Granted Patent B1

US 9,424,866 · App. 14/864,716 · Granted Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus 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 HAMR apparatus comprising:

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

at least one coil for energizing the main pole;

a waveguide optically coupled with the laser and directing a portion of the energy toward the ABS;

near-field transducer (NFT) optically coupled with the waveguide, the NFT including a metal nose and a metal cap, a portion of the metal cap adjoining a portion of the main pole; and

a dielectric gap between a first portion of the NFT and the main pole, the dielectric gap having a media-facing surface occupying a portion of the ABS, a back surface, a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces, the top surface adjoining the main pole, the bottom surface adjoining the first portion of the NFT, the plurality of side surfaces adjoining a second portion of the NFT, and the back surface adjoining a portion of the metal cap.

2. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of side surfaces adjoin an additional portion of the metal cap.

3. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface adjoins an additional portion of the metal cap.

4. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface adjoins a portion of the metal nose.

5. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portion of the metal cap resides between the metal nose and the main pole.

6. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the NFT further includes:

a plasmonic ridge aligned with a portion of the waveguide.

7. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 6 wherein the waveguide directs the portion of the energy toward the ABS at an acute angle from the ABS, the plasmonic ridge being oriented at the angle from the ABS.

8. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the metal nose includes a media-facing surface, at least a portion of the media-facing surface being oriented at a nonzero angle from the ABS.

9. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 8 wherein all of the media-facing surface is oriented at a nonzero angle from the ABS.

10. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 8 wherein the media-facing surface is a curved surface.

11. The HAMR write apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dielectric gap is substantially surrounded by a combination of the NFT and the ABS.

12. A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) data storage device comprising:

a media,

a laser for providing energy; and

a slider including a HAMR write transducer having an air-bearing surface, the HAMR transducer including a main pole, at least one coil for energizing the main pole, near-field transducer (NFT), and a dielectric gap, the main pole being configured to write to a region of the media, the waveguide being optically coupled with the laser and for directing a portion of the energy toward the ABS, the NFT being optically coupled with the waveguide, the NFT including a metal nose and a metal cap, a portion of the metal cap adjoining a portion of the main pole; the dielectric gap being between a first portion of the NFT and the main pole, the dielectric gap having a media-facing surface occupying a portion of the ABS, a back surface, a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces, the top surface adjoining the main pole, the bottom surface adjoining the first portion of the NFT, the plurality of side surfaces adjoining a second portion of the NFT, and the back surface adjoining a portion of the metal cap such that the dielectric gap is substantially surrounded by a combination of the NFT and the ABS.

13. A method for fabricating a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus 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 main pole configured to write to a region of the media, the main pole including a media-facing surface;

providing at least one coil for energizing the main pole;

providing a waveguide optically coupled with the laser and directing a portion of the energy toward the ABS;

providing near-field transducer (NFT) optically coupled with the waveguide, the NFT including a metal nose and a metal cap, a portion of the metal cap adjoining a portion of the main pole; and

providing a dielectric gap between a first portion of the NFT and the main pole, the dielectric gap having a media-facing surface occupying a portion of the ABS, a back surface, a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces, the top surface adjoining the main pole, the bottom surface adjoining the first portion of the NFT, the plurality of side surfaces adjoining a second portion of the NFT, and the back surface adjoining a portion of the metal cap.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the dielectric gap is substantially surrounded by a combination of the NFT and the ABS.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the portion of the metal cap resides between the metal nose and the main pole.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing the NFT further includes:

providing a plasmonic ridge aligned with a portion of the waveguide.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing the NFT further includes:

forming a media-facing surface on the metal nose, at least a portion of the media-facing surface being oriented at a nonzero angle from the ABS.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein all of the media-facing surface is oriented at a nonzero angle from the ABS.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the media-facing surface is a curved surface.

Assignments (9)