Patent ID: 8608815

Claim:
A method of fabricating a polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising: forming an assembly including a plurality of diamond particles positioned adjacent to a cemented carbide material, wherein the cemented carbide material includes one or more types of tungsten-containing eta phases; subjecting the assembly to a first high-pressure/high-temperature process in the presence of a metal-solvent catalyst in which carbon reacts with at least some of the one or more types of tungsten-containing eta phases of the cemented carbide material and the plurality of diamond particles are sintered to form a polycrystalline diamond table; separating the cemented carbide material from the polycrystalline diamond table; at least partially leaching at least a portion of the metal-solvent catalyst from the polycrystalline diamond table to form an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond table; wherein the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond table includes a tungsten-containing material and is substantially free of defects formed due to abnormal grain growth of tungsten carbide grains of the cemented carbide material during the first high-pressure/high-temperature process; positioning the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond table at least proximate to a cemented carbide substrate; and subjecting the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond table and the cemented carbide substrate to a second high-pressure/high-temperature process to at least partially infiltrate the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond table with a metallic infiltrant.