Methods of protecting write pole from corrosion in HAMR head

A method for fabricating a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head for writing to a HAMR medium, the method comprising:

• providing a waveguide optically coupled to a laser and configured to direct light from the laser towards an air bearing surface (ABS) of the HAMR head;
• providing a near field transducer (NFT) comprising an end proximal to the ABS and optically coupled to the waveguide to focus the light onto a region on the HAMR magnetic recording medium;
• and
• providing a write pole configured to write to the region on the HAMR magnetic recording medium and comprising a bottom surface proximal to the ABS, a first side proximal to the NFT and a second side opposite the first side, wherein providing the write pole further comprises:
• forming a recessed part extending from a portion of the bottom surface along a portion of the first side, wherein the portion of the bottom surface has a length less than a total length of the bottom surface and the portion of the first side has a height less than a total length of the first side, wherein the recessed part is embedded in the write pole.

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head for writing to a HAMR medium, comprising:

• means for directing light from a laser to a region on the HAMR medium through an air bearing surface (ABS) of the HAMR head;
• and
• means for writing to the region on the HAMR medium comprising a bottom surface proximal to the ABS and a side proximal to the means for directing light, wherein the means for writing further comprises means for protecting the means for writing from corrosion;
• wherein the means for protecting extends from a portion of the bottom surface along a portion of the side;
• wherein the portion of the bottom surface has a length less than a total length of the bottom surface and the portion of the side has a height less than a total length of the side;
• wherein the means for protecting is embedded in the means for writing.