Architecture for metal-insulator-metal near-field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording

US10249336B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• Western Digital Technologies, Inc. · US
• The Provost, Fellows, Scholars and Other Members of Board of Trinity College Dublin · IE

Inventors

• Alexander Krichevsky · Centereach, US
• Frank Bello · Jackson, US
• Christopher B. Wolf · San Jose, US
• Fenghua Zong · Pleasanton, US
• Daniel Wolf · San Jose, US
• David McCloskey · Ardee, IE
• Kyle Ballantine · Limerick, IE
• John F. Donegan · Kildare, IE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 23, 2017
• Grant date: Apr 2, 2019
• Expiry date: Dec 23, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G11B2005/0021
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device comprising a waveguide and a near-field transducer (NFT) coupled to the waveguide in a direct-fire configuration. The NFT comprises an insulator core encased in a metal portion. The insulator core comprises a rectangular portion and a tapered portion, wherein the rectangular portion is between the waveguide and the tapered portion. The metal portion comprises a plasmonic metal.