Method for aligning the light source unit and the slider of thermally-assisted magnetic recording head

A method for manufacturing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head in which a slider and a light source unit are joined to each other,

• the slider including a waveguide provided in an element-integration surface adjacent to an opposed-to-medium surface of a slider substrate, the waveguide having a light-receiving end surface extending to a back surface of the slider on the side opposite to the opposed-to-medium surface, and
• the light source unit including a light source provided in a source-installation surface adjacent to a joining surface of a unit substrate, the light source having a light-emitting end surface on the joining surface side,
• the manufacturing method comprising steps of:
• irradiating the waveguide with a first light from the opposed-to-medium surface side of the slider, and detecting the first light that has passed through the slider on the back surface side of the slider to obtain an image of the light-receiving end surface;
• determining a position of a light-receiving center in the light-receiving end surface from the image of the light-receiving end surface;
• irradiating the light source with a second light from the side opposite to the joining surface of the light source unit, and detecting the second light that has passed through the light source unit on the joining surface side of the light source unit to obtain an image of the light-emitting end surface;
• determining a position of a light-emitting center in the light-emitting end surface from the image of the light-emitting end surface;
• moving the slider and the light source unit with respect to each other on the basis of the determined position of the light-receiving center and the determined position of the light-emitting center to align the slider and the light source unit with each other;
• and
• bonding the slider and the light source unit together in such a manner that the back surface and the joining surface are joined to each other.