I was not at the 2004 Amsterdam meeting in which the mechanism by which
nickel in solder reduces the copper dissolution rate was explained. So
thank you, Keith, for sharing that information. 
I have been reading about soldering for decades, and I don't recall
anyone pointing out that the dissolution rate of the basis metal into
solder is actually the dissolution rate of intermetallic compound. That
is, it is the rate at which basis metal atoms leave the interface of the
compound and enter the liquid solder. After the explanation, it's
obvious, but it wasn't before, at least to me. 
Mr. Nishikawa, who figured this out and found out how to reduce that
rate (developed the intellectual property), and the company that
sponsored him, are entitled to the rewards from the marketplace for this
work.

Gordon Davy 

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