Read/write head with shifted waveguide
AssigneeRead-Rite Corporation
InventorsHong Chen, Ross W Stovall, Carl Carlson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A read/write head for use in data storage drives includes a thermally assisted inductive write section and a magnetic read section to write data onto, and retrieve data from a storage medium. The write section includes a waveguide formed of a core and a surrounding cladding, and positioned between a first write pole and a second write pole, to conduct a laser beam for heating the medium. The second write pole and the optical waveguide core are offset relative to each other at the pole tip, such that they define an overlap region that determines a written track width. The offsetting facilitates manufacturing process since the optical waveguide core and the second write pole can be made wide enough while still defining tracks with a limited width.
Claims27
A read/write element that enables transduction of data on a data storage medium, comprising:
- a thermally assisted inductive write section that writes data on the data storage medium;
- and
- a magnetic read section that reads data from the data storage medium;
- said write section including an optical waveguide core formed between a first write pole and a second write pole to conduct a light beam for heating a target on the data storage medium;
- said second write pole and said optical waveguide core being offset relative to each other within a pole tip region and defining an overlap region;
- said overlap region defining a written track width;
- wherein said read section includes a magneto-resistive element;
- wherein one edge of said second write pole is substantially aligned with a first edge of said magneto-resistive element of said read section;
- and
- wherein one edge of said optical waveguide core is substantially aligned with a second edge of said magneto-resistive element such that said overlap area of said second write pole layer and said optical waveguide core is substantially aligned with said magneto-resistive element of said read section.
A read/write method for transducing data to a data storage medium, comprising:
- using a thermally assisted inductive write section to write data onto the data storage medium, said write section including an optical waveguide core formed between a first write pole and a second write pole to conduct a light beam for heating a target on the data storage medium, wherein said second write pole and said optical waveguide core are offset relative to each other within a pole tip region and define an overlap region, and wherein said overlap region substantially defines a written track width;
- using a magnetic read section to read data from the data storage medium;
- wherein using said thermally assisted inductive write section includes using a write section wherein one edge of said second write pole layer is substantially aligned with a first edge of said magneto-resistive element of said read section, and wherein one edge of said optical waveguide core is substantially aligned with a second edge of said magneto-resistive element such that said overlap area of said second write pole layer and said optical waveguide core is substantially aligned with said magneto-resistive element of said read section.
A method of making a read/write element that enables transduction of data on a data storage medium, comprising:
- forming a thermally assisted inductive write section capable of writing data on the data storage medium;
- forming a magnetic read section capable of reading data from said data storage medium;
- providing said write section with an optical waveguide core formed between a first write pole and a second write pole to conduct a light beam for heating a target on the data storage medium;
- offsetting said second write pole and said optical waveguide core relative to each other within a pole tip region, for defining an overlap region that substantially determines a written track width;
- and
- wherein offsetting said second write pole and said optical waveguide core relative to each other includes substantially aligning one edge of said second write pole layer with a first edge of said magneto-resistive element of said read section, and substantially aligning one edge of said optical waveguide core with a second edge of said magneto-resistive element such that said overlap area of said second write pole layer and said optical waveguide core is substantially aligned with said magneto-resistive element of said read section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.