Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Sae Magnetics (h.k.) Limited

Xuhui Jin

Joe Smyth

Tobias Maletzky

Yuchen Zhou

Moris Musa Dovek

Kenichi Takano

Erhard Theodor Schreck

Kaizhong Gao

Weihao Xu

Hiroyuki Ito

William Albert Challener

Dayu Zhou

Yoshitaka Sasaki

Shigeki Tanemura

Michael Allen Seigler

Cherng-Chyi Han

Amit Vasant Itagi

Matteo Staffaroni

Yiming Wang

Ganping Ju

Yoshihiro Tsuchiya

Tsutomu Chou

Xiaohua Lou

Edward Charles Gage

Chubing Peng

Shinji Hara

YongJun Zhao

Kowang Liu

Bin Lu

Sharat Batra

Shengyuan Wang

Lien Lee

Arkadi B Goulakov

Kouji Shimazawa

Weisheng Hu

Koji Shimazawa

Min Li

Zhigang Bai

Michael C Kautzky

Kunliang Zhang

Suping Song

Ellis T Cha

Yukinori Ikegawa

Qinghua Zeng

Xiaoyue Huang

Hua Zhou

Mary Cynthia Hipwell

Grace Lim Gorman

Yiao-Tee Hsia

Hideo Mamiya

David Allen Sluzewski

Jianing Zhou

Siu Yin Ngan

Luc Chung

William Paul Vavra

Ittetsu Kitajima

Ya-An Yang

Ethan Lo

Greg Lyon

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 PMR read/write head configured for thermally assisted recording (TAMR) includes thermally active bumper pads formed to each side of a write element to provide enhanced touchdown (TD) protection to the write head element where it emerges adjacent to the plasmon near-field spot produced by the TAMR apparatus. The bumper pads are disposed about the write head and absorb heat energy generated by active heating elements, the write current and the energy generated by the TAMR apparatus. Absorption of this energy causes the bumper pads to expand and protrude outward from the slider ABS to protect the read/write head from both intentional and unanticipated touchdown events. The PMR read/write head is then mounted on a slider and the assembly is incorporated into a hard disk drive (HDD).

Bumper pad design for TAMR drives

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 TAMR (thermally assisted magnetic recording) write head uses a gap-based NFT (near-field transducer) to create plasmon near field energy. In one embodiment the NFT is a double ridge aperture structure that simultaneously delivers low transition curvature and better cross-track thermal gradients than previous designs. In another embodiment a NFT comprises a top and bottom ridge not confined to an aperture structure, made of thermo-mechanically stable materials and a parabolic shaped metal layer disposed adjacent to a dielectric waveguide core to couple optical energy to surface plasmon modes.

Double ridge near-field transducers

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 for manufacturing a TAMR (thermal assisted magnetic recording) write head. The write head has a metal blocker formed against a distal end of a waveguide. The waveguide focuses optical radiation on an adjacent plasmon generator where it excites plasmon modes that heat the recording medium. Although the plasmon generator typically heats the recording medium using the plasmon near field to supply the required Joule heating, an unblocked waveguide would also send optical radiation to the medium and surrounding structures producing unwanted heating and device unreliability. The role of the blocker is to block the unwanted optical radiation and, thereby, to limit the heating to that supplied by the plasmon near field.

Method for manufacturing thermally-assisted magnetic recording head with waveguide blocker

An optically shielded TAMR (thermally assisted magnetic recording) write head has a metal waveguide blocker formed against a distal end of a waveguide and a pair of symmetrically disposed optical side shields formed to either side of a plasmon generator formed above the waveguide. The waveguide focuses optical radiation on the adjacent plasmon generator where it excites plasmon modes that heat the recording medium with near-field energy and the waveguide blocker prevents excess optical radiation from blurring the spot on the recording region. The optical side shields further restrict loosely coupled optical radiation from reaching the recording region and blurring the optical spot and improves down-track and cross-track thermal gradients.

Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head having symmetric optical side shields

A TAMR (thermal assisted magnetic recording) write head has a metal blocker formed against a distal end of a waveguide. The waveguide focuses optical radiation on an adjacent plasmon generator where it excites plasmon modes that heat the recording medium. Although the plasmon generator typically heats the recording medium using the plasmon near field to supply the required Joule heating, an unblocked waveguide would also send optical radiation to the medium and surrounding structures producing unwanted heating and device unreliability. The role of the blocker is to block the unwanted optical radiation and, thereby, to limit the heating to that supplied by the plasmon near field.

Plasmon generator with metallic waveguide blocker for TAMR

A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The waveguide includes a core and a cladding. The main pole and the core are located on the same side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to the plasmon generator. The main pole has a first end face located in the medium facing surface, and a second end face opposite to the first end face. The core has a front end face opposed to the second end face of the main pole. The cladding includes an interposition section interposed between the front end face of the core and the second end face of the main pole. The front end face of the core and the second end face of the main pole are inclined with respect to the medium facing surface.

Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head having inclined main magnetic pole and core

A thermally assisted magnetic recording head is disclosed with a light delivery waveguide circuit wherein a middle section of the primary waveguide (WG) has a curved portion. In one embodiment, the curved portion connects to a front WG section at the air bearing surface (ABS) and is offset in a cross-track direction from the laser diode to prevent stray light from heating metal parts proximate to the front section and undesirable writer protrusion. Optionally, a reflective blocker is inserted between the WG spot size converter and ABS. In a second embodiment, the laser diode, spot size converter, and front WG section are all aligned along a center slider plane. The curved portion has at least one 180&#xb0; bend to bend light around the blocker that is between the spot size converter and WG front section. The blocker is tilted to prevent reflected light from returning to the laser diode.

Thermal assisted magnetic recording light delivery waveguide circuit for reduced stray light induced writer protrusion

A thermally assisted magnetic recording head is disclosed having a spot size converter with at least one secondary waveguide adjoining a top or bottom surface of a primary waveguide. Each waveguide has tapered sides but the secondary waveguide is tapered at a greater angle over a shorter taper distance in order to couple propagated light into the primary waveguide before the front end of the taper. The secondary waveguide terminates in a ridge with a fixed width wof about 50-170 nm that is between the front end of the taper and the air bearing surface (ABS). The ridge enables transverse magnetic (TM) transmission mode efficiency above 90% even with a typical process misalignment in the cross-track and height directions. The primary waveguide has a front section with width wbetween an end of its tapered sides and the ABS where wis substantially larger than w

Thermal assisted magnetic recording spot-size converter with finite ridge width

Thermal energy is generated within an optical NFT when in operation within a HAMR head. A heat-sink assembly within the HAMR head extracts thermal energy from the optical NFT and transmits the thermal energy via convection to air surrounding the HAMR head, radiation to surfaces adjacent to the HAMR head, and/or conduction to other parts of the HAMR head. The thermal energy generated within the optical NFT is conducted to the heat-sink. An air-bearing surface of the heat-sink convectively transfers at least some of the thermal energy to air passing between the air-bearing surface and a surface of an adjacent magnetic medium. Further, some of the thermal energy may also radiatively transfer from the air-bearing surface to the magnetic medium.

Heat-sinks for optical near-field transducers

A method by which portions of a wafer level fabrication can be selectively heated by forming plasmon generating layers of specific size, shape, orientation and material on the fabrication and then illuminating the formation with electromagnetic radiation of such wavelength and polarization as will optimally be absorbed by the plasmon generating layers so as to generate plasmons therein. The generated plasmons thereupon produce thermal energy which is transferred to portions of the fabrication with which the plasmon generation layer has thermal contact. This method is particularly advantageous for producing multiple anneals and different magnetic pinning directions for the anti-ferromagnetic pinning layer in each of an array of GMR or TMR devices. In that process, the anti-ferromagnetic layer must be raised above its Curie temperature at which point it loses its anti-ferromagnetic properties and can have a magnetization imposed by application of an external magnetic field. The method can equally well be applied to any wafer level fabrication or deposited film fabrication in which it is desired to heat specific regions to obtain some specified result that is temperature dependent.

Multi-directional pin anneal of MR sensors with plasmon heating

A method of forming a TAMR (Thermal Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head that uses the energy of optical-laser excited plasmons to locally heat a magnetic recording medium and reduce its coercivity and magnetic anisotropy. The magnetic field of the write head is enhanced by the formation of a leading shield that is formed in a concave geometrical shape and partially surrounds the waveguide portion of the head within the concavity, which allows the distal end of the waveguide to extend to the ABS plane of the write head. This arrangement reduces the gap between the shield and the magnetic pole and does not interfere with the ability of the waveguide to efficiently transfer its optical energy to the plasmon generator and, ultimately, to the surface of the magnetic recording medium.

Method of forming a TAMR writer with a concave leading shield for enhanced field magnitude

A TAMR (Thermal Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head uses the energy of optical-laser excited surface plasmons in a plasmon generator to locally heat a magnetic recording medium and reduce its coercivity and magnetic anisotropy. The optical radiation is transmitted to the plasmon generator by means of a waveguide, whose optical axis (centerline) is tilted relative to either or both the backside surface normal and ABS surface normal in order to eliminate back reflections of the optical radiation that can adversely affect the properties and performance of the laser. Variations of the disclosure include tilting the plasmon generator, the waveguide and the laser diode.

Tilted structures to reduce reflection in laser-assisted TAMR

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Xuhui Jin