Patent ID: 8882565

Claim:
A method of polishing a semiconductor wafer comprising: applying a polishing pad to the semiconductor wafer so as to subject the semiconductor wafer to a polishing process, the polishing pad including fixedly bonded abrasives of SiO 2 with an average grain size in a range of 0.1 to 1.0 μm; supplying an aqueous polishing agent solution between the polishing pad and the semiconductor wafer, the aqueous polishing agent solution comprising an alkaline component, being free of solid materials and having a variable pH value in a range of 11 to 13.5; maintaining the aqueous polishing agent solution at a pH value of less than 13 during the polishing process; and increasing the pH value of the aqueous polishing agent solution to a range of 13 to 13.5 so as to end the polishing process.