Patent ID: 8020643

Claim:
An ultra-hard construction comprising: an ultra-hard material body comprising: a first region extending a distance from a body surface, the first region comprising a polycrystalline matrix first phase and a second phase material interposed within interstitial regions of the matrix first phase, wherein the polycrystalline matrix first phase is selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline diamond and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, and wherein the first region is substantially free of a catalyst material used to form the polycrystalline matrix first phase; and a second region extending a distance from the first region, the second region comprising the polycrystalline matrix first phase and the catalyst material used to form the first phase disposed interstitially within the matrix, wherein the second phase material in the first region is formed from a material having a thermal characteristic that is more closely matched to the matrix first phase than the catalyst material and is selected from the group consisting of non-refractory metals, ceramics, silicon, and silicon-containing compounds; and a substrate attached to the ultra-hard material body.