Device fabrication using high density, small pattern size shallow trench isolation (STI) processes requires material removal selectivity during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) steps for optimum product processing and quality control. To improve the selectivity of STI CMP processes, surfactants were applied to selectively polish silica as opposed to silicon nitrides surfaces. A ten-fold increase in selectivity over conventional colloidal silica slurry was achieved by the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and pH adjustment. Adsorption characteristics of SDS on silica and silicon nitride were measured as a function of slurry pH and concentration of SDS. As indicated by streaming potential measurements and solution depletion adsorption experiments under acidic pH conditions, SDS adsorption on silicon nitride was significantly higher than silica primarily due to the electrostatic interactions. It was concluded that the preferential adsorption of SDS on silicon nitride results in the formation of a material-selective self-assembled passivation (lubrication) layer leading to selective polishing. Effects of different alkyl chain length of surfactants were tested. Various mixed surfactant systems were tested and it is believed that the addition of second surfactants promotes the adsorption on silica diminishing selectivity. The material-targeted boundary layer lubrication concept may be used to develop selective CMP polishing slurries. (C) 2007 The Electrochemical Society.