Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Grandis, Inc.

Shengyuan Wang

Min Li

Kunliang Zhang

Weihao Xu

Cherng-Chyi Han

Eugene Youjun Chen

Xuhui Jin

Weisheng Hu

Koji Shimazawa

Zhanjie Li

Yuhui Tang

Hui-Chuan Wang

Yue Liu

Tong Zhao

Ying Liu

Yukinori Ikegawa

Jiun-Ting Lee

Matteo Staffaroni

Xiaomin Liu

Ittetsu Kitajima

Dingchuan Xue

Wen-Ding Huang

A method of fabricating a near field transducer (NFT) in a thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) head is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes: depositing a dielectric layer and a template layer on a waveguide core; patterning the template layer to form a template; depositing an Au NFT layer; planarizing the Au NFT layer to generate a planar layer; depositing an upper NFT layer; applying a peg patterning mask; etching the upper NFT layer and the planar layer that includes the Au NFT layer; removing the template; and depositing a dielectric material and planarizing an upper surface that includes the upper NFT layer.

Near field transducer with template layer for improved reliability

The present embodiments relate to a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write head with an iridium (Ir) film. The Ir film can include a body layer and a plasmon generator (PG) film comprising Iridium with a thin Ir seed layer. The Ir seed layer can be in direct contact with a dielectric (aluminum oxide). The thickness of the Ir film can be 40 nanometers or less including both a body layer and the seed layer. Incorporating Iridium as a material used for a PG can be a high surface plasmon efficient material with also being reliable under high temperature irradiation during a heat-assisted writing process.

Iridium film with a thin iridium template layer for a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) writer

A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) write head configured for thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) and microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) is made adaptive to writing at different frequencies by inserting thin layers of magnetic material into the material filling the side gaps (SG) between the magnetic pole (MP) and the side shields (SS). At high frequencies, the thin magnetic layers saturate and lower the magnetic potential of the bulky side shields.

Writer with adaptive side gap

A near field transducer (NFT) with an upper RhIr layer having an Ir content from 20-80 atomic % and a lower Au layer is formed between a waveguide and main pole at an air bearing surface (ABS). The RhIr layer has a rod-like front portion (peg) up to height h, and a substantially triangular shaped back portion (body) from hto height h. In some embodiments, there is a Rh underlayer with a thickness from 10 Angstroms to 200 Angstroms between the upper and lower NFT layers, and extending from the ABS to hso that the RhIr layer has a substantially uniform microcrystalline structure throughout to prevent thermally induced rupture defects proximate to h. Optionally, the Rh underlayer may have a front side at h, and may further comprise a lower Al or Zr adhesion layer. Accordingly, there is improved device reliability.

RhIr alloy near-field transducer with Rh template layer in a thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) application

A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) head is configured for thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR). The thermal energy is supplied by the near-fields of plasmons and the near-fields are directed to a magnetic recording medium by a PPG layer. The PPG layer is Rhodium (Rh) whose small-grained crystal structure normally makes it subject to thermal deformations and other weaknesses. By growing the PPG layer on a thin template layer (TTL), the portion of the PPG layer adjacent to the air-bearing surface (ABS) develops a larger grain size and stronger forces between its atomic constituents which makes it resistant to those deformations.

Rhodium film with thin template layer and its application to a thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) writer

A near field transducer (NFT) is formed between a waveguide and main pole layer at an air bearing surface (ABS). The NFT includes a resonator body layer made of Au, for example, with a front side at a first plane that is recessed a first distance from the ABS and a back side that is at a second plane formed parallel to the ABS and first plane. The NFT also has a peg layer with a rectangular peg portion between the ABS and first plane, and a larger back portion between the first and second planes that overlays directly above the resonator body layer. The peg layer is preferably made of Rh to improve mechanical stability of the NFT without significantly degrading overall optical efficiency of the NFT. A blocker may be formed between the ABS and waveguide to prevent light not coupled to the NFT from reaching the ABS.

Self-aligned hybrid Au&#x2014;Rh near field transducer for enhanced reliability

A method of forming a TAMR (thermally assisted magnetic recording) write head that uses weakly plasmonic materials that are mechanically strong and thermally stable to create plasmon near field energy. The replacement of highly plasmonic materials like Au with a weakly plasmonic material like Rh avoids the thermal deformations of softer metals like Au. To maintain the performance of the head, it includes pre-focusing structures that concentrate plasmon energy as it moves towards the air bearing surface (ABS). A waveguide blocker at the distal end of the waveguide enhances the plasmons at the interface between the blocker and the dielectric material at the distal end of the waveguide. A pair of symmetrically disposed optical side shields (OSS) are formed to either side of the pole tip and a weakly plasmonic optical field enhancer of sharply defined line-width further strengthens the optical field at its point of application. The resulting structure can be effectively used in a magnetic recording apparatus such as a hard disk drive.

Method of fabricating single Rh layer optical field enhancer with pre-focusing structures

A method of forming a sub-structure, suitable for use as a hot seed in a perpendicular magnetic recording head, is described. A buffer layer of alumina with a thickness of 50-350 Angstroms is formed by atomic layer deposition as a write gap. Thereafter, one or more seed layers having a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure may be deposited on the buffer layer. Finally, a magnetic film made of FeCo or FeNi with a coercivity of 60-110 Oe is deposited on the seed layer(s) by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method at a rate of 0.48 to 3.6 Angstroms per second. The magnetic film is preferably annealed at 220&#xb0; C. for 2 hours in a 250 Oe applied magnetic field.

Method of manufacturing a magnetic film having high coercivity for use as a hot seed in a magnetic write head

A sub-structure, suitable for use as a hot seed on which to form a perpendicular magnetic main write pole, is described. It is made up of a buffer layer of atomic layer deposited alumina on which there are one or more seed layers having a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure. Finally, the high coercivity magnetic film lies on the seed layer(s). It is critical that the high coercivity magnetic film be deposited at a very low deposition rate (around 1 Angstrom per second).

High coercivity magnetic film for use as a hot seed in a magnetic write head and method to grow it

Techniques and magnetic devices associated with a magnetic element that includes a fixed layer having a fixed layer magnetization and perpendicular anisotropy, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer having a changeable free layer magnetization and perpendicular anisotropy.

Magnetic element having perpendicular anisotropy with enhanced efficiency

The pinning field in an MR device was significantly improved by using the Ru 4A peak together with steps to minimize interfacial roughness of the ruthenium layer as well as boron and manganese diffusion into the ruthenium layer during manufacturing. This made it possible to anneal at temperatures as high as 340&#xb0; C. whereby a high MR ratio could be simultaneously achieved.

Pinning field in MR devices despite higher annealing temperature

A method and system for providing a magnetic element is described. The magnetic element includes a pinned layer, a spacer layer, and a free layer. The spacer layer is nonferromagnetic and resides between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer includes a first magnetic layer and at least one of a second magnetic layer and an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer would reside between the first and second magnetic layers. The free layer also includes at least one domain wall therein during switching. In addition, the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched at least in part due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Shengyuan Wang