Thermally stable diamond bonded materials and compacts

A method for forming a thermally stable diamond constructions comprising:

• combining a volume of diamond grains together with silicon and a getter material to form a mixture;
• subjecting the mixture to a high pressure-high temperature condition to form a diamond bonded body comprising a thermally stable region and a polycrystalline diamond region adjacent the thermally stable region, wherein the thermally stable region comprises diamond grains bonded together by a reaction product of the diamond grain and the silicon, wherein the polycrystalline diamond region comprises intercrystalline bonded together diamond grains and a metal catalyst disposed within interstitial regions, and wherein the diamond bonded body comprises a ceramic compound formed from the getter material.

A method for forming a cutting element comprising a thermally stable diamond bonded construction comprising:

• combining diamond grains with silicon and a getter material to form an assembly;
• and
• subjecting the assembly to high pressure-high temperature condition to form a sintered diamond bonded body comprising a thermally stable region and a polycrystalline diamond region adjacent the thermally stable region, the assembly being positioned adjacent a metallic substrate, the thermally stable region being formed at a first temperature condition by reaction of the silicon with diamond grains to bond the diamond grains together, the polycrystalline diamond region being formed at a second temperature condition in the presence of a catalyst metal, wherein the second temperature condition is greater than the first temperature condition, the diamond bonded body comprising a ceramic compound formed by reaction of the getter material, and wherein the diamond bonded body is joined together with the substrate during the high pressure-high temperature condition.