A method of processing a microelectronic device substrate to remove undesired material therefrom or to prepare a surface of said microelectronic device substrate for subsequent treatment, said method comprising contacting the microelectronic device substrate after chemical mechanical polishing with an effective amount of a composition comprising (i) alkanolamine, (ii) quaternary ammonium hydroxide and (iii) a complexing agent, wherein the complexing agent includes at least one component selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, acetone oxime, alanine, 5-aminotetrazole, ammonium benzoate, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, benzoic acid, benzotriazole (BTA), betaine, dimethyl glyoxime, fumaric acid, glutamic acid, glutamine, glutaric acid, glycerol, glycine, glycolic acid, glyoxylic acid, histidine, imidazole, iminodiacetic acid, isophthalic acid, itaconic acid, lactic acid, leucine, lysine, maleic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, 2-mercaptobenzimidiazole, oxalic acid, 2,4-pentanedione, phenylacetic acid, phenylalanine, phthalic acid, proline, pyromellitic acid, quinic acid, serine, sorbitol, succinic acid, terephthalic acid, 1,2,4-triazole, trimellitic acid, trimesic acid, tyrosine, valine, xylitol, and derivatives of the foregoing amino acids, with the provision that the complexing agent does not include citric acid.