A compact, a superabrasive compact and a method of making the compact and superabrasive compact are disclosed. A compact may include a plurality of carbide particles, a binder, and a species. The binder may be dispersed among the plurality of tungsten carbide particles. The species may be dispersed in the compact, wherein the binder has a melting point from about 600° C. to about 1350° C. at ambient pressure. A superabrasive compact may include a diamond table and a substrate. The diamond table may be attached to the substrate. The substrate may have a binder. The melting point of the binder is from about 600° C. to about 1350° C. at high pressure from about 30 kbar to about 100 kbar.

Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) and methods of fabricating such PDCs. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a substrate and a preformed polycrystalline diamond table including an interfacial surface bonded to the substrate and an opposing working surface. The preformed polycrystalline diamond table includes a proximal region extending from the interfacial surface to an intermediate location within the preformed polycrystalline diamond table that includes a metallic infiltrant infiltrated from the substrate, and a distal region extending from the working surface to the intermediate location that is substantially free of the metallic infiltrant. A boundary exists between the proximal and distal regions that has a nonplanar irregular profile characteristic of the metallic infiltrant having been infiltrated into the preformed polycrystalline diamond table.

Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) including a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table in which a metal-solvent catalyst is alloyed with at least one alloying element to improve thermal stability of the PCD table. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a substrate and a PCD table bonded to the substrate. The PCD table includes diamond grains defining interstitial regions. The PCD table includes an alloy comprising at least one Group VIII metal and at least one metallic alloying element that lowers a temperature at which melting of the at least one Group VIII metal begins. The alloy includes one or more solid solution phases comprising the at least one Group VIII metal and the at least one metallic alloying element and one or more intermediate compounds comprising the at least one Group VIII metal and the at least one metallic alloying element.

A method of forming a supporting substrate for a cutting element comprises forming a precursor composition comprising discrete WC particles, a binding agent, and discrete particles comprising Co, one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn, and one or more of C and W. The precursor composition is subjected to a consolidation process to form a consolidated structure including WC particles dispersed in a homogenized binder comprising Co, W, C, and one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn. A method of forming a cutting element, a cutting element, a related structure, and an earth-boring tool are also described.

The invention relates to a PCD composite compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded at an interface to a cemented carbide substrate; the PCD structure comprising coherently bonded diamond grains having a mean size no greater than 15 microns; the cemented carbide substrate comprising carbide particles dispersed in a metallic binder, the carbide particles comprising a carbide compound of a metal; wherein the ratio of the amount of metallic binder to the amount of the metal at points in the substrate deviates from a mean value by at most 20 percent of the mean value. The invention further relates to a method for making a PDC compact element comprising a PCD structure integrally bonded to a substrate formed of cemented carbide; the method including introducing a source of excess carbon to the substrate at a bonding surface of the substrate to form a carburised substrate; contacting an aggregated mass of diamond grains with the carburised substrate; and sintering the diamond grains in the presence of a solvent/catalyst material for diamond; wherein the mean size of the diamond grains in the aggregated mass is no greater than 30 microns.

A memory device may include one or more memory banks that store data and one or more input buffers. The input buffers may receive command address signals to access the one or more memory banks. The memory device may operate in one of a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The one or more input buffers may operate under a first bias current when the memory device is in the first mode of operation or a second bias current when the memory device is in the second mode of operation, and the first bias current may be greater than the second bias current.

Fixed-cutter matrix bits comprising hardfaced elements on the gauge pads, and methods of manufacture and using. An example fixed-cutter matrix bit comprises a matrix bit body, a plurality of cutter elements secured at fixed locations to the matrix bit body, and a plurality of gauge pads disposed on the matrix bit body; wherein at least one of the gauge pads includes a hardfaced exterior surface. The hardfaced exterior surface may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum, silicon, titanium, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, yttrium, boron, carbon, carbides thereof, nitrides thereof, borides thereof, oxides thereof, silicides thereof, and combinations thereof. The hardfaced exterior surface may be fused to the at least one gauge pad during the infiltration process of manufacturing the matrix bit body.

Fixed-cutter matrix bits comprising hardfaced elements on the gauge pads, and methods of manufacture and using. An example fixed-cutter matrix bit comprises a matrix bit body, a plurality of cutter elements secured at fixed locations to the matrix bit body, and a plurality of gauge pads disposed on the matrix bit body; wherein at least one of the gauge pads includes a hardfaced exterior surface. The hardfaced exterior surface may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, niobium, vanadium, molybdenum, silicon, titanium, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, yttrium, boron, carbon, carbides thereof, nitrides thereof, borides thereof, oxides thereof, silicides thereof, and combinations thereof. The hardfaced exterior surface may be fused to the at least one gauge pad during the infiltration process of manufacturing the matrix bit body.

A polycrystalline diamond sintered material tool includes: a cemented carbide substrate, which is mainly composed of WC and includes Co; and a diamond layer containing a metal catalyst made of Co provided on the cemented carbide substrate. The average layer thickness of a Co rich layer formed in an interface between the cemented carbide substrate and the diamond layer is 30 μm or less. C.sub.MAX/C.sub.DIA is 2 or less when C.sub.DIA is an average content of Co included in the diamond layer and C.sub.MAX is a peak value of a Co content in the Co rich layer. D/D.sub.O is less than 2 when D is an average grain size of WC particles in a region from the interface between the cemented carbide substrate and the diamond layer to 50 μm toward an inside of the cemented carbide substrate; and D.sub.O is an average grain size of WC particles.

A cutting element for a drill bit can include a first layer of polycrystalline diamond, a second layer of polycrystalline diamond, wherein a boundary between the first layer and the second layer is nonplanar, and a substrate. The first and second layers can be formed from polycrystalline diamond of different grain sizes. One of the first and second layers can be leached of a catalyzing material. The first layer can be formed on a first substrate having a nonplanar surface feature, removed from the first substrate, and placed over the second layer to form the nonplanar boundary. The first layer can be leached of a catalyzing material prior to being applied to the second layer. A barrier layer can be placed between the first layer and the second layer to prevent sweeping of a catalyzing material into the leached first layer.