Multi-purpose near-field transducer having a temperature coefficient of resistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9177577-B2
Application number	US-201514720276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2013
Publication date	Nov 3, 2015
Grant date	Nov 3, 2015

Abstract

An apparatus includes a writer, an arrangement comprising a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) adjacent the writer and comprising a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and a lead arrangement connected to the NFT arrangement. In some configurations, the NFT arrangement includes a heat sink, and the lead arrangement is connected to the heat sink. In other configurations, the lead arrangement is connected directly to the NFT.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider;
a writer on the slider;
a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and provided on the slider adjacent to the writer, the NFT configured to produce a signal indicative of temperature at the NFT; and
circuitry comprising a lead arrangement electrically and directly connected to the NFT;
wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a temperature sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a sensor configured to sense changes in head-medium spacing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a sensor configured to sense head-medium contact.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slider further comprises a reader and a sensor proximate reader, the sensor configured to sense one or both of head-medium contact and changes in head-medium spacing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a light source power sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording, a light source power sensor, and a sensor configured to sense one or both of head-medium contact and changes in head-medium spacing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slider has an air bearing surface and further comprises a thermal sensor situated away from the air bearing surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lead arrangement comprises at least a pair of leads formed of an electrically conductive material having a low, near-zero or zero TCR relative to that of the NFT.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to detect a change in NFT operating temperature over time using a signal indicative of temperature at the NFT and communicated over the lead arrangement.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the entirety of the NFT is fabricated from TCR material.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a slider;
a writer on the slider;
a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and provided on the slider adjacent to the writer, the NFT configured to produce a signal indicative of temperature at the NFT;
a heat sink thermally coupled to the NFT; and
circuitry comprising a lead arrangement electrically and directly connected to the NFT;
wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a temperature sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the heat sink is formed from material having a low, near-zero or zero TCR relative to that of the NFT.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the lead arrangement comprises a pair of leads formed of an electrically conductive material having a low, near-zero or zero TCR relative to that of the NFT.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a sensor configured to sense changes in head-medium spacing.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a sensor configured to sense head-medium contact.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the slider further comprises a reader and a sensor proximate reader, the sensor configured to sense one or both of head-medium contact and changes in head-medium spacing.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording and a light source power sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the NFT serves as a heat source for effecting heat-assisted magnetic recording, a light source power sensor, and a sensor configured to sense one or both of head-medium contact and changes in head-medium spacing.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the slider has an air bearing surface and further comprises a thermal sensor situated away from the air bearing surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to detect a change in NFT operating temperature over time using a signal indicative of temperature at the NFT and communicated over the lead arrangement.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Macken Declan
• Kiely James Dillon

Classifications

• 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

• G11B2005/0021

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

• G11B5/4866 Primary

  the arm comprising an optical waveguide, e.g. for thermally-assisted recording · CPC title

• G11B13/08

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

• G11B5/6088

  Optical waveguide in or on flying head · CPC title