improve the speed of polishing a silicon oxide film. In one or more embodiments, a polishing composition for a silicon oxide film contains: water; a cerium oxide particle; and a compound having in its molecule an amino group and at least one acid group selected from a sulfonic acid group and a phosphonic acid group. In the polishing composition, [the number of moles of the acid group contained in the compound]/[total surface area of the cerium oxide particle] is in a range from 1.6×10.sup.−5 mol/m.sup.2 to 5.0×10.sup.−2 mol/m.sup.2.

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.

The present invention provides aqueous chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing compositions having a pH ranging from 2.5 to 5.3 and comprising a mixture of spherical colloidal silica particles and from 30 to 99 wt. %, based on the total weight of silica solids in the aqueous CMP polishing composition, of elongated, bent or nodular silica particles wherein the colloidal and elongated, bent or nodular silica particles differ from each other in weight average particle size (CPS) less than 20 nm, wherein at least one of the spherical colloidal silica particles and the elongated, bent or nodular silica particles contains one or more cationic nitrogen atoms. The present invention further provides methods of using the compositions in high downforce CMP polishing applications.

The presently claimed invention relates to a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) composition and chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) methods. The presently claimed invention particularly relates to a composition and process for chemical-mechanical polishing of substrates containing copper and ruthenium, specifically, semiconductor substrates containing copper and ruthenium.

Composite particles with lower mean particle size and smaller size distribution are obtained through refining treatments. The refined composite particles, such as ceria coated silica particles are used in Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) compositions to offer higher removal rate; very low within wafer (WWNU) for removal rate, low dishing and low defects for polishing oxide films.

Chemical mechanical polishing composition is provided. The composition comprises (A) inorganic particles, organic particles, or a mixture or composite thereof, (B) a protein, and (C) an aqueous medium.

Provided is a polishing composition which is suitable for polishing an object of polishing having a layer containing a high mobility material that has higher carrier mobility than Si, suppresses excessive dissolution of the layer containing a high mobility material, and is capable of efficient polishing.

Disclosed is a polishing composition that is used for polishing an object of polishing having a layer containing a high mobility material that has higher carrier mobility than Si, the polishing composition including abrasive grains and at least one salt compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of a monovalent acid, a salt of a divalent acid, a salt of a trivalent acid, and a halide salt, in which the electrical conductivity is 1 mS/cm or higher, and a content of hydrogen peroxide is less than 0.1% by mass.

The present invention provides a CMP polishing agent containing polishing particles, a protective agent, and water, wherein the protective agent is a silsesquioxane polymer having a polar group. This provides a CMP polishing agent which can reduce polishing scratches produced due to polishing in a CMP process and has high polishing selectivity.