Magnetic devices including near field transducer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9280989-B2
Application number	US-201313923922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2013
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus having at least an air bearing surface (ABS), the apparatus including a near field transducer (NFT) positioned adjacent the ABS of the apparatus, wherein the NFT includes a plasmonic material; and not greater than about 200 ppm of one or more microalloy dopants.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus having at least an air bearing surface (ABS), the apparatus comprising:
a near field transducer (NFT) positioned adjacent the ABS of the apparatus, wherein the NFT comprises a plasmonic material; and not greater than about 200 ppm of one or more microalloy dopants.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic material comprises gold or an alloy thereof.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the microalloying dopants are selected from: one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or combinations thereof.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the NFT comprises not greater than about 100 ppm of one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or combinations thereof.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the microalloy dopant is selected from: beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), sodium (Na), potassium (K), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), and combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the microalloy dopant is selected from: beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg) and combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic material is selected from: silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and alloys thereof.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the NFT is a peg/disc type NFT, a nanorod type NFT, or a funnel-type NFT.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a microalloy dopant layer comprising one or more of the microalloy dopants, the microalloy dopant layer positioned directly adjacent the NFT.

10. An apparatus having at least an air bearing surface (ABS), the apparatus comprising:
a near field transducer (NFT) positioned adjacent the ABS of the apparatus, wherein the NFT comprises a plasmonic material; and not greater than about 200 ppm of one or more microalloy dopants; and
a microalloy dopant layer comprising one or more of the microalloy dopants, wherein the microalloy dopant layer is positioned directly adjacent the NFT.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the microalloy dopant layer has a thickness of not greater than about 50 Å.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the plasmonic material comprises gold, and wherein the microalloy dopants are selected from: one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the microalloy dopant in both the NFT and the microalloy dopant layer is independently selected from: beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), sodium (Na), potassium (K), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), and combinations thereof.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the microalloy dopant layer comprises copper (Cu) and beryllium (Be).

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the NFT is a peg/disc type NFT, a nanorod type NFT, or a funnel-type NFT.

16. A method of fabricating a device, the method comprising:
forming a near field transducer (NFT), the NFT comprising gold or an alloy thereof;
forming a microalloy dopant layer directly adjacent one surface of the NFT, the microalloy dopant layer comprising one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or combinations thereof;
applying energy to at least the microalloy dopant layer thereby allowing at least a portion of the microalloy dopant material to diffuse into the NFT, wherein the portion is not greater than about 200 ppm of one or more microalloy dopants.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the microalloy dopant layer has a thickness of not greater than about 50 Å.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of applying energy is distinct from energy produced when the device is operated.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the energy is applied via a furnace, a laser, or an e-beam.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the microalloy dopant layer further comprises a non-microalloy dopant material.

21. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the microalloy dopant is selected from: beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), sodium (Na), potassium (K), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), and combinations thereof.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the microalloy dopant in both the NFT and the microalloy dopant layer is independently selected from: beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), sodium (Na), potassium (K), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Pitcher Philip G
• Antrazi Sami C

Classifications

• G11B2005/0021

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

• G11B5/3133

  including layers not usually being a part of the electromagnetic transducer structure and providing additional features, e.g. for improving heat radiation, reduction of power dissipation, adaptations for measurement or indication of gap depth or other properties of the structure (G11B5/3106 takes precedence) · 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