Abstract: Methods of forming near field transducers (NFTs) including electrodepositing a plasmonic material.

Abstract: A method of making a transducer head disclosed herein includes depositing a spacer layer on an NFT layer of the transducer head, forming an etch stop layer on a spacer layer of a transducer, depositing a cladding layer on the etch stop layer, and milling the cladding layer at a sloped angle such that the milling stops at the etch stop layer.

Abstract: The disclosed methods enable the production of plasmonic near-field transducers that are useful in heat-assisted magnetic recording. The plasmonic near-field transducers have an enlarged region and a peg region. The peg region includes a peg region in proximity to an air-bearing surface above a recording medium and also includes a flared region between and in contact with the enlarged region and the peg region. The flared region can act as a heat sink and can lower the thermal resistance of the peg portion of the near-field transducer, thus reducing its temperature.

Abstract: When opaque films are deposited on semi-conductor wafers, underlying alignment marks may be concealed. The re-exposure of such alignment marks is one source of resulting surface topography. In accordance with one implementation, alignment marks embedded in a wafer may be exposed by removing material from one or more layers and by replacing such material with a transparent material. In accordance with another implementation, the amount of material removed in an alignment mark recovery process may be mitigated by selectively ashing or etching above a stop layer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for fabricating an optical device that includes depositing an etch stop material to form an etch stop layer, wherein the etch stop material has a refractive index in the infrared wavelength range, n1; depositing a core material to form a core layer, wherein the core material has a refractive index in the infrared wavelength range, n2; and etching the core layer using a halide based etch process, wherein the etch stop material has an etch rate in the halide based etch process and the core material has an etch rate in the halide based etch process, wherein the etch rate of the core material is at least about five times higher than the etch rate of the etch stop material, and wherein n1 is not greater than n2.

Abstract: A magnetic writer has at least a write pole with a first partial side shield and a second partial side shield. The write pole has a leading edge and a trailing edge along an air bearing surface (ABS) and a first side and a second side along an axis orthogonal to the ABS. The first partial side shield is separated from the first side of the write pole and extends from adjacent the write pole from the trailing edge to a location intermediate that trailing edge and the leading edge.

Abstract: A transducer includes magnetic material formed on a substrate that is shaped to include a trailing edge, a leading edge and a pair of opposing sidewalls extending between the trailing edge and the leading edge. A layer of protective material is positioned in contact with each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material. Backfill material surrounds the protective material on each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material.

Abstract: A magnetic writer includes a write pole, a first partial shield and a second partial shield. The write pole has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side and a second side. The first partial side shield is located on the first side of the write pole, and the second partial side shield is located on the second side of the write pole. The first partial side shield and the second partial side shield extend along side of the write pole from the trailing edge to a location intermediate that trailing edge and the leading edge so that the first partial side shield and the second partial side shield do not shield the leading edge.