Solder joints on nickel surface finishes without gold plating

A method for interconnecting two conductors, comprising:

• creating a first nickel layer on a first conductor of an electrical component;
• producing a first non-gold protective layer to the first nickel layer, the first non-gold protective layer being configured to prevent the first nickel layer from corroding;
• creating a second nickel layer on a second conductor, the second conductor comprising a conductive pad of a circuit board;
• producing a second non-gold protective layer on the second nickel layer, the second non-gold protective layer being configured to prevent the second nickel layer from corroding;
• and
• interconnecting the first and second nickel layers using a solder layer that forms intermetallic compounds with the first and second nickel layers between the first and second conductors;
• and
• producing a third non-gold protective layer on the a solder joint, after interconnecting the first and second conductors, to prevent corrosion of the first and second nickel layers, the first and second conductors, and the solder joint.