A method involves depositing a near-field transducer on a substrate of a slider. The near-field transducer comprises a plate-like enlarged portion and a peg portion. A first hard stop extending from the near field transducer and an air bearing surface is formed. A heat sink is formed on the enlarged portion and the first hard stop. A dielectric material is deposited over the near-field transducer and the heat sink. A second hard stop is deposited on the dielectric material away from the air bearing surface. The second hard stop comprises a recess corresponding in size and location to the heat sink. The method involves milling at an oblique angle to the substrate between the first hard stop and second hard stop to cut through the heat sink at the angle. The recess of the second hard stop increases a milling rate over the heat sink compared to a second milling rate of the dielectric away from the heat sink.

A magnetic write head having a heat sink structure located adjacent to a trailing magnetic shield. The heat sink structure prevents heat generated by the magnetic oscillator current from causing damage to and reducing reliability of the magnetic write head. The trailing magnetic shield is substantially aligned with the magnetic oscillator, allowing the heat sink structure to wrap around the sides and back of the trailing magnetic shield and to provide good heat conduction away from the write pole, magnetic oscillator and trailing magnetic shield. The heat sink structure can be constructed of a material such as Ru, TiN, Cu, Au, Ag and AlN, and is preferably constructed of Au, which has excellent thermal properties.

A near-field transducer includes an enlarged portion and a peg protruding from a first edge. The enlarged portion has a second edge facing away from the first edge. The near-field transducer includes a heat sink disposed on the enlarged portion and with an outline shape that matches that of the enlarged portion. The heat sink is disposed at a first separation distance from the first edge of the enlarged portion and a second, greater, separation distance from the second edge of the enlarged portion. The first separation distance is greater than the second separation distance.

Devices that include a near field transducer (NFT); a multilayer gas barrier layer positioned on at least a portion of the NFT, the multilayer gas barrier layer including at least a first and a second sublayer, where the second gas barrier sublayer is positioned on the first gas barrier sublayer, the first gas barrier sublayer is positioned adjacent the NFT and the second gas barrier sublayer is positioned adjacent the wear resistant layer, the first and second sublayers independently have thicknesses from 0.01 nm to 5 nm; and a wear resistance layer positioned on at least a portion of the gas barrier layer.

The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic recording head for a magnetic media drive. The magnetic recording head comprises a main pole, a waveguide disposed adjacent to the main pole, a thermal shunt disposed between the main pole and the waveguide, the thermal shunt being recessed from a media facing surface (MFS), and a near field transducer (NFT) coupled between the main pole and the waveguide at the MFS. The NFT comprises a first metal layer disposed adjacent to the waveguide and in contact with a first insulating layer, a dielectric gap layer disposed on and in contact with the first metal layer, and a second metal layer disposed on and in contact with the dielectric gap layer and a second insulating layer. The first metal layer, the dielectric gap layer, and the second metal layer are each disposed in contact with the thermal shunt.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a near-field transducer, a waveguide, and a resonance enhancing feature. The near-field transducer is configured to focus and emit an optical near-field. The waveguide is configured to receive electromagnetic radiation and propagate the electromagnetic radiation toward and proximal to the near-field transducer. The resonance enhancing feature is disposed proximal to the near-field transducer and to a media-facing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head. The resonance enhancing feature includes a first segment and a second segment disposed on opposite sides of the near-field transducer relative to a cross-track dimension of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head. Each of the first segment and the second segment of the resonance enhancing feature includes a liner and a filler. The liner of each of the first segment and the second segment at least partially faces the near-field transducer. The filler of each of the first segment and the second segment is disposed distal to the near-field transducer relative to the liner of the respective segment.

The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic recording head for a magnetic media drive. The magnetic recording head comprises a main pole, a waveguide disposed adjacent to the main pole, a thermal shunt disposed between the main pole and the waveguide, the thermal shunt being recessed from a media facing surface (MFS), and a near field transducer (NFT) coupled between the main pole and the waveguide at the MFS. The NFT comprises a first metal layer disposed adjacent to the waveguide and in contact with a first insulating layer, a dielectric gap layer disposed on and in contact with the first metal layer, and a second metal layer disposed on and in contact with the dielectric gap layer and a second insulating layer. The first metal layer, the dielectric gap layer, and the second metal layer are each disposed in contact with the thermal shunt.

While a heat-assisted, magnetic recording medium is being read from, power is applied to a write coil of a read/write head to control a spacing between a read transducer and the recording medium via thermal expansion induced by a write pole magnetically coupled to the write coil. A coefficient of thermal expansion proximate the read transducer is higher than a coefficient of thermal expansion proximate the write pole to increase a deformation at the read transducer relative to the write pole. Optionally, a media-facing surface of the read/write head may include a recess encompassing at least the write pole to prevent contact between the write pole and the recording medium while controlling the spacing.

Devices that include a near field transducer (NFT); a multilayer gas barrier layer positioned on at least a portion of the NFT, the multilayer gas barrier layer including at least a first and a second sublayer, where the second gas barrier sublayer is positioned on the first gas barrier sublayer, the first gas barrier sublayer is positioned adjacent the NFT and the second gas barrier sublayer is positioned adjacent the wear resistant layer, the first and second sublayers independently have thicknesses from 0.01 nm to 5 nm; and a wear resistance layer positioned on at least a portion of the gas barrier layer.

A PMR read/write head configured for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), produces a thermally active bulge when a current is passed through a heater element formed on a centrally recessed heat sink mounted on a read shield. When the heater element is activated by a current, a bulge is formed by thermal expansion of the centrally recessed heat sink and symmetric pairs of bumper pads are formed. These thermally activated bumper pads act like symmetrically shaped nano-bumpers and provide enhanced touchdown (TD) protection to a reader (or writer) element. The PMR read/write head is mounted on a slider and the assembly is incorporated into a hard disk drive (HDD).