approaches to modify the composition and or structure of universal solders to isolate and effectively bury the re components underneath the solder surface the approaches include jacketing the universal solder with regular solder coating the universal solder with noble metal or ion implanting of re elements beneath the surface of regular solder see published united states patent application no 2002 0106528 filed by s jin et al while the approach of burying the re components has improved the bonding of universal solders additional improvement is desired for use in bonding stable inorganic surfaces specifically applicant has discovered that soldering or brazing such surfaces are substantially improved by wetting and bonding with universal solder under substantially oxygen free conditions fig1 is a schematic flow chart of a method of brazing or bonding two or more articles in accordance with the invention the first step shown in block a is to provide two or more articles having respective surfaces to be bonded the invention is particularly valuable when one or more of the bonding surfaces is a stable inorganic surface such as oxide nitride selenide silicon gaas gan or other semiconductor fluoride diamond or stable metal the next step shown in block b is to dispose between the bonding surfaces a universal solder or braze advantageously in the form of a body comprising the solder or braze by the term u201c universal solder u201d is meant a low melting temperature solder doped with at least one rare earth element advantageously the low melting temperature solder comprises 0 1 to 10 by weight of one or more rare earth elements suitable low melting.