Patent ID: 8062096

Claim:
A method of polishing a surface of a substrate comprising aluminum, which method comprises: (i) providing a substrate comprising aluminum, (ii) providing a polishing pad, (iii) providing a polishing composition comprising: (a) an abrasive selected from the group consisting of silica, ceria, and zirconia, (b) an agent that oxidizes aluminum, and (c) a liquid carrier, wherein the abrasive is in particulate form and is suspended in the liquid carrier, (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 substrate and to polish the surface of the substrate, wherein polishing the surface of the substrate results in an aluminum mirror surface having a root mean square surface roughness of less than about 10 nm.