Thermally assisted recording head having recessed waveguide with near field transducer and methods of making same
AssigneeHGST Netherlands B.V.
InventorsHamid Balamane, Thomas Dudley Boone, Jr., Neil Leslie Robertson, Barry Cushing Stipe, Timothy Carl Strand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film; and an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, a light guiding core layer of the optical waveguide being spaced from the near field transducer by less than about 100 nanometers and greater than 0 nanometers, wherein a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide is substantially perpendicular to an air bearing surface.
Claims23
An apparatus, comprising:
- a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film;
- and
- an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, a light guiding core layer of the optical waveguide being spaced from the near field transducer by less than about 100 nanometers and greater than 0 nanometers,
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide is substantially perpendicular to an air bearing surface.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film;
- an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, a light guiding core layer of the optical waveguide being spaced from the near field transducer by less than about 100 nanometers, wherein a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide is substantially perpendicular to an air bearing surface;
- a magnetic head, the near field transducer being in the magnetic head;
- a magnetic medium;
- a drive mechanism for passing the magnetic medium over the magnetic head;
- and
- a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head for controlling operation of the magnetic head.
A method, comprising:
- forming a near field transducer structure having an air bearing surface (ABS) side and a second side opposite the ABS side;
- forming a cladding layer adjacent the second side of the near field transducer structure, wherein a portion of the cladding layer extends along the near field transducer structure;
- and
- forming a core layer adjacent to the portion of the cladding layer extending along the near field transducer structure and above a second portion of the cladding layer, the core layer being separated from the near field transducer via the cladding layer,
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the core layer is substantially perpendicular to the ABS side of the near field transducer.
A method, comprising:
- forming a lower cladding layer;
- forming a near field transducer structure above the lower cladding layer;
- forming a second cladding layer adjacent the near field transducer structure and above the lower cladding layer, wherein a portion of the second cladding layer extends along the near field transducer structure;
- and
- forming a core layer above the second cladding layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.