Abstract: The present invention relates to a single-crystal silicon-carbide substrate provided with a principal surface having an atomic step-and-terrace structure containing atomic steps and terraces derived from a crystal structure, in which the atomic step-and-terrace structure has a proportion of an average line roughness of a front edge portion of the atomic step to a height of the atomic step being 20% or less.

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a single-crystal silicon-carbide substrate, includes contacting a surface of a single-crystal silicon-carbide plate with a surface of a polishing pad; and moving the surface of the single-crystal silicon-carbide plate relative to the surface of the polishing pad while supplying a polishing solution to the surface the polishing pad, to polish the surface of the single-crystal silicon-carbide plate. The polishing pad comprises a non-woven fabric or a porous resin. The polishing solution comprises an oxidizing agent which comprises a transition metal having oxidation-reduction potential of 0.5 V or more. Neither the polishing pad nor the polishing solution comprises an abrasive.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a single-crystal silicon-carbide substrate provided with a principal surface having an atomic step-and-terrace structure containing atomic steps and terraces derived from a crystal structure, in which the atomic step-and-terrace structure has a proportion of an average line roughness of a front edge portion of the atomic step to a height of the atomic step being 20% or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a single-crystal silicon-carbide substrate provided with a principal surface having an atomic step-and-terrace structure containing atomic steps and terraces derived from a crystal structure, in which the atomic step-and-terrace structure has a proportion of an average line roughness of a front edge portion of the atomic step to a height of the atomic step being 20% or less.

Abstract: There is provided a polishing method for polishing a non-oxide single-crystal substrate such as a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate at a high polishing rate to obtain a high-quality surface that is smooth and excellent in surface properties. This polishing method is a method of supplying a polishing liquid to a polishing pad not including abrasive grains to bring a surface to be polished of the non-oxide single-crystal substrate and the polishing pad into contact with each other and polishing the surface to be polished by a relative movement between them, the method characterized in that the polishing liquid comprises: an oxidant whose redox potential is 0.5 V or more and which contains a transition metal; and water, and does not contain abrasive grains.

Abstract: A polishing agent for polishing a non-oxide single-crystal substrate such as a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate with a high polishing rate to obtain a smooth surface is provided. This polishing agent comprises an oxidant having redox potential of 0.5 V or more and containing a transition metal, silicon oxide particles, cerium oxide particles and a dispersion medium, in which a mass ratio of the silicon oxide particles to the cerium oxide particles is from 0.2 to 20.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an additive for a polishing agent, which is capable of suppressing a decrease in polishing characteristics of a polishing agent to be repeatedly used, particularly a removal rate, by adding the additive to the polishing agent as needed during repeated uses. The invention also relates to a polishing method using a polishing agent to be repeatedly used, which is capable of suppressing a decrease in polishing characteristics of the polishing agent, particularly a removal rate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a single-crystal silicon-carbide substrate provided with a principal surface having an atomic step-and-terrace structure containing atomic steps and terraces derived from a crystal structure, in which the atomic step-and-terrace structure has a proportion of an average line roughness of a front edge portion of the atomic step to a height of the atomic step being 20% or less.

Abstract: A non-oxide single-crystal substrate such as a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate is polished at a high polishing rate, whereby a smooth surface is obtained. There is provided a polishing agent containing: an oxidant that contains a transition metal and has a redox potential of 0.5 V or more; silica particles that have an average secondary particle size of 0.2 ?m or less; and a dispersion medium, wherein a content ratio of the oxidant is not less than 0.25 mass % nor more than 5 mass %, and a content ratio of the silica particles is not less than 0.01 mass % and less than 20 mass %.

Abstract: A polishing agent for polishing a non-oxide single-crystal substrate such as a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate with a high polishing rate to obtain a smooth surface is provided. This polishing agent comprises an oxidant having redox potential of 0.5 V or more and containing a transition metal, silicon oxide particles, cerium oxide particles and a dispersion medium, in which a mass ratio of the silicon oxide particles to the cerium oxide particles is from 0.2 to 20.

Abstract: There is provided a polishing method for polishing a non-oxide single-crystal substrate such as a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate at a high polishing rate to obtain a high-quality surface that is smooth and excellent in surface properties. This polishing method is a method of supplying a polishing liquid to a polishing pad not including abrasive grains to bring a surface to be polished of the non-oxide single-crystal substrate and the polishing pad into contact with each other and polishing the surface to be polished by a relative movement between them, the method characterized in that the polishing liquid comprises: an oxidant whose redox potential is 0.5 V or more and which contains a transition metal; and water, and does not contain abrasive grains.

Abstract: To provide a polishing composition which has a high removal rate and enables to suppress occurrence of dishing and erosion, in polishing of a surface to be polished in the production of a semiconductor integrated circuit device. A chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a surface to be polished of a semiconductor integrated circuit device comprises (A) fine oxide particles, (B) pullulan, and (C) water. The polishing composition further contains (D) an oxidizing agent, and (E) a compound represented by the formula 1: wherein R is a hydrogen atom, a C1-4 alkyl group, a C1-4 alkoxy group or a carboxylic acid group.

Abstract: To provide a polishing composition which has a high removal rate and enables to suppress occurrence of dishing and erosion, in polishing of a surface to be polished in the production of a semiconductor integrated circuit device. A chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a surface to be polished of a semiconductor integrated circuit device comprises (A) fine oxide particles, (B) pullulan, and (C) water. The polishing composition further contains (D) an oxidizing agent, and (E) a compound represented by the formula 1: wherein R is a hydrogen atom, a C1-4 alkyl group, a C1-4 alkoxy group or a carboxylic acid group.

Abstract: A heterocyclic benzene compound such as benzotriazole, is dissolved in at least one substance selected from the group consisting of a primary alcohol having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a glycol having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, an ether represented by the Formula 2 (wherein m is an integer of from 1 to 4), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, ?-butyrolactone and propylene carbonate, and an aqueous dispersion of fine oxide particles which constitute abrasive grains is mixed therewith, whereby a polishing compound is obtained. By use of this polishing compound in polishing a substrate provided with an insulating film 2 on which a wiring metal film 4 and a barrier film 3 are formed, the formation of an embedded wiring 5 is made possible with low dishing, low erosion and low scratching at a high removal rate.

Abstract: In polishing of a to-be-polished surface in the production of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, a flat surface of an insulating layer having an embedded metal interconnect can be obtained. Further, a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a highly planarized multilayer structure can be obtained. Provided is a polishing composition which is a chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a to-be-polished surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, contains one or more oxidizing agents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate, an abrasive grain, an alicyclic resin acid, a basic compound and inorganic acid, and has a pH ranging from 8 to 12.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method of polishing a glass substrate required to have extremely high surface smoothness and surface accuracy like glass substrates for mask blanks. The invention relates to a method of polishing a glass substrate which comprises polishing the glass substrate with a polishing pad while supplying a polishing slurry comprising an abrasive material and water to the polishing pad, wherein the polishing slurry contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of pullulan and water-soluble alcohols which are polyvalent organic compounds having two or more OH groups. The slurry preferably has a pH adjusted to 0.5-4.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing agent composition for chemical mechanical polishing, which is used for polishing a surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit device to be polished. The polishing agent composition contains silica particles, one or more oxidizing agents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate, a compound represented by formula (1), pullulan, one or more acids selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, sulfuric acid and carboxylic acids, and water, and has a pH within the range of 1-5. According to the present invention, a flat surface of an insulating layer having a buried metal interconnect can be attained in polishing of a surface to be polished during production of a semiconductor integrated circuit device. Further, a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a highly planarized multilayer structure can be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for realizing highly flat surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit employing copper as a wiring metal. The present invention provides a polishing composition containing a neutralized carboxylic acid, an oxidizer and water, wherein a part of the carboxylic acid is an alicyclic resin acid (A) and the pH value is within a range of from 7.5 to 12. The alicyclic resin acid is preferably at least one type selected from the group consisting of abietic acid, an isomer of abietic acid, pimaric acid, an isomer of pimaric acid and derivatives of these, or a rosin. Further, the present invention provides a polishing method of semiconductor integrated circuit surface in which a copper film formed on a surface having a groove for wiring, by using the polishing composition, and the present invention provides a copper wiring for semiconductor integrated circuit formed by this polishing method.

Abstract: To provide a polishing compound which is capable of polishing SiC at a high removal rate, or capable of suppressing polishing of silicon dioxide in an insulating layer on the other hand, while polishing SiC at a high removal rate, in production of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, whereby it is possible to obtain a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a planarized multiplayer structure. The present polishing compound comprising abrasive particles (A), an adjusting agent of removal rate (B) which is at least one selected from the group consisting of a benzotriazole, a 1H-tetrazole, a benzene sulfonic acid, phosphoric acid or organic phosphonic acid, an organic solvent (C) having a relative permittivity of from 15 to 80, a boiling point of from 60 to 250° C. and a viscosity of from 0.5 to 60 mPa·S at 25° C., and water (D).

Abstract: In polishing of a surface to be polished in production of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, it is possible to obtain a flat surface of an insulating layer having an embedded metal wiring. Further, it is possible to obtain a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a highly planarized multilayer structure. A polishing compound for chemical mechanical polishing to polish a surface to be polished for a semiconductor integrated circuit device, which comprises abrasive particles (A) having an average primary particle size in a range of from 5 to 300 nm and an association ratio in the polishing compound in a range from 1.5 to 5, an oxidizing agent (B), a protective film-forming agent (C), an acid (D), a basic compound (E) and water (F).