Energy-assisted magnetic recording head with protective cap
Aspects of the present disclosure provide various magnetic recording slider structures and fabrication methods that can reduce head overcoat (HOC) thickness without significantly reducing the lifetime and reliability of a slider by using a protective cap placed on preselected locations on the outermost surface or HOC of the slider. A slider includes a writer comprising an energy-assisted recording element. The writer is configured to store information on a magnetic medium using the energy-assisted recording element. The slider includes a head overcoat (HOC) layer providing an outermost media facing surface. The slider further includes a protective cap positioned on the HOC layer to at least partially cover the energy-assisted recording element, the protective cap including a preselected shape configured to protect the energy-assisted recording element.
1. A slider configured for energy-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising:
a writer comprising an energy-assisted recording element, the writer configured to store information on a magnetic medium using the energy-assisted recording element, wherein the energy-assisted recording element comprises a spin torque oscillator (STO);
a head overcoat (HOC) layer providing an outermost media facing surface; and
a protective cap positioned on the HOC layer to at least partially cover the energy-assisted recording element, the protective cap comprising a preselected shape configured to protect the energy-assisted recording element, wherein the protective cap covers an area smaller than an area of the outermost media facing surface.
2. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the protective cap at least partially covers a shield of the writer.
3. The slider of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reader configured to read information stored on the magnetic medium; and
wherein the protective cap comprises a first protective cap and a second protective cap spaced apart from the first protective cap, the first protective cap at least partially covering the energy-assisted recording element, and the second protective cap at least partially covering the reader.
4. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the protective cap comprises carbon.
5. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the protective cap comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, a polygonal shape, and combinations thereof.
6. The slider of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the protective cap and a highest point of a thermal fly-height control (TFC) protrusion area is greater than a distance between the protective cap and a lowest point of the TFC protrusion area.
7. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the protective cap is positioned in a first area of the HOC layer spaced apart from a second area of the HOC layer, the second area comprising a controllable protrusion used to calibrate a thermal fly-height of the slider.
8. A data storage device comprising:
a magnetic medium; and
the slider of claim 1 configured to store data using the magnetic medium.
9. A method for fabricating a slider configured for energy-assisted magnetic recording, the method comprising:
providing a writer comprising an energy-assisted recording element, the writer configured to store information on a magnetic medium using the energy-assisted recording element, wherein the energy-assisted recording element comprises a spin torque oscillator (STO);
providing a head overcoat (HOC) layer on an outermost media facing surface of the slider; and
providing a protective cap on the HOC layer to at least partially cover the energy-assisted recording element, wherein the protective cap covers an area smaller than an area of the outermost media facing surface.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the protective cap at least partially covers a shield of the writer.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the protective cap comprises:
providing a first protective cap that at least partially covers the energy-assisted recording element; and
providing a second protective cap that at least partially covers a reader of the slider.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the protective cap comprises carbon.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the protective cap comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, a polygonal shape, and combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein a distance between the protective cap and a highest point of a thermal fly-height control (TFC) protrusion area is greater than a distance between the protective cap and a lowest point of the TFC protrusion area.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the protective cap comprises:
providing the protective cap on a first area of the HOC layer spaced apart from a second area of the HOC layer, the second area comprising a controllable protrusion used to calibrate a thermal fly-height of the slider.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the protective cap comprising:
forming the protective cap using a process selected from the group consisting of an additive patterning process and a subtractive patterning process.
17. A slider configured for energy-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising:
a writer comprising an energy-assisted recording element, the writer configured to store information on a magnetic medium using the energy-assisted recording element, wherein the energy-assisted recording element comprises a spin torque oscillator (STO);
a reader configured to read information stored on the magnetic medium;
a head overcoat (HOC) layer providing an outermost media facing surface; and
a protective cap positioned on the HOC layer to at least partially cover the reader wherein the protective cap covers an area smaller than an area of the outermost media facing surface.
18. The slider of claim 17 , wherein the protective cap comprises diamond like carbon (DLC).