Methods for manufacturing polycrystalline ultra-hard constructions and polycrystalline ultra-hard constructions

A polycrystalline ultra-hard construction disposed in a high pressure/high temperature device, the construction comprising:

• a sintered ultra-hard body having a material microstructure comprising a matrix phase of directly bonded together ultra-hard particles formed at high pressure/high temperature conditions in the presence of a catalyst material, the ultra-hard body having a surface and including interstitial regions disposed within the matrix phase, wherein the interstitial regions within the ultra-hard body are substantially free of the catalyst material;
• wherein the ultra-hard body is at a temperature and pressure sufficient to melt and infiltrate a filler material into the ultra-hard body to form a filler region, wherein the pressure is less than about 3 GPa, the interstitial regions within the filler region comprising the filler material, and wherein the remaining interstitial regions in the ultra-hard body are substantially free of the filler material and the catalyst material;
• and
• an infiltrant material positioned adjacent the ultra-hard body, wherein the infiltrant material is in a solid state at the pressure and temperature.

A polycrystalline diamond construction comprising an ultra-hard body having a thermally stable region and an infiltrant region that is formed by the process comprising;

• subjecting a sintered ultra-hard body to a high pressure/high temperature process, the sintered ultra-hard body comprising a matrix phase of intercrystalline bonded together diamond crystals that extends throughout the body, the body including a plurality of interstitial regions disposed within the matrix phase, wherein the interstitial regions are substantially free of a catalyst material that was used to initially form the sintered ultra-hard body, the high pressure/high temperature process comprises;
• melting and infiltrating a filler material at a first temperature and first pressure condition to form a filler region in the ultra-hard body, wherein the interstitial regions within the filler region comprise the filler material, the first pressure condition being less than about 3 GPa, the filler region extending into the ultra-hard body a partial depth from an ultra-hard body first surface;
• melting and infiltrating an infiltrant material at a second temperature and second pressure condition to form an infiltrant region in the ultra-hard body, wherein the interstitial regions within the infiltrant region comprise the infiltrant material, the second temperature condition being greater than the first temperature condition, and the second pressure condition being greater than the first pressure condition, wherein the ultra-hard body comprising the filler region and the infiltrant region at the second temperature and second pressure condition is in a diamond stable state above the Berman/Simon diamond-graphite equilibrium line;
• and
• treating the ultra-hard body comprising the filler region and infiltrant region to remove the filler material from a population of the interstitial regions within the filler region to form a thermally-stable region that is substantially free of the filler material, and that extends a depth from the ultra-hard body surface.

A method for making an ultra-hard polycrystalline construction comprising:

• subjecting a plurality of ultra-hard particles to a high pressure/high temperature condition in the presence of a catalyst material to form a polycrystalline ultra-hard material comprising a matrix phase of directly bonded together ultra-hard particles, and a plurality of interstitial regions disposed within the matrix phase which include the catalyst material;
• treating the polycrystalline ultra-hard material to remove the catalyst material therefrom to form an ultra-hard body that is substantially free of the catalyst material used to initially form the polycrystalline ultra-hard material;
• introducing a filler material, wherein the filler material fills a population of the plurality of interstitial regions of the ultra-hard body in a first region extending a depth from a surface of the ultra-hard body, wherein the first region is formed at a first temperature and at a pressure of less than about 3 GPa;
• introducing an infiltrant material into the ultra-hard body comprising the first region at a temperature greater than the first temperature, wherein the infiltrant material fills a population of the plurality of interstitial regions of the ultra-hard body in a second region, wherein the second region is formed while the ultra-hard body is in a diamond stable state above the Berman/Simon diamond-graphite equilibrium line;
• and
• attaching a substrate to the ultra-hard body.