Seagate Technology Incorporated

Nan Zhou

Michael Allen Seigler

Weibin Chen

YongJun Zhao

Huaqing Yin

Ruoxi Yang

Yuhang Cheng

Michael C Kautzky

Chubing Peng

Li Wan

Michael Allen Siegler

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a near-field transducer, a waveguide, and a solid immersion mirror. The near-field transducer is configured to focus and emit an optical near-field. The waveguide is configured to receive electromagnetic radiation and propagate the electromagnetic radiation toward and proximal to the near-field transducer. The solid immersion mirror is disposed proximal to the near-field transducer and along a media-facing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head. The solid immersion mirror includes a first segment and a second segment disposed on opposite sides of the near-field transducer relative to a cross-track dimension of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head. The solid immersion mirror includes a thermally robust metal having a melting temperature of at least 1500 degrees Celsius. The thermally robust metal is a primary material of the solid immersion mirror.

Heat-assisted magnetic recording head with a solid immersion mirror

A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a core having a first edge exposed at the media-facing surface. The core formed of a core material that is resistant to mechanical wear and corrosion, such as a dielectric or robust metal. A liner covers a second edge of the core facing the near-field transducer. The liner includes a plasmonic metal that is different than the core material, such as Au or Al.

Heat-assisted recording head having mechanically robust subwavelength mirror with plasmonic liner

A recording head has a near-field transducer that extends a first distance away from a media-facing surface. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of a waveguide proximate the media-facing surface and extend a second distance away from the media-facing surface that is less than the first distance. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface and a plasmonic material that covers an edge of the subwavelength focusing mirror that faces the near-field transducer. The first material is more mechanically robust than the plasmonic material.

Heat-assisted recording head having sub wavelength mirror formed of first and second materials

A recording head includes a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head and a waveguide that overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. The recording head includes subwavelength-sized focusing mirror comprising first and second reflectors disposed on cross track sides of the near-field transducer. Each of the first and second reflectors is spaced apart from the media-facing surface by a distance, D, measured along an axis normal to the media-facing surface.

Recording head with focusing structure

A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. The near-field transducer extends a first distance away from the media-facing surface. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface and a liner that covers an edge of the mirror.

A recording head has a near-field transducer proximate a media-facing surface of the recording head. The near-field transducer extends a first distance away from the media-facing surface. A waveguide overlaps and delivers light to the near-field transducer. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of the waveguide proximate the media-facing surface and extend a second distance away from the media-facing surface that is less than the first distance. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface; and a second material facing away from the media facing surface and in contact with the first material. The second material includes a plasmonic material, and the first material is more mechanically robust than the second material.

A near-field transducer has an enlarged portion with a layer of soft plasmonic material. A peg formed of a thermally robust plasmonic material includes an embedded part that is partially embedded within the enlarged portion and has an exposed surface facing away from the enlarged portion. An intersection between a lower edge of the enlarged portion and the embedded part has a discontinuity.

Near-field transducer with thermally robust peg embedded into an enlarged portion

A near-field transducer has an enlarged portion with a layer of soft plasmonic material. A peg is embedded in a lower part of the enlarged portion that faces a media-facing surface. The peg has an elongated outer part that extends from a lower edge of the enlarged portion towards the media-facing surface and an embedded part that is embedded within the enlarged portion. The embedded part could be any shape. The peg is formed of a thermally robust plasmonic material.

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Chanhassen, MN, United States of America

Nan Zhou