Patent ID: 7214623

Claim:
A method of polishing a layer of a substrate, comprising: providing a liquid medium having a pH between 4 and 12 to an interface between an oxide layer of a substrate and a fixed abrasive polishing pad, said liquid medium including a pH controlling substance including at least one of an acid and a base, said liquid medium further including a stabilizer additive including at least one acid selected from the group consisting of amino acids and polyacrylic acid, and a carbonate including carbonate ions having a concentration of between about 0.005% and about 0.25% by weight relative to said liquid medium; and polishing said first layer of said substrate by at least one of moving said substrate relative to said polishing pad or moving said polishing pad relative to said substrate to remove a first portion of said oxide layer with an efficient removal rate and to expose a surface of a second portion of said oxide layer underlying said first portion without substantially scratching said surface of said second portion.