Method and system for providing a molded capping layer for an energy assisted magnetic recording head

A method for providing a plurality of energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) heads residing on a substrate, each of the plurality of EAMR heads including a slider, an EAMR transducer coupled with the slider and a laser coupled with the slider, the laser including a light emitting edge, the method comprising:

• depositing a molding layer on a carrier substrate, the molding layer including at least one of silicon, glass, a spin-on glass and photoresist;
• pressing a mold master into the molding layer, the mold master including a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of alignment mark images, the convex portions forming a plurality of cavities having a plurality of concave sections, and a plurality of via holes in the molding layer, the plurality of alignment mark images forming a plurality of alignment marks in the molding layer, the plurality of concave sections being aligned to the plurality of alignment mark images;
• curing the molding layer to form an enclosure layer, the enclosure layer having a laser-facing surface, a cavity-facing surface opposing the laser-facing surface, and the plurality of via holes therein, the laser-facing surface having the plurality of alignment marks and the plurality of cavities therein;
• providing a reflective layer on each of the plurality of cavities, a portion of the reflective layer on the concave section for collimating light from the laser and providing the collimated light to the EAMR transducer, the reflective layer forming an integrated mirror in the each of the plurality of cavities and on the enclosure layer;
• aligning each of the plurality of concave sections with a light-emitting edge of the laser of each of the plurality of EAMR heads such that the light emitting edge of the laser faces the concave section;
• bonding the enclosure layer to the substrate such that a variation in height of the enclosure layer with respect to the substrate is less than 0.1 micron;
• removing the carrier substrate using at least one of grinding the carrier substrate, chemically releasing the enclosure layer from the carrier substrate, thermally releasing the enclosure layer from the carrier substrate, and releasing the enclosure layer from the carrier substrate using ultraviolet light;
• plating a plurality of contacts in the plurality of via holes;
• and
• removing a portion of the substrate, thereby separating the plurality of EAMR heads.

A method for providing an enclosure layer for an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) head, the EAMR head including a slider, an EAMR transducer coupled with the slider and a laser coupled with the slider, the method comprising:

• depositing a molding layer on a carrier substrate, the molding layer including at least one of silicon, glass, a spin-on glass and photoresist, the carrier substrate being removable from the molding layer;
• pressing a mold master into the molding layer, the mold master including a convex portion and an alignment mark image, the convex portion forming a cavity having a concave section and at least one via hole in the molding layer, the alignment mark image forming an alignment mark in the molding layer;
• curing the molding layer to form an enclosure layer, the enclosure layer having a laser-facing surface, a top surface opposing the laser-facing surface, an alignment mark, and at least one via hole therein, the laser-facing surface having the cavity therein, the cavity configured to reside around the laser and including the concave section, the top-facing surface facing the carrier substrate, the concave section being aligned with the alignment mark;
• and
• providing a reflective layer on the cavity, the reflective layer for collimating light from the laser and providing the collimated light to the EAMR transducer, the reflective layer forming an integrated mirror in the cavity and on the enclosure layer.

An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) head comprising:

• a slider;
• an EAMR transducer coupled with the slider;
• a laser coupled with the slider and including a light-emitting edge;
• a molded enclosure layer, the molded enclosure layer having a laser-facing surface and a top surface opposing the laser-facing surface, the laser-facing surface having a cavity therein, the cavity including a concave section facing the light-emitting edge, a reflective layer residing on the cavity, a portion of the reflective layer on the concave section for collimating light from the laser and providing the collimated light to the EAMR transducer, the reflective layer forming an integrated mirror in the cavity and on the enclosure layer.