Plasmon generator and thermally-assisted magnetic recording head having the same
View Patent ↗A plasmon-generator of the invention is configured to include a first configuration member including a near-field light generating end surface; and a second configuration member joined and integrated with the first configuration member and not including the near-field light generating end surface. The first configuration member is configured to contain Au as a primary component and to contain any one or more elements selected from a group of Co, Fe, Sb, Nb, Zr, Ti, Hf, and Ta, and is configured so that a content percentage X 1 of the contained element is within a range between 0.2 at % or more and 2.0 at % or less. Thereby, thermostability, optical characteristic, and the process stability are satisfied. Also, heat dissipation and heat generation suppression effect are extremely superior.
1. A plasmon-generator for use in a thermally assisted magnetic recording head including a waveguide that propagates light and the plasmon-generator that generates near-field light by coupling with light propagated through the waveguide in a surface plasmon mode, the plasmon-generator comprising:
an opposing surface that includes a surface plasmon mode coupling portion that is coupled with light propagated through the waveguide in a surface plasmon model, and a plasmon propagation part that propagates surface plasmon from the coupling portion, and that is opposite to the waveguide;
a near-field light generating end surface that is positioned in a distal end part on the propagation part and that generates the near-field light,
a first configuration member including the near-field light generating end surface; and
a second configuration member joined and integrated with the first configuration member and not including the near-field light generating end surface,
the first configuration member is configured to contain Au as a primary component and to contain any one or more elements selected from a group of Co, Fe, Sb, Nb, Zr, Ti, Hf, and Ta, and is configured so that a content percentage X 1 of the contained element is within a range between 0.2 at % or more and 2.0 at % or less, and
the second configuration member consists essentially of Au.
2. The plasmon-generator according to claim 1 , wherein
the content percentage X 1 is within a range between 0.5 at % or more and 1.0 at % or less.
3. The plasmon-generator according to claim 1 , wherein
the first configuration member contains Au as a primary component, and contains any one or more elements selected from a group of Co, Fe, and Sb.
4. The plasmon-generator according to claim 1 , wherein
the first configuration member is disposed in a bar-shaped body shape on an entire region from the near-field light generating end surface to a rear end surface of the plasmon-generator in a longitudinal direction (X direction).
5. The plasmon-generator according to claim 4 , wherein
the plasmon-generator has a configuration in which the second configuration member is laminated on the first configuration member.
6. The plasmon-generator according to claim 4 , wherein
the first configuration member is configured with the surface plasmon mode coupling portion, the plasmon propagation part and the near-field light generating end surface.
7. The plasmon-generator according to claim 1 , wherein
the first configuration member is configured to form a bar-shaped protrusion part protruded from the second configuration member toward a near-field light generating end surface side of the plasmon-generator.
8. The plasmon-generator according to claim 7 , wherein
the first configuration member is configured with a portion of the plasmon propagation part and the near-field light generating end surface.
9. The plasmon-generator according to claim 7 , wherein
a bottom part of the first configuration member and a bottom part of the second configuration member are joined together to form the same plane surface.
10. A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head, comprising:
a magnetic pole that generates a writing magnetic field from an end surface forming a portion of an air bearing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium;
a waveguide through which light propagates; and
a plasmon-generator that is coupled with the light propagating through the waveguide in a surface plasmon mode (does evanescent light coupling with the light), wherein
the plasmon-generator includes the configuration of claim 1 .
11. The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 10 , wherein
the plasmon-generator includes a first configuration member including the near-field light generating end surface and a second configuration member joined and integrated with the first configuration member and not including the near-field light generating end surface, wherein
the near-field light generating end surface of the first configuration member is exposed to an air bearing surface (ABS) which is a surface opposing a medium, and
the second configuration member is not exposed to the ABS, and embedded in the head.
12. The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 10 , wherein
the plasmon-generator maintains a certain distance from the waveguide, includes a transmit portion for transmitting plasmon generated on a surface to the air bearing surface, and generates near-field light from the near-field light generating end surface that forms a portion of the air bearing surface.
13. A head gimbal assembly, comprising:
the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 10 ; and
a suspension supporting the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head.
14. A magnetic recording device, comprising:
a magnetic recording medium;
the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 10 ; and
a positioning device supporting the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head, and positioning the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head with respect to the magnetic recording medium.