Abstract: The invention provides a method of preparing a biomedical implant comprising the steps of providing a biomedical implant comprising a metal and having a surface, wherein the surface comprises a metal oxide layer, contacting the biomedical implant with a composition comprising an alkaline earth element, disrupting the metal oxide layer on the surface of the biomedical implant, and adhering the alkaline earth element to the surface of the biomedical implant.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising a polishing component, a surfactant, and a liquid carrier. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the polishing system.

Abstract: A composition suitable for tantalum chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) comprises an abrasive, an organic oxidizer, and a liquid carrier therefor. The organic oxidizer has a standard redox potential (E0) of not more than about 0.5 V relative to a standard hydrogen electrode. The oxidized form comprises at least one pi-conjugated ring, which includes at least one heteroatom directly attached to the ring. The heteroatom can be a N, O, S or a combination thereof. In a method embodiment, a CMP composition comprising an abrasive, and organic oxidizer having an E0 of not more than about 0.7 V relative to a standard hydrogen electrode, and a liquid carrier therefor, is utilized to polish a tantalum-containing surface of a substrate, by abrading the surface of the substrate with the composition, preferably with the aid of a polishing pad.