Planarizing solutions, planarizing machines and methods for planarizing
microelectronic-device substrate assemblies using mechanical and/or
chemical-mechanical planarizing processes. In one aspect of the
invention, a microelectronic-device substrate assembly is planarized by
abrading material from the substrate assembly using a plurality of first
abrasive particles and removing material from the substrate assembly
using a plurality second abrasive particles. The first abrasive particles
have a first planarizing attribute, and the second abrasive particles
have a second planarizing attribute. The first and second planarizing
attributes are different from one another to preferably selectively
remove topographical features from substrate assembly and/or selectively
remove different types of material at the substrate surface.