An object of the present invention is to provide a polishing composition which can make the removal rate of a metal material and the removal rate of a resin material the same or close to each other in a chemical mechanical polishing process, which can accordingly avoid or suppress the occurrence of a step difference. The polishing composition contains: abrasive grains containing silica, with at least a part of hydrogen atoms constituting a silanol group located on a surface of the silica being substituted with a cation of at least one metal atom M selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, titanium, zirconium, iron, zinc, tin, scandium, and gallium; and a dispersing medium. The pH of the polishing composition is more than 2 and 7 or less.

The present invention provides a polishing pad, a process for preparing the same, and a process for preparing a semiconductor device using the same. In the polishing pad, the surface zeta potential and its ratio of the polishing surface are controlled to specific ranges according to the type of polishing slurry, whereby it is possible to improve the characteristics of scratches and surface defects appearing on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and to further enhance the polishing rate.

The CMP polishing liquid of the invention comprises a metal salt containing at least one type of metal selected from the group consisting of metals of Groups 8, 11, 12 and 13, 1,2,4-triazole, a phosphorus acid, an oxidizing agent and abrasive grains. The polishing method of the invention comprises a step of polishing at least a palladium layer with an abrasive cloth while supplying a CMP polishing liquid between the palladium layer of a substrate having the palladium layer and the abrasive cloth, wherein the CMP polishing liquid comprises a metal salt containing at least one type of metal selected from the group consisting of metals of Groups 8, 11, 12 and 13, 1,2,4-triazole, a phosphorus acid, an oxidizing agent and abrasive grains.

A polishing composition contains abrasive grains and water. 50% by mass or more of the abrasive grains consists of particles A having particle sizes between 40 nm and 80 nm inclusive, and 10% by mass or more of the abrasive grains consists of particles B having particle sizes between 150 nm and 300 nm inclusive. The polishing composition is used to polish a surface of a compound semiconductor substrate.

A substrate polishing apparatus is disclosed that includes a polishing platform having two or more zones, each zone adapted to receive a different slurry component. A substrate polishing system is provided having a holder to hold a substrate, a polishing platform having a polishing pad, and a distribution system adapted to dispense, in a timed sequence, at least two different slurry components selected from a group consisting of an oxidation slurry component, a material removal slurry component, and a corrosion inhibiting slurry component. Polishing methods and systems adapted to polish substrates are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

There are provided a polishing composition and a method for polishing capable of, when a substrate including polysilicon is polished, limiting the polishing rate of the polysilicon, and selectively polishing a silicon compound other than the polysilicon, such as silicon nitride. The polishing composition used includes abrasives, an organic acid and a conjugate base of the organic acid.

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.

There is provided a polishing composition capable of polishing a polishing object including elemental silicon, a silicon compound, metals and the like, especially including tungsten, at a high polishing rate. The polishing composition includes: colloidal silica with organic acid immobilized to a surface thereof; hydrogen peroxide; and salt, the salt being at least one of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate.

The present invention discloses STI CMP polishing compositions, methods and systems that significantly reduce oxide trench dishing and improve over-polishing window stability in addition to provide high and tunable silicon oxide removal rates, low silicon nitride removal rates, and tunable high selectivity of SiO.sub.2:SiN through the use of an unique combination of ceria inorganic oxide particles, such as ceria coated silica particles as abrasives, and an oxide trench dishing reducing additive of poly(methacrylic acids), its derivatives, its salts, or combinations thereof.

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.