Self-aligned hybrid near field transducer with single peg grain

A near field transducer (NFT) formed between a main pole layer and a waveguide in a thermally assisted magnetic recording (TAMR) head wherein waveguide light excites a NFT resonant mode that propagates to an air bearing surface (ABS) and is coupled to a magnetic medium to facilitate a write process, the NFT comprises:

• (a) a resonator body layer made of a first metal or alloy with a plasmonic character and having a first thickness (t1) in a down-track direction wherein the NFT resonant mode is excited, the resonator body layer has a front side having a first cross-track width at a first plane that is recessed a first distance from the ABS;
• and
• (b) a peg layer having a second thickness (t2) in a down-track direction wherefrom the NFT resonant mode is coupled to the magnetic medium, the peg layer is a single layer comprising a single material that is a noble metal or alloy thereof and is different from the first metal or alloy and comprises:
• a peg portion or peg with a front side at the ABS, the peg portion or the peg having a single peg grain with or without a desired (111) orientation, a back side at the first plane, and two sides aligned orthogonal to the ABS and separated by the first cross-track width.