Rosin-free solder composition

A process for vapor phase soldering of electronic components to a substrate, which comprises

• applying a solder cream to the surface of said substrate or to the surface of components on said substrate, said solder cream comprising 85 to 90% of finely divided solder metal and 10 to 15% of a fluorinated tertiary alkylamine containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, by weight of the sum of the two components, and which alkylamine is semi-solid at room temperature and which confers a creamy consistency on the composition at room temperature,
• positioning electronic components on said substrate, with contacts of such components on the solder cream-coated surface,
• placing said substrate in a chamber in contact with the boiling vapors of a second liquid fluorinated tertiary alkylamine in said chamber, having a lower boiling point than the fluorinated tertiary alkylamine in said solder cream,
• melting the solder metal in said solder cream and fusing the solder joints of said electronic components to form solder joints substantially free of organic residue, and
• dissolving the fluorinated tertiary alkylamine in said solder cream in the liquid fluorinated tertiary alkylamine of lower boiling point in said chamber.