The properties of abrasive particles play a significant role in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of metal and dielectric films in semiconductor device manufacturing. This study investigates the effects of the particle size, shape, and hardness of abrasives on the polishing of copper and tantalum films in the presence of different slurry chemistries. Well-defined dispersions of uniform particles, including spherical silica of varying diameters, hematite of different shapes, and hematite cores coated with silica of different thicknesses, were prepared and used to polish blanket films of Cu and Ta. It was shown that the total surface area of the solids in the slurry controlled the rate of material removal by pure silica for both Cu and Ta, while the surface quality of the polished films was better when higher silica content was used. The shape or the aspect ratio of hematite particles had a minor effect on the removal rate. In contrast, when hematite particles coated with silica were employed in the polishing of Cu and Ta, the polish rate decreased with increasing thickness of the shell. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.