Heat-assisted magnetic recording device incorporating laser heater for improved laser stability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11100951-B2
Application number	US-202016938101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2020
Priority date	Oct 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a slider configured to facilitate heat assisted magnetic recording and a submount affixed to the slider. A laser unit is affixed to the submount and comprises a laser operable in a non-lasing state and a lasing state. A heater is embedded in the laser unit or the submount. The heater is configured to generate preheat for heating the laser during the non-lasing state and to generate steering heat for heating the laser during the lasing state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider configured to facilitate heat assisted magnetic recording and comprising a submount;
a laser unit disposed at the submount and comprising a laser operable in a non-lasing state and a lasing state; and
a heater embedded in the laser unit or the submount, the heater configured to one or both of generate preheat for heating the laser during the non-lasing state and generate steering heat for heating the laser during the lasing state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to one or both of generate the preheat and the steering heat to avoid a temperature associated with power instability of the laser when in the lasing state during a write operation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater is separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 2 μm to about 120 μm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater is embedded in the laser unit and separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 2 μm to about 25 μm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater is embedded in the laser unit and separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 30 μm to about 70 μm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater is embedded in the submount and separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 40 μm to about 120 μm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a first heater is embedded in the laser unit and a second heater is embedded in the submount; and
the first and second heaters are configured to one or both of generate preheat for heating the laser during the non-lasing state and generate steering heat for heating the laser during the lasing state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a resistive wire.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the laser comprises a laser stripe; and
the heater and the laser stripe are disposed on the same surface of the laser unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the laser comprises a laser stripe; and
the heater and the laser stripe are disposed on opposing surfaces of the laser unit.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider configured to facilitate heat assisted magnetic recording and comprising a submount;
a laser unit disposed at the submount and comprising a laser operable in a non-lasing state and a lasing state;
a heater embedded in the laser unit or the submount; and
control circuitry coupled the laser unit and the heater, the control circuitry configured to cause the heater to one or both of generate preheat for heating the laser during the non-lasing state and cause the heater to generate steering heat for heating the laser during the lasing state.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to one or both of cause the heater to generate the preheat and the steering heat to avoid a temperature associated with power instability of the laser when in the lasing state during a write operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heater is embedded in the laser unit and separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 2 μm to about 25 μm.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heater is embedded in the laser unit and separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 30 μm to about 70 μm.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heater is embedded in the submount and separated from the laser by a spacing ranging from about 40 μm to about 120 μm.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
a first heater is embedded in the laser unit and a second heater is embedded in the submount; and
the first and second heaters are configured to one or both of generate preheat for heating the laser during the non-lasing state and generate steering heat for heating the laser during the lasing state.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heater comprises a resistive wire.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the laser comprises a laser stripe.

19. A method, comprising:
moving a slider configured for heat assisted magnetic recording relative to a magnetic recording medium, the slider comprising a submount and a laser unit disposed at the submount;
operating a laser of the laser unit in a non-lasing state and a lasing state; and
controlling a heater embedded in the laser unit or the submount to one or both of generate preheat for heating the laser during the non-lasing state and generate steering heat for heating the laser during the lasing state.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein controlling the heater comprises causing the heater to one or both of generate the preheat and the steering heat to avoid a temperature associated with power instability of the laser when in the lasing state during a write operation.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Wessel James Gary
• Hipwell Jr Roger L

Classifications

• G11B5/012

  Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic disks (G11B17/00, G11B19/00 take precedence) · 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

• G11B5/6088

  Optical waveguide in or on flying head · CPC title

• G11B5/314 Primary

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

• G11B13/08 Primary

  using near-field interactions or transducing means and at least one other method or means for recording or reproducing · CPC title