Thermally assisted recording head having recessed waveguide with near field transducer and methods of making same

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film having a main body and a ridge extending from the main body; and

an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, a light guiding core layer of the optical waveguide being spaced from the near field transducer by less than about 100 nanometers and greater than 0 nanometers,

wherein a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide is substantially perpendicular to an air bearing surface.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conductive metal film has a C aperture formed therein.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conductive metal film has an E shape.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conductive metal film includes wings extending from the main body.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a layer of magnetic material extending at least a portion of a distance between the wings.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conductive metal film is generally non-triangular.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide is spaced from the near field transducer by between about 100 nanometers and about 10 nanometers.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide further comprises cladding layers enclosing the core layer.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the cladding layers is positioned between the core layer and the near field transducer.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the cladding layers is directly adjacent a side of the core layer extending parallel to an axis of the core layer and a side of the core layer extending perpendicular to the axis of the core layer.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the cladding layers extends below the near field transducer.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the core layer is above two cladding layers.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film; and

an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, a light guiding core layer of the optical waveguide being spaced from the near field transducer by less than about 100 nanometers and greater than about 10 nanometers,

wherein a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide is substantially perpendicular to an air bearing surface.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 , wherein the conductive metal film has a C aperture formed therein.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 , wherein the conductive metal film has an E shape.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 , wherein the optical waveguide further comprises cladding layers enclosing the core layer, wherein at least one of the cladding layers is positioned between the core layer and the near field transducer.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 , wherein the optical waveguide further comprises cladding layers enclosing the core layer, wherein at least one of the cladding layers extends below the near field transducer.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 , wherein the optical waveguide further comprises cladding layers enclosing the core layer, wherein the core layer is above two cladding layers.

19. A method, comprising:

forming a near field transducer structure having an air bearing surface (ABS) side and a second side opposite the ABS side;

removing a portion of the near field transducer structure;

forming a cladding layer adjacent the second side of a remaining portion of the near field transducer structure, wherein a portion of the cladding layer extends along all of the remaining portion of the near field transducer structure; and

forming a core layer adjacent to the portion of the cladding layer extending along all of the remaining portion of the near field transducer structure and above a second portion of the cladding layer, the core layer being separated from the near field transducer via the cladding layer,

wherein a longitudinal axis of the core layer is substantially perpendicular to the ABS side of the near field transducer.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the near field transducer structure has a C aperture formed therein.

21. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the near field transducer structure includes a conductive metal film having an E shape.

22. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the near field transducer structure includes a magnetic material.

23. A method, comprising:

forming a lower cladding layer;

forming a near field transducer structure above the lower cladding layer;

removing a portion of the near field transducer structure;

forming a second cladding layer adjacent a remaining portion of the near field transducer structure and above the lower cladding layer, wherein a portion of the second cladding layer extends along the remaining portion of the near field transducer structure;

forming a core layer above the second cladding layer.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the near field transducer structure has a C aperture formed therein.

25. The method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the near field transducer structure includes a conductive metal film having an E shape.