Abstract:
The present invention provides chemical mechanical polishing compositions and methods for polishing a substrate comprising silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, which provide selective removal of SiN relative to silicon oxide (e.g., PETEOS) on patterned wafers. In one embodiment, a CMP method comprises abrading a surface of a substrate comprising SiN and silicon oxide with a CMP composition to remove at least some SiN therefrom. The CMP composition comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of a particulate abrasive (e.g., ceria) suspended in an aqueous carrier and containing a cationic polymer bearing pendant quaternized nitrogen-heteroaromatic moieties, wherein the composition has a pH of greater than about 3.