Near-field transducer with isolated peg

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9799352-B1
Application number	US-201715400359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Jan 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A near-field transducer includes an enlarged portion formed of a soft plasmonic metal. A diffusion barrier is formed on one side of the enlarged portion, the diffusion barrier made of a harder material than the soft plasmonic metal. A heat sink is formed on the diffusion barrier, the heat sink made of the soft plasmonic metal. A peg is embedded in the diffusion layer so that the peg is isolated from the enlarged portion and the heat sink. The peg made of the soft plasmonic material and extends out from the diffusion layer towards a recording medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A near-field transducer comprising:
an enlarged portion formed of a soft plasmonic metal;
a diffusion barrier formed on one side of the enlarged portion, the diffusion barrier comprising a harder material than the soft plasmonic metal;
a heat sink formed on the diffusion barrier, the heat sink comprising the soft plasmonic metal; and
a peg embedded in the diffusion layer so that the peg is isolated from the enlarged portion and the heat sink, the peg comprising the soft plasmonic material and extending out from the diffusion layer towards a recording medium.

2. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the enlarged portion comprises a stadium shape.

3. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier comprises a layer of the harder metal that surrounds a center portion formed of the soft plasmonic material.

4. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the soft plasmonic material comprises Au, Ag, Al, or Cu.

5. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the harder material comprises Rh, Ir, Ru, W, ZrN, or TiN.

6. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier and the heat sink are offset from a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg.

7. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier and the heat sink are flush with a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg.

8. The near-field transducer of claim 7 , wherein the diffusion barrier is recessed away a front edge of the enlarged portion, the front edge facing away from the back edge.

9. The near-field transducer of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink is flush with a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg, and wherein the diffusion barrier is offset from the back edge of the enlarged portion.

10. A near-field transducer comprising:
an enlarged portion formed of Au, Ag, Al, or Cu;
a diffusion barrier formed on one side of the enlarged portion, the diffusion barrier formed of Ir, Rh, Ru, W, ZrN, or TiN;
a heat sink formed on the diffusion barrier, the heat sink formed of Au, Ag, Al, or Cu; and
a peg embedded in the diffusion layer so that the peg is isolated from the enlarged portion and the heat sink, the peg comprising Au, Ag, Al, Cu, Rh or Ir and extending out from the diffusion layer towards a recording medium.

11. The near-field transducer of claim 10 , wherein the diffusion barrier comprises a layer of the Ir, Rh, Ru, W, ZrN, or TiN that surrounds a center portion formed of Au, Ag, Al or Cu.

12. The near-field transducer of claim 10 , wherein the diffusion barrier and the heat sink are offset from a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg.

13. The near-field transducer of claim 10 , wherein:
the diffusion barrier and the heat sink are flush with a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg; and
the diffusion barrier is recessed away a front edge of the enlarged portion, the front edge facing away from the back edge.

14. The near-field transducer of claim 10 , wherein the heat sink is flush with a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg, and wherein the diffusion barrier is offset from the back edge of the enlarged portion.

15. A recording head comprising:
a waveguide that delivers light from an energy source to a media-facing surface of the recording head at an end of the waveguide; and
a near-field transducer at the end of the waveguide, the near-field transducer comprising:
an enlarged portion formed of a soft plasmonic metal;
a diffusion barrier formed on one side of the enlarged portion, the diffusion barrier comprising a harder material than the soft plasmonic metal;
a heat sink formed on the diffusion barrier, the heat sink comprising the soft plasmonic metal; and
a peg embedded in the diffusion layer so that the peg is isolated from the enlarged portion and the heat sink, the peg comprising the soft plasmonic material and extending out from the diffusion layer towards a recording medium.

16. The recording head of claim 15 , wherein the soft plasmonic material comprises Au, Ag, Al, or Cu and the harder material comprises Rh, Ir, Ru, W, ZrN, or TiN.

17. The recording head of claim 15 , wherein the diffusion barrier comprises a layer of the harder metal that surrounds a center portion formed of the soft plasmonic material.

18. The recording head of claim 15 , wherein the diffusion barrier and the heat sink are offset from a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg.

19. The recording head of claim 15 , wherein:
the diffusion barrier and the heat sink are flush with a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg; and
the diffusion barrier is recessed away a front edge of the enlarged portion, the front edge facing away from the back edge.

20. The recording head of claim 15 , wherein the heat sink is flush with a back edge of the enlarged portion, the back edge facing away from the peg, and wherein the diffusion barrier is offset from the back edge of the enlarged portion.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Chen Weibin
• Yin Huaqing
• Blaber Martin Giles

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

• G11B5/3133 Primary

  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

• G11B2005/0021

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

• G11B5/3116 Primary

  Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks (G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/4866

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