# CMP slurries and pads: Feedstocks

How rare earths end up polishing your phone's chips

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/feedstocks/

How rare earths end up polishing your phone's chips What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

Slurries are mostly water with a few percent of abrasive and additives; pads are polyurethane. Upstream, ceria comes from rare earths (mostly Chinese), silica from sodium silicate or silicon, and alumina from aluminium refining. Raw material cost is small; particle control and formulation decide value.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [REE Rare earths](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rare_earths/) | a few percent of slurry by weight (indicative) | oxide-selective abrasive | not published | TECHCET (2024); indicative |
| [Qz Silica sand](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/industrial_sand/) | a few percent of slurry (indicative) | abrasive | not published | Indicative |
| [Al Aluminium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/aluminum/) | a few percent of metal slurries (indicative) | hard abrasive | not published | TECHCET (2024); indicative |
| **Hydrogen peroxide and other oxidisers** | not published | chemical softening of metal films | small | Indicative |
| [Oil Crude oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/crude_oil/) | not applicable | pad material | not published | Indicative |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

Not a cost curve market: suppliers compete on defectivity, removal-rate consistency and co-development. Chinese suppliers compete on price in domestic fabs.

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[REE Rare earths](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rare_earths/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/links/index.md)