A curable liquid composition obtained by subjecting hydrogen halosiloxane or hydrogen alkoxysilane to condensation or to hydrolysis and condensation in an organic solvent in which fine polyvalent metal oxide particles with hydroxyl groups are dispersed; a method of forming a hard silica-type layer by applying onto an inorganic substrate the aforementioned composition and then curing the composition; an inorganic substrate with the aforementioned hard silica-type layer; and a semiconductor device comprising the aforementioned inorganic substrate on which a semiconductor layer is formed.