Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head with heat sink material adjacent the waveguide

1. A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head for writing to a magnetic recording layer comprising:

a head carrier having an along-the-track axis and a cross-track axis substantially orthogonal to the along-the-track axis;

a main pole on a surface substantially orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface and having an output end substantially at the recording-layer-facing surface;

a near-field transducer (NFT) layer on the head carrier oriented substantially parallel to the main pole, the NFT layer having an output tip at the recording-layer-facing surface aligned with the main pole output end in the along-the-track direction;

an optical waveguide on the head carrier for optical coupling with the NFT layer, the waveguide having a core, a length generally orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface and an end facing the recording-layer-facing surface;

heat-sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the waveguide core; and optically reflective material adjacent each side of the cross-track sides of the waveguide end between the waveguide end and the heat-sink material.

2. The HAMR head of claim 1 further comprising seed layer material between the waveguide core and the heat-sink material.

3. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the cross-track gap width between the optically reflective material adjacent the sides of the waveguide end at the recording-layer-facing surface is between about 400 and 1200 nm.

4. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the optically reflective material is selected from one or more of Au, Rh, Ir, Cu, Ru, Pd, Cr and Ag.

5. The HAMR head of claim 1 further comprising waveguide cladding material between the waveguide end and the heat-sink material.

6. The HAMR head of claim 1 further comprising a thermal shunt interconnecting the NFT layer output tip with the heat-sink material.

7. The HAMR head of claim 6 wherein the thermal shunt has cross-track ends that abut the heat-sink material.

8. The HAMR head of claim 6 wherein the thermal shunt has cross-track ends that overlap the heat-sink material.

9. The HAMR head of claim 6 wherein the thermal shunt has an edge substantially at the recording-layer-facing surface.

10. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the NFT layer has cross-track ends that abut the heat-sink material.

11. The HAMR head of claim 1 further comprising a return pole on a surface substantially orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface, the return pole being coupled to the main pole and having an end substantially at the recording-layer-facing surface; and wherein the heat-sink material is substantially in contact with the return pole.

12. The HAMR head of claim 1 further comprising a return pole on a surface substantially orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface, the return pole being coupled to the main pole and having an end substantially at the recording-layer-facing surface; and further comprising third heat-sink material adjacent the return pole and substantially in contact with the heat-sink material.

13. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the heat-sink material at the recording-layer-facing surface form rounded corners.

14. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the heat-sink material is recessed from the recording-layer-facing surface.

15. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the NFT layer output tip has a generally triangular or trapezoidal shape.

16. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the waveguide has a tapered portion that tapers in cross-track width from a region recessed from the recording-layer-facing surface to an end near the recording-layer-facing surface.

17. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the heat-sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the waveguide core comprises second heat-sink material, and further comprising first heat sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the main pole.

18. The HAMR head of claim 17 wherein the second heat-sink material is substantially in contact with the first heat-sink material.

19. The HAMR head of claim 17 wherein the first and second heat sink material is selected from Cu, Au, Ag, Al, W, Ru, Cr, SiN, AlN, TiC, SiC, Be, Fe, FeCo and NiFe.

20. The HAMR head of claim 17 further comprising a diffusion barrier layer between the first heat sink material and the cross-track sides of the main pole.

21. The HAMR head of claim 1 wherein the heat sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the waveguide core is selected from Cu, Au, Ag, Al, W, Ru, Cr, SiN, TiC, SiC, Be, Fe, FeCo and NiFe.

22. A heat-assisted recording (HAMR) disk drive comprising:

the HAMR head of claim 1 further comprising a magnetoresistive read head on the head carrier;

a laser for directing light to the waveguide; and

a magnetic recording disk having a magnetic recording layer.

23. A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head for writing to a magnetic recording layer on a magnetic recording disk comprising:

a gas-bearing slider having a gas-bearing surface (GBS) for facing the magnetic recording layer on the disk, the GBS having an along-the-track axis and a cross-track axis orthogonal to the along-the-track axis;

a main pole on a surface substantially orthogonal to the GBS and having an output end substantially at the GBS;

first heat sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the main pole;

a near-field transducer (NFT) on the slider oriented substantially parallel to the main pole, the NFT having an output tip at the GBS aligned with the main pole output end in the along-the-track direction;

an optical waveguide on the slider for optical coupling with the NFT, the waveguide having a length generally orthogonal to the GBS and a tapered portion that tapers in cross-track width from a region recessed from the GBS to an end near the GBS;

waveguide cladding material adjacent the cross-track sides of the waveguide tapered portion;

second heat-sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the waveguide cladding material; and

a thermal shunt interconnecting the NFT output tip with the first and second heat-sink material.

24. The HAMR head of claim 23 further comprising seed layer material between the waveguide cladding material and the second heat-sink material.

25. The HAMR head of claim 23 further comprising optically reflective material between the waveguide cladding material and the second heat-sink material.

26. The HAMR head of claim 23 wherein the second heat-sink material is substantially in contact with the first heat-sink material.

27. The HAMR head of claim 23 further comprising a return pole on a surface substantially orthogonal to the GBS, the return pole being coupled to the main pole and having an end substantially at the GBS; and wherein the second heat-sink material is substantially in contact with the return pole.

28. A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive comprising:

the HAMR head of claim 27 ;

a magnetoresistive read head on the slider;

a laser for directing light to the waveguide; and

a magnetic recording disk having a magnetic recording layer.

29. A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head for writing to a magnetic recording layer comprising:

a head carrier having an along-the-track axis and a cross-track axis substantially orthogonal to the along-the-track axis;

a main pole on a surface substantially orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface and having an output end substantially at the recording-layer-facing surface;

a near-field transducer (NFT) layer on the head carrier oriented substantially parallel to the main pole, the NFT layer having an output tip at the recording-layer-facing surface aligned with the main pole output end in the along-the-track direction;

an optical waveguide on the head carrier for optical coupling with the NFT layer, the waveguide having a core, a length generally orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface and an end facing the recording-layer-facing surface;

heat-sink material adjacent the cross-track sides of the waveguide core; and

seed layer material between the waveguide core and the heat-sink material.