# US 12,014,758 B1 · Tapered bi-layer near field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording write heads

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- Number: US 12,014,758 B1
- Document ID: US12014758B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/106,609
- Filed: 2023-02-07
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2023-02-07
- Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Headway Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Weihao Xu; Tobias Maletzky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12014758B1

## CPC

- G11B 5/6088: {Optical waveguide in or on flying head}
- G11B 5/1278: {specially adapted for magnetisations perpendicular to the surface of the record carrier}
- G11B 5/3116: {Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks (G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence)}
- G11B 5/314: {where the layers are extra layers normally not provided in the transducing structure, e.g. optical layers (G11B5/3196 takes precedence)}
- G11B 5/3163: {Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers}
- G11B 13/08: using near-field interactions or transducing means and at least one other method or means for recording or reproducing
- G11B 2005/0021: {Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

The present embodiments relate to a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write head with a NFT bi-layer structure with a bottom taper, which can be applied to one or both layers of the two layers. A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write head can include a main pole including a tip portion configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium at an air-bearing surface (ABS). The HAMR write head can further include a near-field transducer (NFT) that includes a dielectric waveguide, a plasmon generator (PG) layer, and a second layer. The second layer can include a thermo-mechanically stable material disposed adjacent to the PG layer. Further, the PG layer and the second layer can form a taper angle relative to the ABS ranging between 30 and 60 degrees.

## Claims

### Claim 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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The HAMR write head of claim 5, wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:
depositing a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer over the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer;
coating a third PR mask over the SiO2 layer;
performing an reactive-ion etching (RIE) process to remove a portion of the SiO2 layer not under the third PR mask;
depositing a heat sink; and
depositing the main pole.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

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.

### Claim 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.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

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

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

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

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

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.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

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.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
depositing a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer over the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer;
coating a third PR mask over the SiO2 layer; and
performing an reactive-ion etching (RIE) process to remove a portion of the SiO2 layer not under the third PR mask.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

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.

### Claim 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.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

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.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, further comprising:
the alumina layer disposed between the PG layer and the dielectric waveguide.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

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.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

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.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein the manufacturing process further comprises:
depositing a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer over the second layer, PG layer, and the alumina layer;
coating a third PR mask over the SiO2 layer;
performing an reactive-ion etching (RIE) process to remove a portion of the SiO2 layer not under the third PR mask;
depositing the heat sink; and
depositing the main pole.