Method and system for optically coupling a laser with a transducer in an energy assisted magnetic recording disk drive
View Patent ↗A method and system for providing an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) head are described. The EAMR head includes a laser, a slider, and an EAMR transducer. The laser has a main emitter and at least one alignment emitter. The slider includes at least one alignment waveguide, at least one output device, and an air-bearing surface (ABS). The alignment waveguide(s) are aligned with the alignment emitter(s). The EAMR transducer is coupled with the slider and includes a waveguide aligned with main emitter. The waveguide is for directing energy from the main emitter toward the ABS.
1. An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) head comprising:
a laser including a main emitter and at least one alignment emitter;
a slider including at least one alignment waveguide, at least one output device, and an air-bearing surface (ABS), the at least one alignment waveguide being aligned with the at least one alignment emitter; and
an EAMR transducer coupled with the slider and including a waveguide aligned with main emitter, the waveguide for directing energy from the main emitter toward the ABS.
2. The EAMR head of claim 1 wherein the main emitter and the at least one alignment emitter are configured to be powered independently.
3. The EAMR head of claim 1 wherein the at least one output device includes at least one output grating.
4. The EAMR head of claim 1 wherein the slider further includes:
a plurality of fiducial marks in proximity to the at least one alignment emitter.
5. The EAMR head of claim 1 wherein the at least one alignment emitter includes a first alignment emitter and a second alignment emitter, and wherein at least one alignment waveguide includes a first alignment waveguide aligned with the first alignment emitter and a second alignment waveguide aligned with the second alignment emitter.
6. The EAMR head of claim 5 wherein the main emitter resides between the first alignment emitter and the second alignment emitter.
7. The EAMR head of claim 5 wherein the first alignment emitter resides between the main emitter and the second alignment emitter.
8. A method for providing an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) head including a slider, an EAMR transducer coupled with the slider and a laser coupled with the slider, the method comprising:
passively aligning the laser with the slider, the laser including a main emitter and at least one alignment emitter, the slider including at least one alignment waveguide, at least one output device, and an air-bearing surface (ABS), the EAMR transducer including a waveguide, the step of passively aligning the laser with the slider including passively aligning the at least one alignment waveguide with the at least one alignment emitter; and
actively aligning the laser with the slider using the at least one alignment emitter, the at least one alignment waveguide, and the at least one output device.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of actively aligning the laser with the slider further includes:
detecting at least one output signal corresponding to the at least one alignment emitter from the at least one output device; and
moving the slider relative to the laser until the at least one output signal is within a tolerance of a maximum value.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the slider includes a plurality of fiducial marks in proximity to the at least one alignment waveguide and wherein the step of passively aligning the laser and the slider includes:
aligning the at least one alignment emitter with the plurality of fiducial marks.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of passively aligning the laser and the slider further includes:
optically coupling at least one external laser with the at least one output device, external energy from the at least one external laser being output at the at least one alignment waveguide; and
aligning the at least one alignment emitter with the external energy output at the at least one alignment waveguide.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one alignment emitter includes a first alignment emitter and a second alignment emitter, and wherein at least one alignment waveguide includes a first alignment waveguide aligned with the first alignment emitter and a second alignment waveguide aligned with the second alignment emitter.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the main emitter resides between the first alignment emitter and the second alignment emitter.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the first alignment emitter resides between the main emitter and the second alignment emitter.
15. A method for providing a plurality of energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) heads including a plurality of sliders, a plurality of EAMR transducers coupled with the plurality of sliders, and a plurality of main emitters coupled with the plurality of sliders, the plurality of sliders residing on a slider bar, the method comprising:
passively aligning a laser bar with the slider bar, the laser bar including the plurality of main emitters and a plurality of alignment emitters, the slider bar including a plurality of alignment waveguides and a plurality of output devices, each of the plurality of EAMR transducers including a waveguide, the step of passively aligning the laser with the slider including passively aligning the plurality of alignment waveguides with the plurality of alignment emitters; and
actively aligning the laser bar with the slider bar using the plurality of alignment emitters, the plurality of alignment waveguides, and the plurality of output devices.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of actively aligning the laser bar with the slider bar further includes:
detecting at least one output signal corresponding to the plurality of alignment emitters from at least one of the plurality of output devices; and
moving the slider bar relative to the laser bar until the at least one output signal is within a tolerance of a maximum signal.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the slider bar includes a plurality of fiducial marks in proximity to the at least one alignment waveguide and wherein the step of passively aligning the laser bar and the slider bar includes:
aligning the plurality of alignment emitters with the plurality of fiducial marks.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of passively aligning the laser and the slider further includes:
optically coupling at least one external laser with the at least one of the plurality of output devices, external energy from the at least one external laser being output at the at least one of the plurality of alignment waveguides; and
aligning the at least one alignment emitter with the external energy output at the at least one of the plurality of alignment waveguide.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the plurality of alignment emitters corresponds to each of the plurality of main emitters.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein a total number of the plurality of alignment emitters is less than a total number of main emitters.
21. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of alignment emitters consist of a first alignment emitter and a second alignment emitter, at least a portion of the plurality of main emitters residing between the first alignment emitter and the second alignment emitter.