Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processis commonly regarded as the best method for achievingglobal planarization in the field of surface finishing withultra-precision. The development of investigation on materialremoval mechanisms for different materials used in com-puter hard disk and ultra-large scale integration fabricationare reviewed here. The mechanisms underlying the interac-tion between the abrasive particles and polished surfacesduring CMP are addressed, and some ways to investigate thepolishing mechanisms are presented.