Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole; a trailing shield; and a spin torque oscillator provided between the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator has a first end surface configuring a part of an air bearing surface, a second end surface facing the main magnetic pole, and a third end surface facing the first end surface, the first angle ?1 made by the first end surface and the second end surface is smaller than the second angle ?2 formed by the second end surface and the third end surface, and the second angle ?2 is 80 to 100 degrees.

Abstract: A base multilayer body is made by laminating a seed layer and a buffer layer in respective order. The seed layer is an alloy layer containing tantalum (Ta) and at least one type of other metal, and having an amorphous structure or a microcrystal structure. The buffer layer is an alloy layer having a [001] plane orientation hexagonal close-packed structure and containing at least one type of a group VI metal and at least one type of a group IX metal in the periodic table. With this configuration, a magnetic layer providing a desired magnetic characteristic(s) can be laminated on the thinned base multilayer body.

Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic head is equipped with a main magnetic pole that generates a recording magnetic field to be applied to a magnetic recording medium from an end surface forming a portion of an air bearing surface opposed to the magnetic recording medium, a trailing shield that is disposed interposing a write gap at a trailing side of the main magnetic pole, and that forms a magnetic path with the main magnetic pole, two side shields that are disposed at both sides of the main magnetic pole in the cross track direction, respectively, and a spin torque oscillator that is disposed within the write gap. The write gap is configured to substantially linearly extend along the cross track direction when viewed from an air bearing surface side, and is positioned between trailing-side end surfaces of the main magnetic pole and the two side shields, and a leading-side end surface of the trailing shield.

Abstract: While a plurality of drive currents for flying height setting with current values smaller than a tentative optimum drive current are supplied to a light source, respectively, heater power is supplied to a heater part, and touch down of a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is detected. Tentative optimum heater power is determined based on a correlation between the heater power when the touch down is detected and each drive current for flying height setting. The tentative optimum drive current is supplied to the light source part; the tentative optimum heater power is supplied to the heater part; a reference signal is recorded in a magnetic recording medium; and flying height of the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is set by determining whether or not the reference signal is recorded with the desired signal intensity.

Abstract: While a plurality of drive currents for flying height setting with current values smaller than a tentative optimum drive current are supplied to a light source, respectively, heater power is supplied to a heater part, and touch down of a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is detected. Tentative optimum heater power is determined based on a correlation between the heater power when the touch down is detected and each drive current for flying height setting. The tentative optimum drive current is supplied to the light source part; the tentative optimum heater power is supplied to the heater part; a reference signal is recorded in a magnetic recording medium; and flying height of the thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is set by determining whether or not the reference signal is recorded with the desired signal intensity.

Abstract: A thermal assisted magnetic recording head of the present invention has an air bearing surface (ABS) opposite to a magnetic recording medium, a core that can propagate laser light as propagating light, a plasmon generator that includes a generator front end surface facing the ABS, and a main pole that faces the ABS and emits magnetic flux to the magnetic recording medium. The plasmon generator is opposite to a part of the core and extends to the generator front surface, is coupled with a portion of the propagating light that propagates through the core in the surface plasmon mode to generate a surface plasmon, propagates the surface plasmon to the generator front end surface, and generates near-field light (NF light) at the generator front end surface to irradiate the NF light to the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A thermal assisted magnetic recording head of the present invention has an air bearing surface (ABS) opposite to a magnetic recording medium, a core that can propagate laser light as propagating light, a plasmon generator that includes a generator front end surface facing the ABS, and a main pole that faces the ABS and emits magnetic flux to the magnetic recording medium. The plasmon generator is opposite to a part of the core and extends to the generator front surface, is coupled with a portion of the propagating light that propagates through the core in the surface plasmon mode to generate a surface plasmon, propagates the surface plasmon to the generator front end surface, and generates near-field light (NF light) at the generator front end surface to irradiate the NF light to the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A thermal assisted magnetic recording head has a magnetic head slider having an air bearing surface that is opposite to a magnetic recording medium, a core that can propagate laser light as propagating light, a plasmon generator that includes a generator front end surface facing the air bearing surface, and a main pole facing the air bearing surface, and a laser light generator that supplies the laser light to the core. The plasmon generator generates near-field light (NF light) at the generator front end surface to heat the magnetic recording medium. The main pole includes a main pole end surface that faces the air bearing surface and that is positioned in the vicinity of the generator front end surface, and emits a magnetic flux to the magnetic recording medium from the main pole end surface.

Abstract: A thermal assisted magnetic recording head has a magnetic head slider having an air bearing surface that is opposite to a magnetic recording medium, a core that can propagate laser light as propagating light, a plasmon generator that includes a generator front end surface facing the air bearing surface, and a main pole facing the air bearing surface, and a laser light generator that supplies the laser light to the core. The plasmon generator generates near-field light (NF light) at the generator front end surface to heat the magnetic recording medium. The main pole includes a main pole end surface that faces the air bearing surface and that is positioned in the vicinity of the generator front end surface, and emits a magnetic flux to the magnetic recording medium from the main pole end surface.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head of the invention includes: a waveguide; a plasmon generator; and a light-absorbing protrusion layer provided on a leading side of the plasmon generator. A ratio W1/W2 is within a range from 2/3 to 55/3, where W1 is a width of the light-absorbing protrusion layer in an air-bearing surface, and W2 is a width of the waveguide in the air-bearing surface.

Abstract: A plasmon-generator of the invention is configured to include a first configuration member including a near-field light generating end surface; and a second configuration member joined and integrated with the first configuration member and not including the near-field light generating end surface. The first configuration member is configured to contain Au as a primary component and to contain any one or more elements selected from a group of Co, Fe, Sb, Nb, Zr, Ti, Hf, and Ta, and is configured so that a content percentage X1 of the contained element is within a range between 0.2 at % or more and 2.0 at % or less. Thereby, thermostability, optical characteristic, and the process stability are satisfied. Also, heat dissipation and heat generation suppression effect are extremely superior.

Abstract: A plasmon generator of a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head has a first configuration member having a near-field light generation end surface at an ABS, and a second configuration member being in contact with main magnetic pole, and terminating at a front end portion of a slope positioned at the position recessed from the ABS. An end part of a separator layer, which is interposed between the main magnetic pole and the first configuration member, on a side opposite to the ABS is at a position more recessed from the air bearing surface than the front end portion of the slope of the second configuration member.

Abstract: A plasmon generator of a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head has a first configuration member having a near-field light generation end surface at an ABS, and a second configuration member being in contact with main magnetic pole, and terminating at a front end portion of a slope positioned at the position recessed from the ABS. An end part of a separator layer, which is interposed between the main magnetic pole and the first configuration member, on a side opposite to the ABS is at a position more recessed from the air bearing surface than the front end portion of the slope of the second configuration member.

Abstract: A measuring circuit system in a magnetic field measuring apparatus of the invention has an amplifier and a band-pass filter connected in sequence on an output terminal side of the TMR element, the band-pass filter is a narrow-range band-pass filter such that a peak pass frequency of the filter that is a center is a basic frequency selected from a range of 10 to 40 GHz and a band width centered around the basic frequency is a narrow range of ±0.5 to ±4 GHz; and with the measuring circuit system, an S/N ratio (SNR) of 3 dB or greater is obtained, the SNR being defined by a ratio of an amplitude S of a high-frequency generated signal induced by the TMR element to a total noise N that is a sum of a head noise generated by the TMR element and a circuit noise generated by the amplifier. With such a configuration, an in-plane high-frequency magnetic field generated by a microwave-assisted magnetic head is reliably and precisely measured.

Abstract: A plasmon-generator of the invention is configured to include a first configuration member including a near-field light generating end surface; and a second configuration member joined and integrated with the first configuration member and not including the near-field light generating end surface. The first configuration member is configured to contain Au as a primary component and to contain any one or more elements selected from a group of Co, Fe, Sb, Nb, Zr, Ti, Hf, and Ta, and is configured so that a content percentage X1 of the contained element is within a range between 0.2 at % or more and 2.0 at % or less. Thereby, thermostability, optical characteristic, and the process stability are satisfied. Also, heat dissipation and heat generation suppression effect are extremely superior.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a magnetic pole and a heating element. The magnetic pole has a front end face located in a medium facing surface. The magnetic pole forms on a track a distribution of write magnetic field strength that peaks at a first position on the track. The heating element forms on the track a distribution of temperature that peaks at a second position on the track. The first position is located on the trailing side relative to the second position. The front end face of the magnetic pole has a main portion and first and second extended portions. The first and second extended portions are extended in the track width direction from the main portion at positions on the leading side relative to the center of the main portion in the direction of travel of a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally assisted magnetic head with improved recording performance. The thermally assisted magnetic head includes a recording element and a near-field light generating element. The recording element includes a main pole appearing on a medium-facing surface, and a bit inversion starting region intended to be a maximum recording magnetic field generating position is formed at a leading edge of the main pole. The near-field light generating element is located on a leading side of the main pole and capable of creating a heating spot due to a near-field light on a near-field light generating end face appearing on the medium-facing surface. The bit inversion starting region is located within one-half of a diameter of the heating spot from a center of the heating spot.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a magnetic pole and a heating element. The magnetic pole has a front end face located in a medium facing surface. The magnetic pole forms on a track a distribution of write magnetic field strength that peaks at a first position on the track. The heating element forms on the track a distribution of temperature that peaks at a second position on the track. The first position is located on the trailing side relative to the second position. The front end face of the magnetic pole has a main portion and first and second extended portions. The first and second extended portions are extended in the track width direction from the main portion at positions on the leading side relative to the center of the main portion in the direction of travel of a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally assisted magnetic head with improved recording performance. The thermally assisted magnetic head includes a recording element and a near-field light generating element. The recording element includes a main pole appearing on a medium-facing surface, and a bit inversion starting region intended to be a maximum recording magnetic field generating position is formed at a leading edge of the main pole. The near-field light generating element is located on a leading side of the main pole and capable of creating a heating spot due to a near-field light on a near-field light generating end face appearing on the medium-facing surface. The bit inversion starting region is located within one-half of a diameter of the heating spot from a center of the heating spot.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a magnetic pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator and the magnetic pole are disposed to align in the direction of travel of a magnetic recording medium. The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head further includes an amorphous layer made of a nonmagnetic metal, the amorphous layer being interposed between and in contact with the plasmon generator and the magnetic pole.