Recording head with an on-wafer integrated laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9799359-B1
Application number	US-201715464910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A recording head includes a layer of plasmonic metal deposited on a surface of the recording head. One or more non-self-supporting layers of crystalline material are attached to the plasmonic metal, the one or more layers of crystalline materials configured to form an active region of a laser. A waveguide is configured to receive plasmons from the laser and direct the plasmons to a recording medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A recording head comprising:
two layers of cladding, one of the two layers deposited on a substrate of the recording head;
one or more, non-self-supporting, layers of crystalline material between the two cladding layers, the one or more layers of crystalline material configured to form an active region of a laser; and
a plasmonic layer surrounding the two layers of cladding and the one or more layers of crystalline material, the plasmonic layer comprises an opening from which an emission end of the active region emits light.

2. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of crystalline material are transfer printed to the recording head.

3. The recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a gap of dielectric material between the plasmonic layer and internal layers, the internal layers comprising the two layers of cladding and the one or more layers of crystalline material.

4. The recording head of claim 3 , wherein the plasmonic layer covers at least three sides of the internal layers.

5. The recording head of claim 1 , further comprising a plasmonic waveguide extending from the emission end of the active region.

6. The recording head of claim 5 , wherein the plasmonic waveguide shapes and guides plasmons to create a sub-50 nm spot on a recording medium.

7. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic layer extends to cover part of an emission end of the active region.

8. The recording head of claim 1 , wherein the One or more, non-self-supporting, layers of crystalline material are formed from a single piece of crystalline laser material that is processed after attachment to form the active region.

9. A recording head comprising:
internal layers comprising:
two layers of cladding, one of the two layers deposited on a substrate of the recording head;
one or more, non-self-supporting, layers of crystalline material between the two cladding layers, the one or more layers of crystalline material configured to form an active region of a laser;
a plasmonic layer surrounding the internal layers; and
a plasmonic waveguide extending from the emission end of the active region, the plasmonic waveguide shaping and guiding plasmons to a recording medium.

10. The recording head of claim 9 , wherein the one or more layers of crystalline material are transfer printed to the recording head.

11. The recording head of claim 9 , further comprising a gap of dielectric material between the plasmonic layer and the internal layers.

12. The recording head of claim 9 , wherein the plasmonic layer covers at least three sides of the internal layers.

13. The recording head of claim 9 , wherein the plasmonic waveguide shapes and guides plasmons to create a sub-50 nm spot on a recording medium.

14. The recording head of claim 9 , wherein the plasmonic layer extends to cover part of an emission end of the active region.

15. The recording head of claim 9 , wherein the one or more, non-self-supporting, layers of crystalline material are formed from a single piece of crystalline laser material that is processed after attachment to form the active region.

16. A method comprising:
activating an active region a laser, the active region formed of a one or more, non-self-supporting, layers of crystalline material between the two cladding layers, one of the two layers deposited on a substrate of the recording head;
in response to activating the active region, emitting light from an opening in a plasmonic layer surrounding the two layers of cladding and the one or more layers of crystalline material; and
exciting surface plasmons on a plasmonic waveguide extending from the emission end of the active region, the plasmonic waveguide shaping and guiding the surface plasmons to create a hot spot on a recording medium.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a gap of dielectric material between the plasmonic layer and the internal layers.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plasmonic layer covers at least three sides of the internal layers.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plasmonic waveguide shapes and guides plasmons to create a sub-50 nm spot on a recording medium.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plasmonic layer extends to cover part of an emission end of the active region.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Olson Scott Eugene
• Tatah Karim
• Wu Yi-Kuei Ryan
• Gubbins Mark Anthony
• Mooney Marcus B
• Hardy Michael James

Classifications

• G11B2005/0021

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

• G11B5/4866 Primary

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

• G11B5/105

  Mounting of head within housing {or assembling of head and housing (G11B5/3103 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G11B5/3163

  Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers · CPC title