Abstract: A head and a method to manufacture a head are disclosed. A slider is provided and has a mounting face that is opposite but substantially parallel to its air bearing surface. According to an example embodiment, a first plurality of layers may be deposited on the mounting face, including a tin layer, a first underlayer that comprises platinum, and an interface layer disposed between the first underlayer and the tin layer. The interface layer may comprise Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, or W. A submount with an attached laser diode may include a gold layer and be positioned adjacent to the first plurality of layers. The tin layer may then be melted so that the gold layer is dissolved therein, upon solidification attaching the submount to the mounting face by a solder layer that preferably comprises at least 45% gold by weight dissolved in tin.

Abstract: A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) writer is described. The HAMR writer includes a laser, a polarization rotation plate and a HAMR transducer. The laser provides energy having a first polarization state. The polarization rotation is plate optically coupled with the laser and changes the first polarization state to a second polarization state. The transducer has an ABS, a waveguide, a main pole, at least one coil and a near-field transducer (NFT). The polarization rotation plate is between the transducer and the laser. The waveguide is optically coupled with the laser through the polarization rotation plate and directs the energy from the polarization rotation plate toward the ABS. The NFT focuses the energy onto a media. The NFT is optically coupled with the waveguide and receives energy having a third polarization state. The main pole writes to the media and is energized by the coil(s).

Abstract: A structure includes a substrate, a metallization layer on the substrate, and a cap layer on the metallization layer, wherein the cap layer includes a cap platinum (Pt) layer on the metallization layer, and a cap gold (Au) layer deposited on the Pt cap layer. A method of bonding a laser diode submount assembly to a hard disk assembly slider includes disposing a first metallization layer on the slider, disposing a cap layer on the first metallization layer, wherein the cap layer includes a cap Pt layer on the first metallization layer, and a cap Au layer deposited on the cap Pt layer, disposing a second metallization layer on the laser diode submount assembly, and forming a solder bond between the cap layer on the slider and the second metallization layer on the laser diode submount assembly.