Patent ID: 7678700

Claim:
A method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate, which method comprises: (i) contacting a substrate comprising at least one layer of single crystal silicon carbide with a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising: (a) a liquid carrier, wherein the liquid carrier with any components dissolved or suspended therein has a pH of about 5 or less, (b) an abrasive suspended in the liquid carrier, wherein the abrasive consists of substantially spherical precipitated or condensation-polymerized silica particles having an average particle size of about 40 nm to about 130 nm, and (c) an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of oxone, ammonium cerium nitrate, periodates, iodates, persulfates, and mixtures thereof, (ii) moving the polishing composition relative to the substrate, and (iii) abrading at least a portion of the silicon carbide of the substrate to polish the substrate.