Granted Patent B1

US 8,670,295 · App. 12/973,328 · Granted Mar 11, 2014

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the EAMR transducer comprising:

a write pole configured to write to a region of the media;

at least one coil for energizing the write pole;

a waveguide having an input optically coupled to the laser and configured to direct energy from the laser toward the ABS for heating the region of the media, the waveguide terminating at an end;

a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS and optically coupled to the waveguide; and

an output device optically coupled to the waveguide, the output device coupling out a portion of the energy not coupled to the media and not coupled to the NFT, the NFT residing between the input and the end, and wherein the NFT further resides along the waveguide between the output device and the input of the waveguide such that the waveguide extends past the NFT and directs the portion of the energy toward the NFT and then from the NFT to the output device.

2. The EAMR transducer of claim 1 wherein the output device further includes:

an output grating.

3. The EAMR transducer of claim 2 wherein the waveguide includes a bending portion, the NFT and the output grating residing at the bending portion.

4. The EAMR transducer of claim 3 wherein the bending portion has a first radius of curvature to the NFT and a second radius of curvature between the NFT and the output grating.

5. An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the EAMR transducer comprising:

a write pole configured to write to a region of the media;

at least one coil for energizing the write pole;

a waveguide having an input optically coupled to the laser and configured to direct energy from the laser toward the ABS for heating the region of the media, the waveguide terminating at an end;

a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS and optically coupled to the waveguide; and

an output device optically coupled to the waveguide, the output device coupling out a portion of the energy not coupled to the media and not coupled to the NFT, the NFT residing between the input and the end, and wherein the NFT further resides along the waveguide between the output device and the input of the waveguide such that the waveguide directs the portion of the energy toward the NFT and then from the NFT to the output device;

wherein

wherein the waveguide includes a bending portion, the NFT and the output grating residing at the bending portion, the bending portion having a first radius of curvature to the NFT and a second radius of curvature between the NFT and the output grating, and wherein the first radius of curvature is substantially equal to the second radius of curvature.

6. The EAMR transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

an energy detector coupled with the output device.

7. The EAMR transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

an input grating optically coupled with the laser and for coupling the energy from the laser to the input of the waveguide.

8. An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) disk drive comprising:

a media for storing data;

a slider having a back side, a trailing face, and an air-bearing surface (ABS) opposite to the back side;

at least one laser coupled with the slider;

at least one EAMR transducer coupled with the slider, at least a portion of the at least one EAMR transducer residing in proximity to the ABS, the at least one EAMR transducer further including at least one waveguide, at least one near-field transducer NFT, at least one output device, at least one pole, and at least one coil, the at least one waveguide for directing energy from the at least one laser toward the ABS, the at least one NFT optically coupled with the at least one waveguide and for heating a region of a recording media, the output device coupling out at least a portion of the energy not coupled into the NFT by the waveguide;

wherein the waveguide terminates at an end, wherein the NFT resides between the input and the end, and wherein the NFT further resides along the waveguide between the output device and the input of the waveguide such that the waveguide extends past the NFT and directs the portion of the energy toward the NFT and then from the NFT to the output device.

9. The EAMR disk drive of claim 8 wherein the at least one output device includes an output grating.

10. A method for providing an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser for providing energy and having an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use, the method comprising:

providing a write pole configured to write to a region of the media;

providing at least one coil for energizing the write pole;

providing at least one waveguide having an input optically coupled to the laser and configured to direct energy from the laser toward the ABS for heating the region of the media, the waveguide terminating at an end;

providing a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS and optically coupled to the waveguide; and

providing an output device optically coupled to the waveguide, the output device coupling out at least a portion of the energy not coupled to the media and not coupled to the NFT, the NFT residing between the input and the end, and wherein the NFT further resides along the waveguide between the output device and the input of the waveguide such that the waveguide extends past the NFT and directs the portion of the energy toward the NFT and then from the NFT to the output device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the output device further includes an output grating, wherein the NFT resides between the input and the end.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

actively aligning the laser with the EAMR transducer using the output device.

Assignments (8)