APPARATUS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF A LEACHED CUTTER

摘要

A cleaned component having a polycrystalline structure, a method and apparatus for cleaning a leached component to form the cleaned component, and a method for determining the effectiveness of cleaning the leached component. The cleaned component includes a leached layer that has at least a portion of by-product materials removed. The by-product materials were deposited into the leached layer during a leaching process that formed the leached layer. The apparatus and method for cleaning includes a tank, a cleaning fluid placed within the tank, and at least a portion of the leached layer immersed into the cleaning fluid. Optionally, a transducer emits ultrasonic waves into the leached layer. The method for determining the effectiveness of cleaning includes cleaning the leached component to form the cleaned component, measuring one or more capacitance values of the cleaned component, repeating the cleaning and the measuring until achieving a stable lower limit capacitance value.

主权项

1. A by-products removal apparatus, comprising:
a tank comprising a base and a wall extending substantially around and away from the perimeter of the base forming a cavity therein; a cleaning fluid placed within the cavity; and a component comprising a polycrystalline structure, the polycrystalline structure comprising a leached layer and an unleached layer positioned adjacent to the leached layer, the leached layer having a lesser concentration of a catalyst material than the unleached layer, the leached layer comprising a plurality of by-product materials deposited therein; wherein at least a portion of the leached layer is immersed within the cleaning fluid, and wherein at least a portion of the by-products materials is soluble into the cleaning fluid.