Energy-assisted recording near-field transducer with inlay to improve coupling efficiency
A recording head has a write pole with a pole tip extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head. A peg coupler is located on a substrate-parallel surface of the pole tip and extending to the media facing surface. A near-field transducer is proximate the media-facing surface and includes a plate-like, enlarged part with a peg extending from the enlarged part towards the media-facing surface. The peg separated is separated in a downtrack direction from the peg coupler by a coupling gap. The enlarged part has a coupling surface facing the write pole, and includes an inlay on or near the coupling surface and spaced away from the peg. The inlay extends at least partially through a thickness of the enlarged part in the downtrack direction and extends between opposing crosstrack edges of the enlarged part.
1 . A recording head, comprising:
a write pole having a pole tip extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head;
a peg coupler on a substrate-parallel surface of the pole tip and extending to the media-facing surface;
a near-field transducer proximate the media-facing surface, the near-field transducer comprising a plate-like, enlarged part with a peg extending from the enlarged part towards the media-facing surface, the peg separated in a downtrack direction from the peg coupler by a coupling gap, the enlarged part having a coupling surface facing the write pole, the enlarged part comprising an inlay on or near the coupling surface and spaced away from the peg, the inlay extending at least partially through a thickness of the enlarged part in the downtrack direction and extending between opposing crosstrack edges of the enlarged part, the inlay formed of a first material having higher optical coupling efficiency than a second material used to form the enlarged part; and
a cap layer of the second material covering the inlay and the coupling surface.
2 . The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the inlay extends fully through the thickness of the enlarged part.
3 . The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the first material of the inlay is exposed at the coupling surface.
4 . The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises Au and the second material comprises Ir.
5 . The recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a middle disc disposed between the enlarged part and the peg coupler.
6 . The recording head of claim 5 , wherein the middle disc partially covers the inlay.
7 . The recording head of claim 5 , wherein the middle disc is formed of the second material.
8 . The recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a sunken disc on a surface of the enlarged part facing away from the coupling surface, the sunken disc formed of the first material.
9 . The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the inlay has exposed crosstrack edges that are conformal with the respective opposing crosstrack edges of the enlarged part.
10 . The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the inlay has a length that is less than half that of the enlarged part, the length being defined normal to the media-facing surface.
11 . The recording head of claim 1 , wherein media-facing-surface parallel edges of the inlay have a non-zero wall angle relative to the media-facing surface.
12 . A recording head, comprising:
a write pole having a pole tip extending to a media-facing surface of the recording head;
a peg coupler on a substrate-parallel surface of the pole tip and extending to the media-facing surface;
a near-field transducer proximate the media-facing surface, the near-field transducer comprising a plate-like, enlarged part with a peg extending from the enlarged part towards the media-facing surface, the peg separated in a downtrack direction from the peg coupler by a coupling gap, the enlarged part having a coupling surface facing the write pole, the enlarged part comprising an inlay on or near the coupling surface and spaced away from the peg, the inlay formed of a first material different than a second material of the enlarged part, the inlay extending at least partially through a thickness of the enlarged part in the downtrack direction and extending between opposing crosstrack edges of the enlarged part;
a cap layer of the second material covering the inlay and the coupling surface; and
a middle disc disposed between the enlarged part and the peg coupler, the middle disc partially covering the inlay.
13 . The recording head of claim 12 , wherein the middle disc is formed of the second material.
14 . The recording head of claim 12 , wherein the inlay has exposed crosstrack edges that are conformal with the respective opposing crosstrack edges of the enlarged part.
15 . The recording head of claim 12 , wherein media-facing-surface parallel edges of the inlay have a non-zero wall angle relative to the media-facing surface.
16 . The recording head of claim 12 , wherein the first material comprises Au and the second material comprises Ir.