Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Kla Tencor Corporation

Hongxing Yuan

Zhong Shi

Michael V Morelli

Zhongyan Wang

Shing Lee

Matthew R Gibbons

Jinshan Li

Brad Vaughn Johnson

Ge Yi

Yunfei Li

Wentao Yan

Jiangrong Cao

Ronald L Allen

Peng Zhang

Zhigang Bai

Sergei L Sochava

Yufeng Hu

Samuel Weisan Yuan

Lisha Wang

Rabee M Ikkawi

Zhanjie Li

Ming Sun

Ut Tran

William J Kozlovsky

Marc A Finot

Dujiang Wan

Wei Gao

Ruolin Li

Yanfeng Chen

Shawn M Tanner

Jianwei Mu

Jerome S Marcelino

William VanHoomissen

Dimitry Pokras

Douglas Chan

This system and method minimize an effect of haze to signal-to-noise ratio and compensate for haze on the haze map. A first mask with a first aperture is disposed along the path of the light beam between a light source and a collector. A first actuator moves the first mask along a tangential direction. A second mask with a second aperture is disposed along the path of the light beam between the first mask and the collector. A second actuator moves the second mask along a radial direction perpendicular to the tangential direction. The first mask and the second mask are independently movable along the tangential direction and the radial direction using the first actuator and the second actuator.

Haze mask system for haze suppression

An apparatus includes a waveguide with first and second sections, and a junction coupling the first and second waveguide sections together. The first waveguide section has a first reflective device and the second section comprising a second reflective device arranged to generate a standing wave in the waveguide with maximum energy wave intensity at a target region of the waveguide in response to an incident energy wave being provided into at least one of the waveguide sections.

Waveguide with reflective grating for localized energy intensity

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus includes a laser and has an air-bearing surface (ABS) that resides in proximity to a media during use. The HAMR write apparatus includes a write pole that writes to the media, coil(s) for energizing the write pole and a waveguide optically coupled with the laser. The waveguide includes an entrance distal from the ABS and a bottom proximate to the ABS. The waveguide also includes a mode converter, a mode stripper optically coupled with the mode converter and an inverse tapered section optically coupled with the mode stripper. The mode converter has sides converging from a first width proximate to the entrance to a second width distal from the entrance and less than the first width. The mode stripper is between the inverse tapered section and the mode converter. The inverse tapered section has an entrance and an exit wider than the entrance.

Method and system for providing a HAMR writer having improved optical efficiency

An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk includes a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores disposed near an air bearing surface of a magnetic recording device. Each waveguide core has a fine ridge feature on a first surface of the waveguide core and configured to receive incident light energy from an energy source. A near field transducer (NFT) is formed at the air bearing surface for focusing light energy received from the waveguide core and transmitting the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot. The NFT includes at least one plasmonic metal element disposed above the fine ridge features of the waveguide cores to form an interface for delivering propagating surface plasmon polaritons (PSPPs) to the air bearing surface. Each fine ridge feature is configured with a width approximately equivalent to a width of the heating spot.

Near field transducer using dielectric waveguide core with fine ridge feature

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write transducer has an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use and is coupled with a laser that provides energy. The HAMR transducer includes a main pole, at least one additional pole adjacent to the main pole in a down track direction, a waveguide and at least one coil for energizing the main pole. The main pole is configured to write to a region of the media and is recessed from the ABS by a first distance. The additional pole(s) are recessed from the ABS by a second distance greater than the first distance. The waveguide is optically coupled with the laser and directs a portion of the energy toward the ABS at an acute angle from the ABS. A portion of the waveguide resides between the additional pole(s) and the ABS.

Heat assisted magnetic recording writer having a recessed pole

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer is coupled with a laser for providing energy and has an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use. The HAMR transducer includes a write pole, at least one coil, and a tapered waveguide optically coupled with the laser. The write pole is configured to write to a region of the media. The coil(s) energize the write pole. The tapered waveguide includes an entrance distal from the ABS, a bottom proximate to the ABS, a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. At least a portion of the first side and the second side converge in accordance with a function having at least one term having an order greater than one.

High order tapered waveguide for use in a heat assisted magnetic recording head

An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk include a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores configured to direct received incident light energy to a target, and a near field transducer (NFT) configured to focus light energy received from the plurality of waveguide cores and to transmit the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot on the storage disk. The NFT includes a plurality of propagating surface plasmon polariton (PSPP) elements that are energized by the light energy from the waveguide cores. Each of the PSPP elements has a plasmonic metal bar disposed above a single waveguide core in a longitudinal alignment. Each metal bar has a width at least twice the width of the heating spot generated on the storage disk.

Interfering near field transducer having a wide metal bar feature for energy assisted magnetic recording

Systems and methods for suppressing the background energy of a waveguide in an EAMR system are provided. One such system includes a near field transducer having a disk section and a pin section extending from the disk section to an air bearing surface of a slider, a waveguide having a core and a cladding, where the waveguide is configured to couple light energy to the near field transducer, where the cladding is configured to substantially surround the core, and a recess portion positioned between the core and the air bearing surface.

Systems and methods for suppressing background energy of a waveguide in an energy assisted magnetic recording system

An HAMR NFT pin and main body structure comprising a pin material with high index of refraction and low absorption coefficient is disclosed. The disclosed NFT pin provides a comparable media absorption efficiency to the conventional Au pin while improving on overall NFT reliability. The protrusion of the NFT pin is reduced and overall life of the writer is prolonged. The main body may comprise any noble metal or metal alloy suitable for achieving optical resonance in an HAMR NFT. The cladding material may be selected such that its coefficient of thermal expansion closely matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of the pin material.

Near field transducer with high refractive index pin for heat assisted magnetic recording

A method and system provides an EAMR transducer. The transducer is coupled with a laser for providing energy and has an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use. The EAMR transducer includes a composite near field transducer (NFT), a write pole and at least one coil for energizing the write pole. The write pole is configured to write to a region of the media. The composite NFT is for focusing the energy onto the region of the media. The composite NFT includes at least one metal and at least one insulator therein.

Method and system for providing an NFT having improved mechanical stability

Heat assisted magnetic recording transducers having a recessed pole

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer is coupled with a laser for providing energy and has an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use. The HAMR transducer includes a waveguide optically coupled with the laser and an optical power monitor optically coupled with the waveguide. The waveguide directs energy from the laser toward the media. The optical power monitor is optically coupled with the waveguide. The optical power monitor for captures a portion of the energy, converts the portion of the energy to heat and measures a local temperature proximate to the optical power monitor.

Integrated sensor for monitoring laser power in a heat assisted magnetic recording disk drive

Systems and methods and apparatuses for characterizing near field transducer performance at wafer level using asymmetric interference waveguides are provided. One such system includes a light source, an input grating configured to receive light from the light source, a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm, each configured to receive the light, a surface plasmon receptor optically coupled to the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm and configured to receive light from the first waveguide arm in a first direction and the second waveguide arm in a second direction opposite of the first direction, where the first and the second waveguide arms are configured to induce a preselected phase difference in light arriving at the surface plasmon receptor, and an output grating optically coupled to the surface plasmon receptor, and a light detector coupled to, and configured to detect light from, the first output grating.

Systems and methods for characterizing near field transducer performance at wafer level using asymmetric interference waveguides

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San Ramon, CA, United States of America

Hongxing Yuan