Thermally assisted magnetic head, method of manufacturing the same, head gimbal assembly, and hard disk drive

A method of manufacturing a thermally assisted magnetic head comprising a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within a medium-opposing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium;

• a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part arranged within the medium-opposing surface, the generating end part generating near-field light for heating the magnetic recording medium;
• and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer, comprising a near-field light generating layer forming step of forming the near-field light generating layer, the near-field light generating layer forming step comprising:
• a first metal layer forming step of forming a first metal layer in a thin film form along a direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface;
• a second metal layer forming step of forming, on the first metal layer, a second metal layer in a thin film form along the direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface using a second metal larger in hardness than a first metal forming the first metal layer;
• and
• a metal layer defect step of forming a defect part in the second metal layer, the defect part is a part smaller in thickness than another part or is a hole part, such that a flat layer part other than the defect part surrounds the defect part.

A head gimbal assembly comprising a slider having a thermally assisted magnetic head formed thereon,

• wherein the thermally assisted magnetic head comprising:
• a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within a medium-opposing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium;
• a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part arranged within the medium-opposing surface, the generating end part generating near-field light for heating the magnetic recording medium;
• and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer,
• wherein the near-field light generating layer has a laminated structure in which a first thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form along a direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface and a second thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form along the direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface and formed using a second metal larger in hardness than a first metal forming the first thin-film metal layer are alternately laminated, and
• wherein in the second thin-film metal layer, a defect part is formed, the defect part is a part smaller in thickness than another part or is a hole part, and a flat layer part other than the defect part surrounds the defect part.

A hard disk drive comprising a head gimbal assembly having a thermally assisted magnetic head, and a magnetic recording medium opposing the thermally assisted magnetic head,

• wherein the thermally assisted magnetic head comprising:
• a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within a medium-opposing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium;
• a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part arranged within the medium-opposing surface, the generating end part generating near-field light for heating the magnetic recording medium;
• and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer,
• wherein the near-field light generating layer has a laminated structure in which a first thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form along a direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface and a second thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form along the direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface and formed using a second metal larger in hardness than a first metal forming the first thin-film metal layer are alternately laminated, and
• wherein in the second thin-film metal layer, a defect part is formed, the defect part is a part smaller in thickness than another part or is a hole part, and a flat layer part other than the defect part surrounds the defect part.