Polishing method

A polishing method for polishing a substrate by keeping the substrate in sliding contact with a surface of a polishing pad while supplying a polishing liquid to the surface of the polishing pad, the polishing method comprising:

• determining, in advance, a first relationship between a supply flow rate of a polishing liquid and a polishing rate when a substrate is polished without controlling a surface temperature of the polishing pad, a second relationship between a supply flow rate of a polishing liquid and a polishing rate when a substrate is polished while controlling a surface temperature of the polishing pad, and a third relationship between a surface temperature of the polishing pad and a supply flow rate of the polishing liquid when a substrate is polished while controlling the surface temperature of the polishing pad;
• determining from the first relationship and the second relationship a flow rate range of the polishing liquid in which the polishing rate when the substrate is polished while controlling the surface temperature of the polishing pad is higher than the polishing rate when the substrate is polished without controlling the surface temperature of the polishing pad;
• determining from the third relationship a temperature range of the surface temperature of the polishing pad corresponding to the determined flow rate range;
• and
• placing a substrate in sliding contact with the surface of the polishing pad, while continuously supplying the polishing liquid to the surface of the polishing pad at a flow rate within the determined flow rate range and while controlling the surface temperature of the polishing pad to be within the determined temperature range.