Patent ID: 7628309

Claim:
A method for bonding two components together comprising the steps of: providing a first component; providing a second component; locating a first eutectic bonding material between said first and second component, said first eutectic bonding material comprising at least one of germanium, tin, or silicon; locating a second eutectic bonding material between said first and second component and adjacent to said first eutectic bonding material, said second eutectic bonding material comprising gold, wherein the first and second bonding materials are provided as separate layers; after locating said first and second bonding materials, heating said first and second eutectic bonding materials to a temperature above a eutectic temperature of an alloy of said first and second eutectic bonding materials to allow a hypoeutectic alloy to form out of said first and second eutectic bonding materials; and forming a solid solution alloy from said hypoeutectic alloy, said solid solution alloy having a generally uniform composition and bonding said first and second components together.