Patent ID: 7160807

Claim:
A method of polishing a substrate comprising: (i) contacting a substrate comprising a noble metal layer and a second layer with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising: (a) a polishing component selected from the group consisting of an abrasive, a polishing pad, or a combination thereof, (b) an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of bromates, bromites, hypobromites, chlorates, chlorites, hypochlorites, iodates, hypoiodites, organo-halo-oxy compounds, salts thereof, and combinations thereof, (c) a stopping compound which suppresses the removal rate of the second layer, wherein the stopping compound is a cationically charged nitrogen-containing compound selected from the group consisting of amines, imines, amides, imides, polymers thereof, and mixtures thereof, and (d) a liquid carrier, wherein the chemical-mechanical polishing system has a pH of about 9 or less, and wherein the oxidizing agent does not produce a substantial amount of elemental halogen, and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the noble metal layer to polish the substrate.