Patent ID: 8623766

Claim:
A method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate, which method comprises: (i) providing a substrate comprising at least one layer of aluminum, (ii) providing a polishing pad, (iii) providing a polishing composition comprising: (a) an abrasive consisting of α-alumina particles, wherein the α-alumina particles are coated with a copolymer comprising at least one sulfonate monomer and at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of carboxylate monomers, phosphonate monomers, and phosphate monomers, (b) a complexing agent for aluminum, and (c) water, (iv) contacting a surface of the substrate with the polishing pad and the polishing composition, and (v) abrading at least a portion of the surface of the substrate to remove at least some aluminum from the surface of the substrate and to polish the surface of the substrate, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 1 to about 6, and wherein the abrasive is colloidally stable in the polishing composition.