Heatsink structures for heat-assisted magnetic recording heads
A recording head comprises a write pole extending to an air-bearing surface. A near-field transducer is positioned proximate a first side of the write pole in a down-track direction. A heatsink structure is proximate the near-field transducer and positioned between the near-field transducer and the write pole. The heatsink structure extends beyond the near-field transducer in a cross-track direction and extends in a direction normal to the air-bearing surface.
1. A recording head, comprising:
a write pole extending to an air-bearing surface having a first side and a second side end at the air-bearing surface, the two sides separated along the air-bearing surface in a down-track direction;
a near-field transducer positioned proximate the first side of the write pole in the down-track direction; and
a heatsink structure positioned between the near-field transducer and the write pole and having a first side adjacent the near-field transducer where the first side of the heatsink structure is at the same position along the air-bearing surface where the first side of the write pole ends, the heatsink structure extending beyond the near-field transducer in a cross-track direction and extending in a direction normal to the air-bearing surface, where a first edge of the heatsink structure is the closest portion of the heatsink structure to the air-bearing surface and extends for a first length in the cross-track direction and a portion of the heatsink structure furthest from the air-bearing surface extends for a second length in the cross-track direction and the second length is equal to or less than the first length such that no portion of the heatsink structure extends beyond the first length.
2. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the heatsink structure has a first thickness proximate the air-bearing surface and a second thickness, greater than the first thickness, distal the air-bearing surface.
3. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the heatsink structure extends in the cross-track direction at least 1.5 μm.
4. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the heatsink structure comprises a wedge shape having a top surface connecting the first edge with a position of the heatsink structure distal the air-bearing surface at a consistent slope.
5. The recording head of claim 4 , wherein the portion furthest from the air-bearing surface extends from the position in a direction away from the air-bearing surface at an angle substantially normal to the air-bearing surface.
6. The recording head of claim 5 , wherein the portion furthest from the air-bearing surface comprises a flare portion, the flare portion extending at an angle in a direction away from the air-bearing surface and angling away from the near-field transducer in the cross-track direction.
7. The recording head of claim 6 , wherein the flare portion is offset in the cross-track direction from the near-field transducer.
8. The recording head of claim 7 , wherein the offset is greater than the width of an optical waveguide core along the air-bearing surface.
9. The recording head of claim 6 , wherein the angle is between 40 and 65 degrees.
10. The recording head of claim 5 , wherein the near-field transducer further comprises a middle disc adjacent the first side of the heatsink structure.
11. The recording head of claim 5 , further comprising first and second mirror portions forming a mirror and surrounding the near-field transducer in a cross-track direction with a gap therebetween, the mirror extending in the direction normal to the air-bearing surface a first distance that is less than a second distance that the near-field transducer extends in the direction normal to the air-bearing surface, wherein the heatsink structure is coupled to the mirror.
12. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the near-field transducer comprises a peg coupled with a bottom portion and the heatsink structure and the bottom portion comprise the same material.
13. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the heatsink structure comprises gold.
14. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the heatsink structure is coupled to at least one other heatsink structure.
15. A recording head, comprising:
a write pole extending to an air-bearing surface;
a near-field transducer positioned proximate a first side of the write pole in a down-track direction;
first and second mirror portions forming a mirror and surrounding the near-field transducer in a cross-track direction with a gap therebetween, the mirror extending in the direction normal to the air-bearing surface a first distance that is less than a second distance that the near-field transducer extends in the direction normal to the air-bearing surface; and
first and second heatsink structures positioned adjacent the first and second mirror portions, the heatsink structures extending in a cross-track direction and extending in a direction normal to the air-bearing surface a third distance, which is greater than the second distance.
16. The recording head of claim 15 , wherein the first and second heat sink structures have a triangular shape at the closest point to the near-field transducer forming an angle away from the near-field transducer with the air-bearing surface.
17. The recording head of claim 15 , further comprising a reflector thermally coupled to the mirror in a down-track position from at least one of the first and second heatsink structures.