The invention provides a method of
polishing a substrate comprising (i) contacting a substrate comprising a
noble metal layer with a chemical-mechanical
polishing system comprising (a) a
polishing component, (b) an
oxidizing agent, and (c) a liquid carrier, and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the
noble metal layer to polish the substrate. The polishing component is selected from the group consisting of an
abrasive, a polishing pad, or a combination thereof, and the
oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of bromates, bromites, hypobromites, chlorates, chlorites, hypochlorites, perchlorates, iodates, hypoiodites, periodates, peroxyacetic acid, organo-halo-oxy compounds, salts thereof, and combinations thereof. The chemical-mechanical polishing
system has a pH of 9 or less, and the
oxidizing agent does not produce a substantial amount of elemental
halogen. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a
noble metal layer and a second layer using the aforementioned polishing
system that further comprises a stopping compound.