Oxidation resistant sensor for heat-assisted magnetic recording

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10366720-B2
Application number	US-201715692957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a slider comprising an air bearing surface (ABS) and configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording. The slider includes a writer and a reader at the ABS, a near-field transducer (NFT) proximate the writer, and an optical waveguide optically coupled to a laser source and the NFT. The slider further includes a sensor configured to contact and sense thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium. The sensor is formed from one of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider comprising an air bearing surface (ABS) and configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising:
a writer and a reader at the ABS;
a near-field transducer (NFT) proximate the writer;
an optical waveguide optically coupled to a laser source and the NFT;
a sensor configured to contact and sense thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, the sensor formed from one of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt;
a protective coating covering at least a portion of the ABS including the writer, reader, NFT, and sensor; and
the sensor is configured to operate at a temperature that degrades the protective coating and exposes the sensor leaving the sensor unprotected.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the protective coating has a thickness of about 20 Å or less.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the protective coating comprises a diamond-like carbon coating.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is biased to operate at a temperature between about 135° C. and 200° C.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor has a thickness of between about 35 nm and 75 nm.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the sensor has a height into the slider of between about 30 nm and 90 nm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is situated proximate the reader.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider comprising an air bearing surface (ABS) and configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising:
a writer and a reader at the ABS;
a near-field transducer (NFT) proximate the writer;
an optical waveguide optically coupled to a laser source and the NFT;
a sensor configured to contact and sense thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, the sensor surrounded at least in part by a dielectric material and formed from one of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt;
an adhesion layer disposed between the sensor and the dielectric material;
a protective coating covering at least a portion of the ABS including the writer, reader, NFT, and sensor; and
the sensor is configured to operate at a temperature that degrades the protective coating and exposes the sensor leaving the sensor unprotected.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the adhesion layer inhibits displacement of the sensor toward the ABS.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the adhesion layer comprises one of Cr, Zr, and Ta.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the protective coating has a thickness of about 20 Å or less.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the protective coating comprises a diamond-like carbon coating.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is biased to operate at a temperature between about 135° C. and 150° C.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sensor has a thickness of between about 35 nm and 75 nm.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the sensor has a height into the slider of between about 30 nm and 50 nm.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is situated proximate the reader.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider comprising an air bearing surface (ABS) and configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising:
a writer and a reader at the ABS;
a near-field transducer (NFT) proximate the writer;
an optical waveguide optically coupled to a laser source and the NFT; and
a sensor configured to contact and sense thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, the sensor formed from one of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt;
a protective coating covering at least a portion of the ABS including the writer, reader, NFT, and sensor; and
the sensor configured to operate at a temperature between about 135° C. and 150° C. which degrades the protective coating and exposes the sensor leaving the sensor unprotected.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the protective coating has a thickness of about 20 Å or less.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Macken Declan
• Sonda Paul Julio
• Mcgeehin Peter Kevin

Classifications

• G11B5/314

  where the layers are extra layers normally not provided in the transducing structure, e.g. optical layers (G11B5/3196 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/607

  using thermal means · CPC title

• G11B5/3967

  Composite structural arrangements of transducers, e.g. inductive write and magnetoresistive read (G11B5/3906 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/6088

  Optical waveguide in or on flying head · CPC title

• G11B2005/0021

  Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal · CPC title