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.

A cutting element has an intercrystalline-bonded diamond body that includes an inner region and an outer surface that includes a working surface of the cutting element. The outer surface is treated, after formation of the intercrystalline-bonded diamond by high-pressure/high-temperature process, to have a level of surface compressive stress that is greater than a compressive stress of the inner region.

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 may include a substrate having a non-planar upper surface with a peripheral edge, and an ultrahard layer. The upper surface may include at least one depression formed at least proximate the peripheral edge; and a compressive stress hoop extending around the upper surface adjacent the peripheral edge, extending into the at least one depression, and configured to reduce tensile stress in the ultrahard layer. The ultrahard layer may be on the substrate and may have a non-planar top surface and an interface formed between the ultrahard layer and the substrate.

Cutters for a downhole drill bit can be formed by providing a catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamond (PCD) having a cross-sectional dimension of at least 8 millimeters; providing a substrate comprising tungsten carbide; and attaching the synthesized PCD to the substrate comprising tungsten carbide to form a PDC cutter.

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.

A superhard construction comprises a substrate comprising a peripheral surface, an interface surface and a longitudinal axis and a super hard material layer formed over the substrate and having an exposed outer surface forming a working surface, a peripheral surface extending therefrom and an interface surface. One of the interface surface of the substrate or the interface surface of the super hard material layer comprises one or more projections arranged to project from the interface surface, the height of the one or more projections being between around 0.2 mm to around 1.0 mm measured from the lowest point on the interface surface from which the one or more projections extend.

Polycrystalline diamond cutting elements having enhanced thermal stability, drill bits incorporating the same, and methods of making the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a cutting element includes a substrate having a metal carbide and a polycrystalline diamond body bonded to the substrate. The polycrystalline diamond body includes a plurality of diamond grains bonded to adjacent diamond grains by diamond-to-diamond bonds and a plurality of interstitial regions positioned between adjacent diamond grains. At least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions comprise lead or lead alloy, a catalyst material, metal carbide, or combinations thereof. At least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions comprise lead or lead alloy that coat portions of the adjacent diamond grains such that the lead or lead alloy reduces contact between the diamond and the catalyst.