NEAR FIELD TRANSDUCER ANNEAL FOR HEAT ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING

• US 20160125898A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Ren, Shen, Schreck, Erhard, Staffaroni, Matteo, Stipe, Barry C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,424,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/0021 Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/0024 Microwave assisted recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/314 where the layers are extra layers normally not provided in the transducing structure, e.g. optical layers G11B5/3196 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/6088 Optical waveguide in or on flying head

Abstract

A method for annealing a metal antenna of a near field optical transducer of a magnetic write element without inadvertently heat damaging the read element. A heating element is placed within a write head build in a cerf region outside of the active area of the read and write heads. A layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material is formed over the heating element to separate the heating element from the antenna. The thermally conductive, electrically insulating layer is preferably in contact with the antenna. A current can be applied to the heating element to heat the antenna to a temperature that is at or above the operating temperature of the optical transducer. After annealing, the heater element can be removed by the lapping process that is used to define the media facing surface of the head.

Claims

1. A magnetic recording head, comprising:

a write element including a magnetic write pole and a near field optical transducer having a metal antenna located at a media facing surface and having a leading edge surface at a side opposite the write pole; and

a layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material having a thermal conductivity greater than that of alumina contacting the leading edge surface of the metal antenna.

3. The magnetic recording head as in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive, electrically insulating material comprises SiC.

4. The magnetic recording head as in claim 1, the magnetic recording head further comprising a waveguide material that is at least partially surrounded by a cladding material connected with the near field optical transducer, and wherein the layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material is in contact with a portion of the cladding material.

6. The magnetic recording head as in claim 1, wherein the metal antenna comprises Au.

7. The magnetic recording head as in claim 1, wherein the metal antenna comprises an Au alloy.

9. The magnetic recording head as in claim 1 wherein the layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material has a thermal conductivity at least as great as that of SiC.

2. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

10. A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording head, comprising:

forming a read element;

forming a write element over the read element, the formation of the write element further including, forming a heating element, forming a layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material over the heating element and forming a near field optical transducer having a metal antenna over the layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material comprises SiC.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein the layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material completely separates the heating element from the antenna.

13. The method as in claim 10, wherein a media facing surface plane defines a cerf region at one side of the media facing surface plane and an active region at another side of the media facing surface plane, and wherein the heating element is located entirely within the cerf region.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein a media facing surface plane defines a cerf region at one side of the media facing surface plane and an active region at another side of the media facing surface plane, and wherein the heating element is located entirely within the cerf region, and the thermally conductive, electrically insulating layer is located within the cerf region and also extends into the active region.

15. The method as in claim 10, wherein a media facing surface plane defines a cerf region at one side of the media facing surface plane and an active region at another side of the media facing surface plane, and wherein the heating element is located entirely within the cerf region, and further comprising electrical leads connected with the heating element, the electrical leads being located entirely within the cerf region.

16. The method as in claim 10, wherein a media facing surface plane defines a cerf region at one side of the media facing surface plane and an active region at another side of the media facing surface plane, and wherein the heating element is located entirely within the cerf region, and further comprising electrical connection pads and electrically conductive leads electrically connecting the electrical connection pads with the heating element, and wherein the electrical connection pads and the electrical leads are located entirely within the cerf region.

17. The method as in claim 10, further comprising, after forming the read and write elements, supplying an electrical current to the heating element to heat the antenna to a temperature that is at least as high as an operating temperature of the near field optical transducer.

18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising, after supplying an electrical current to the heating element to heat the antenna to a temperature that is at least as high as the operating temperature of the near field optical transducer, performing a lapping operation sufficiently to remove the heating element.

19. The method as in claim 10, wherein the antenna is gold or a gold alloy.

20. A magnetic data recording system, comprising:

a housing;

a magnetic media mounted within the housing;

a magnetic recording head formed within the housing, the magnetic recording head being connected with an actuator for moving the magnetic recording head relative to a surface of the magnetic media; and

wherein the magnetic recording head further comprises;

a read element; and

a write element including a magnetic write pole and a near field optical transducer having a metal antenna located at a media facing surface and having a leading edge surface at a side opposite the write pole; and

a layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material having a thermal conductivity greater than alumina contacting the leading edge surface of the metal antenna.