Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Weisheng Hu

Weihao Xu

Cherng-Chyi Han

Xuhui Jin

Shengyuan Wang

Ittetsu Kitajima

Shigeki Tanemura

Tobias Maletzky

Matteo Staffaroni

Ken Fujii

Wen-Ding Huang

Ethan Lo

The present embodiments relate to a near field transducer for thermally-assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) with a hybrid plasmonic bottom layer. In a first example embodiment, a thermally-assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) write head is provided. The TAMR write head can include a main pole and a near field transducer (NFT). The NFT can include a first layer and a second layer. The first layer can include a first plasmonic material (e.g., rhodium, iridium, platinum). Further, the first layer can be disposed adjacent to the heat sink. The second layer can include a portion of a second plasmonic material (e.g., gold) and a first plasmonic portion (e.g., comprising rhodium). The first plasmonic portion of the second layer can be disposed adjacent to the ABS. The hybrid second layer (e.g., plasmonic bottom layer) can provide an improved NFT reliability during TAMR writing.

Hybrid plasmonic bottom layer for increased near field transducer reliability

An optically shielded (thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) head comprises a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) write head and a near-field transducer (NFT) having an emerging peg at the air-bearing surface (ABS). Self-aligned optical side shields (SA-OSS) are formed using a self-aligning process that positions the shields symmetrically relative to the emergent peg of the NFT. As a result of the symmetric positioning the down-track and cross-track near-field and near-field gradients are significantly sharpened.

Method of building self-aligned optical side shield structure

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

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Weisheng Hu