Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The first metal layer includes a plasmon exciting portion on which surface plasmons are excited. The second metal layer is located on the first metal layer, and includes a bottom surface in contact with the first metal layer, a top surface located on a side opposite to the bottom surface, a front end face that is located in the medium facing surface and generates near-field light from the surface plasmons, and a connecting surface that connects the top surface and the front end face. The connecting surface includes an inclined portion inclined relative to a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a dielectric structure formed of a sintered dielectric, and a first electrode and a second electrode each formed of a conductor. The dielectric structure includes a wall. The first electrode and the second electrode are insulated from each other by the wall. The wall has a height which is a dimension in a first direction, and a thickness which is a dimension in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the height being greater than the thickness. The wall has a non-straight shape when seen in the first direction. A manufacturing method for the capacitor includes forming the dielectric structure, and forming the first electrode and the second electrode simultaneously after the formation of the dielectric structure.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a dielectric structure formed of a sintered dielectric, and a first electrode and a second electrode each formed of a conductor. The dielectric structure includes a wall. The first electrode and the second electrode are insulated from each other by the wall. The wall has a height which is a dimension in a first direction, and a thickness which is a dimension in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the height being greater than the thickness. The wall has a non-straight shape when seen in the first direction.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a dielectric structure formed of a sintered dielectric, and a first electrode and a second electrode each formed of a conductor. The dielectric structure includes a wall. The first electrode and the second electrode are insulated from each other by the wall. The wall has a height which is a dimension in a first direction, and a thickness which is a dimension in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the height being greater than the thickness. The wall has a non-straight shape when seen in the first direction. A manufacturing method for the capacitor includes forming the dielectric structure, and forming the first electrode and the second electrode simultaneously after the formation of the dielectric structure.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a dielectric structure formed of a sintered dielectric, and a first electrode and a second electrode each formed of a conductor. The dielectric structure includes a wall. The first electrode and the second electrode are insulated from each other by the wall. The wall has a height which is a dimension in a first direction, and a thickness which is a dimension in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the height being greater than the thickness. The wall has a non-straight shape when seen in the first direction.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a waveguide includes forming a core including a first layer and a second layer. The first layer has a top surface including a first region with which a bottom surface of the second layer is in contact, and a second region with which the bottom surface of the second layer is not in contact. Forming the core includes the steps of: forming an initial first layer; forming an etching stopper layer on the second region of the initial first layer; forming an initial second layer on the initial first layer and the etching stopper layer; etching the initial second layer and the initial first layer so as to make the initial first layer into the first layer; and etching the initial second layer until the etching stopper layer is exposed, so as to make the initial second layer into the second layer.

Abstract: A plasmon generator including a wide portion and a narrow portion is manufactured by etching an initial plasmon generator using an etching mask. The etching mask includes a first mask layer for defining the shape of one of the narrow portion and the wide portion, and a second mask layer for defining the shape of the other of the narrow portion and the wide portion. The etching mask is formed by forming a first hard mask, a second initial mask layer and a second hard mask in this order on a first initial mask layer, and etching the first and second initial mask layers by using the first and second hard masks.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a plasmon generator. The main pole has a front end face located in the medium facing surface. The plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface. The front end face of the main pole includes a first end face portion and a second end face portion. The second end face portion is located farther from the near-field light generating surface than is the first end face portion, and is greater than the first end face portion in width in the track width direction. The first end face portion and the near-field light generating surface are equal in width.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a coil, a magnetic path forming section, and an insulating film. The magnetic path forming section includes first and second magnetic material portions. The coil includes first and second coil elements located between the first and second magnetic material portions. The insulating film includes an underlying portion located under the first and second coil elements. In a method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head, the insulating film is formed to cover the first and second magnetic material portions, and then a seed layer is formed selectively on the underlying portion of the insulating film. The coil is formed by plating using the seed layer.

Abstract: A main pole has a front end face including a first to a third end face portion. A plasmon generator has a near-field-light-generating surface. A surrounding layer has a first surrounding layer end face and a second surrounding layer end face. A gap film has a first gap film end face and a second gap film end face located on opposite sides of the near-field-light-generating surface in the track width direction. The first and second end face portions are interposed between the first and second surrounding layer end faces. The second end face portion is greater in width than the first end face portion. The third end face portion is greater in width than the second end face portion.

Abstract: A plasmon generator includes: a first portion formed of a first metal material and including a front end face configured to generate near-field light; a second portion formed of a second metal material and located at a distance from the front end face; and a heat sink layer formed of a third metal material, located at a distance from the front end face and interposed between the first portion and the second portion. The second metal material is lower in Vickers hardness and higher in thermal conductivity than the first metal material. The third metal material has a thermal conductivity higher than that of each of the first and second metal materials, and has a Vickers hardness lower than that of the first metal material and higher than that of the second metal material.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator includes a first material portion and a second material portion formed of different materials. The first material portion is located away from the medium facing surface. The second material portion includes a near-field light generating surface. The main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. The near-field light generating surface, the first end face portion and the second end face portion are arranged in this order along the direction of travel of a recording medium.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator includes a first material portion and a second material portion formed of different materials. The first material portion is located away from the medium facing surface. The second material portion includes a near-field light generating surface. The main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. The near-field light generating surface, the first end face portion and the second end face portion are arranged in this order along the direction of travel of a recording medium.

Abstract: A main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. A plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface. A surrounding layer has a first surrounding layer end face and a second surrounding layer end face located on opposite sides of the first end face portion in the track width direction. A gap film has a first gap film end face and a second gap film end face located on opposite sides of the near-field light generating surface in the track width direction. Each of the first and second gap film end faces includes a portion located between the first and second surrounding layer end faces, but does not include any portion interposed between the first surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion or between the second surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plasmon generator includes the steps of: forming an initial film made of a metal polycrystal and including a pre-plasmon-generator portion that later becomes the plasmon generator; heating the initial film with heating light so that a plurality of crystal grains constituting the metal polycrystal grow at least in the pre-plasmon-generator portion; stopping the heating of the initial film; and forming the plasmon generator by processing the initial film after the step of stopping the heating. The step of forming the plasmon generator includes the step of providing the pre-plasmon-generator portion with a front end face that generates near-field light.

Abstract: A main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. A plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface. A surrounding layer has a first surrounding layer end face and a second surrounding layer end face located on opposite sides of the first end face portion in the track width direction. A gap film has a first gap film end face and a second gap film end face located on opposite sides of the near-field light generating surface in the track width direction. Each of the first and second gap film end faces includes a portion located between the first and second surrounding layer end faces, but does not include any portion interposed between the first surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion or between the second surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion.

Abstract: A magnetic write head has a plated coil with narrow pitch and is suitable for writing at high frequencies on magnetic media with high coercivity. The narrow pitch is obtained without such disadvantages as overplating that has adversely affected prior art attempts to produce such narrow pitches. The process that produces the magnetic write head is characterized by an RIE plasma etch using O2/N2 to etch plating trenches into a baked layer of photoresist with the ratio of gases being 5/45 sccm so that a dilute O2 concentration does not create unwanted side etching of the plating trenches. In addition, a Cu seed layer is coated with an insulating layer of Al2O3 which redeposits on the trench sidewalls to inhibit redeposition of any Cu from the seed layer and prevent outward growth of the plated Cu that would result in overplating.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield and a gap section. The write shield includes a leading shield having a top surface opposed to a bottom end of the main pole. The gap section includes a leading gap section for separating the leading shield from the bottom end of the main pole. The leading gap section is formed using a first nonmagnetic layer and a second nonmagnetic layer. The first nonmagnetic layer has a first front end located closest to but at a distance from the medium facing surface. The second nonmagnetic layer has a second front end located in the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A plasmon generator includes a main body, and a front protrusion protruding from the main body. The front protrusion has a proximal portion which is a boundary with the main body, and a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The main body has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface each facing toward the medium facing surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are at a distance from each other and aligned in the track width direction. The proximal portion of the front protrusion is located between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.

Abstract: A plasmon generator includes a main body, and a front protrusion protruding from the main body. The front protrusion has a proximal portion which is a boundary with the main body, and a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The main body has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface each facing toward the medium facing surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are at a distance from each other and aligned in the track width direction. The proximal portion of the front protrusion is located between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.