Thermal assisted magnetic recording head with plasmon generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9640206-B1
Application number	US-201615166792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A thermal assisted magnetic recording head executing magnetic recording while locally heating a magnetic recording medium includes a plasmon generator generating surface plasmon and generating near-field light from the surface plasmon at an end surface situated on an air bearing surface facing the magnetic recording medium, a main pole being in contact with the plasmon generator and exposed on the air bearing surface, a metal protective layer situated on an opposite side to the plasmon generator when viewed from the main pole and positioned to overlap with a part of the main pole when viewed from one side in a down track direction, and an overcoat protective layer covering the metal protective layer. The overcoat protective layer is formed on a flat surface at least at a position where it overlaps with the main pole when viewed from one side in the down track direction, and the metal protective layer configures a part of the flat surface. Moreover, the overcoat protective layer has a flat bottom surface at least at a position where it overlaps with the main pole when viewed from one side in the down track direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal assisted magnetic recording head for executing magnetic recording while locally heating a magnetic recording medium, comprising:
a plasmon generator generating surface plasmon and generating near-field light from the surface plasmon at an end surface situated on an air bearing surface facing the magnetic recording medium;
a main pole being in contact with the plasmon generator and exposed on the air bearing surface;
a metal protective layer situated on an opposite side to the plasmon generator when viewed from the main pole and positioned to overlap with a part of the main pole when viewed from one side in a down track direction; and
an overcoat protective layer covering the metal protective layer,
wherein the overcoat protective layer is formed on a flat surface at least at a position where it overlaps with the main pole when viewed from the one side in the down track direction, and the metal protective layer configures a part of the flat surface.

2. The thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 1 , further comprising:
coils for generating a magnetic field in the main pole,
wherein the overcoat protective layer is formed on a flat surface at least at a position where it overlaps with the main pole and a coil nearest to the main pole when viewed from the one side in the down track direction.

3. The thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 1 , wherein the overcoat protective layer has a thickness of 10 μm or larger.

4. The thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 1 , wherein the metal protective layer is a layer including at least one of Ni, NiFe, NiFeCo, Cr, Cu, Au, Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Ir, Ta, W, Mo, and Zr, and having a thickness of 0.5 μm or larger.

5. A head gimbal assembly comprising the thermal assisted magnetic recording head according claim 1 , and a suspension elastically supporting the thermal assisted magnetic recording head,
wherein the suspension has a flexure to which the thermal assisted magnetic recording head is joined, a load beam of which one end is connected to the flexure, and a base plate connected to the other end of the load beam.

6. A magnetic recording device, comprising the thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 1 , the magnetic recording medium situated to face the thermal assisted magnetic recording head, a spindle motor rotary driving the magnetic recording medium, and a positioning device supporting and positioning the thermal assisted magnetic recording head with respect to the magnetic recording medium.

7. A thermal assisted magnetic recording head for executing magnetic recording while locally heating a magnetic recording medium, comprising:
a plasmon generator generating surface plasmon and generating near-field light from the surface plasmon at an end surface situated on an air bearing surface facing the magnetic recording medium;
a main pole in contact with the plasmon generator and exposed on the air bearing surface;

a metal protective layer situated on an opposite side to the plasmon generator when viewed from the main pole and positioned to overlap with a part of the main pole when viewed from one side in a down track direction; and
an overcoat protective layer covering the metal protective layer,
wherein the overcoat protective layer has a flat bottom surface at least at a position where it overlaps with the main pole when viewed from the one side in the down track direction.

8. The thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 7 , further comprising:
coils for generating a magnetic field in the main pole,
wherein the overcoat protective layer has a flat bottom surface at least at a position where it overlaps with the main pole and a coil nearest to the main pole when viewed from the one side in the down track direction.

9. The thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 7 , wherein the overcoat protective layer has a thickness of 10 μm or larger.

10. The thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 7 , wherein the metal protective layer is a layer including at least one of Ni, NiFe, NiFeCo, Cr, Cu, Au, Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Ir, Ta, W, Mo, and Zr, and having a thickness of 0.5 μm or larger.

11. A head gimbal assembly comprising the thermal assisted magnetic recording head according claim 7 , and a suspension elastically supporting the thermal assisted magnetic recording head, wherein the suspension has a flexure to which the thermal assisted magnetic recording head is joined, a load beam of which one end is connected to the flexure, and a base plate connected to the other end of the load beam.

12. A magnetic recording device, having the thermal assisted magnetic recording head according to claim 7 , the magnetic recording medium situated to face the thermal assisted magnetic recording head, a spindle motor rotary driving the magnetic recording medium, and a positioning device supporting and positioning the thermal assisted magnetic recording head with respect to the magnetic recording medium.

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Saito Masahiro
• Shimazawa Koji
• Miyauchi Daisuke
• Hosoi Ryo
• Isogai Makoto

Classifications

• G11B2005/0021

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

• G11B5/596

  for track following on disks {(G11B5/5526, G11B5/5552, G11B5/5565, G11B5/5582 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G11B5/4826

  Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive (G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56) · CPC title

• G11B5/40 Primary

  Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature  (G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255  {; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106}) · CPC title

• G11B5/3106

  where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination (G11B5/3133 takes precedence) · CPC title