Tapered bi-layer near field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording write heads

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

a main pole including a tip portion configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium at an air-bearing surface (ABS); and

a near-field transducer (NFT) comprising:

a dielectric waveguide;

an alumina layer over the dielectric waveguide, wherein part of the alumina layer is removed based on a first photoresist (PR) mask;

a plasmon generator (PG) layer; and

a second layer comprising a thermo-mechanically stable material disposed adjacent to the PG layer, wherein the PG layer and the second layer form a taper angle relative to the ABS ranging between 30 and 60 degrees.

2. The HAMR write head of claim 1 , wherein the PG layer comprises gold.

3. The HAMR write head of claim 1 , wherein the thermo-mechanically stable material comprises any of Rhodium, Iridium, and platinum.

4. The HAMR write head of claim 1 , wherein the HAMR write head is formed via a manufacturing process comprising:

depositing the alumina layer over the dielectric waveguide;

adding the first photo-resist (PR) mask over a portion of the alumina layer;

performing an ion beam etching (IBE) process to remove another portion of the alumina layer not covered by the first PR mask; and

removing the first PR mask.

5. The HAMR write head of claim 4 , wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:

depositing the PG layer over the alumina layer;

removing a portion of the PG layer via an etching process;

depositing the second layer over the alumina layer and a remaining portion of the PG layer;

adding a second PR mask over the second layer;

performing the etching process to remove parts of the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer not over the second PR mask; and

removing the second PR mask.

6. The HAMR write head of claim 5 , wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:

depositing a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer over the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer;

coating a third PR mask over the SiO 2 layer;

performing an reactive-ion etching (RIE) process to remove a portion of the SiO 2 layer not under the third PR mask;

depositing a heat sink; and

depositing the main pole.

7. The HAMR write head of claim 5 , wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:

depositing a RIE stopper layer between the alumina layer and the PG layer; and

performing a RIE process to taper the PG layer and the second layer.

8. A method for generating a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write head, the method comprising:

forming a near-field transducer (NFT) by:

depositing a plasmon generator (PG) layer over an alumina layer that is disposed adjacent to a dielectric waveguide, wherein part of the alumina layer is removed based on a first photoresist (PR) mask;

depositing a second layer comprising a thermo-mechanically stable material above the PG layer, wherein the PG layer and the second layer form a taper angle relative to an air-bearing surface (ABS) ranging between 30 and 60 degrees;

depositing a heat sink above the NFT; and

depositing a main pole adjacent to the heat sink.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the PG layer comprises gold.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thermo-mechanically stable material comprises any of Rhodium, Iridium, and platinum.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

depositing the alumina layer over the dielectric waveguide;

adding the first photo-resist (PR) mask over a portion of the alumina layer;

performing an ion beam etching (IBE) process to remove another portion of the alumina layer not covered by the first PR mask; and

removing the first PR mask.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

removing a portion of the PG layer via an etching process;

adding a second PR mask over the second layer;

performing the etching process to remove parts of the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer not over the second PR mask; and

removing the second PR mask.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

depositing a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer over the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer;

coating a third PR mask over the SiO 2 layer; and

performing an reactive-ion etching (RIE) process to remove a portion of the SiO 2 layer not under the third PR mask.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

depositing a RIE stopper layer between the alumina layer and the PG layer; and

performing a RIE process to taper the PG layer and the second layer.

15. A device comprising:

a main pole;

a heat sink disposed adjacent to the main pole;

a dielectric waveguide;

an alumina layer over the dielectric waveguide, wherein part of the alumina layer is removed based on a first photoresist (PR) mask;

a plasmon generator (PG) layer comprising gold; and

a second layer comprising a thermo-mechanically stable material disposed above the plasmon generator layer, the thermo-mechanically stable material comprising any of: Rhodium, Iridium, and Platinum, and wherein any of the PG layer and the second layer form a taper angle relative to an air-bearing surface (ABS) ranging between 30 and 60 degrees.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the second layer comprises a peg region adjacent to the ABS with a thickness of the peg region of around 25 nanometers.

17. The device of claim 15 , further comprising:

the alumina layer disposed between the PG layer and the dielectric waveguide.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the device is formed via a manufacturing process comprising:

adding the first photo-resist (PR) mask over a portion of the alumina layer;

performing an ion beam etching (IBE) process to remove another portion of the alumina layer not covered by the first PR mask; and

removing the first PR mask.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:

depositing the PG layer over the alumina layer;

removing a portion of the PG layer via an etching process;

depositing the second layer over the alumina layer and a remaining portion of the PG layer;

adding a second PR mask over the second layer;

performing the etching process to remove parts of the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer not over the second PR mask; and

removing the second PR mask.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:

depositing a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer over the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer;

coating a third PR mask over the SiO 2 layer;

performing an reactive-ion etching (RIE) process to remove a portion of the SiO 2 layer not under the third PR mask;

depositing the heat sink; and

depositing the main pole.