Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a medium facing surface, a magnetic pole, a waveguide including a core and a cladding, and a plasmon generator. The magnetic pole is located forward of the core in the direction of travel of a magnetic recording medium. The plasmon generator is disposed between the core and the magnetic pole. The core has an evanescent light generating surface facing toward the plasmon generator. The plasmon generator has a front end face located in the medium facing surface, a flat surface facing toward the'evanescent light generating surface, and first and second side surfaces that are at a distance from each other and are located farther from the evanescent light generating surface than is the flat surface.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic write head includes a magnetic pole having an end surface exposed at an air bearing surface, a waveguide extending toward the air bearing surface to propagate light, and a plasmon generator provided between the magnetic pole and the waveguide, and generating near-field light from the air bearing surface, based on the light propagated through the waveguide. The plasmon generator has an end portion exposed at the air bearing surface or located in close proximity to the air bearing surface, the end portion having a minimum thickness in a region close to the waveguide.

Abstract: It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a forming method for a resist pattern to reduce a resist residue in forming the resist pattern on a step whose gradient angle is equal to 90 degrees or more. A forming method for a resist pattern to reduce a resist residue on a step is provided, the method comprising: forming resist film with coating resist containing photo-acid-generator on a step formed on a substrate, where gradient angle of the step is equal to 90 degrees or more, exposing said resist film and generating acid from said photo-acid-generator.

Abstract: A drive device capable of engaging a drive shaft and a part holding the drive shaft with a suitable force without accompanying increase in the size of the drive device. The drive device includes a couple member with a piezoelectric element and a transmission shaft coupled together, a lens holder that holds a lens and to which the couple member is secured, a biasing member that biases the transmission shaft in a direction intersecting a placement direction of the transmission shaft viewed from the lens holder (excluding a lengthwise direction of the transmission shaft), and a link member (link body) that holds the transmission shaft in a slidable manner together with the biasing member.

Abstract: Provided is a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head capable of setting the near-field light (NFL-) emission point to be sufficiently close to the write-field-generating portion. The head comprises a magnetic pole, a waveguide propagating light, and a NFL-generator coupled with the light in surface plasmon mode. The NFL-generator comprises a propagation edge extending to the NFL-generating end surface, at least a portion of the propagation edge being opposed to the waveguide with a distance, and the magnetic pole has a surface contact with a surface portion of the NFL-generator including no propagation edge. Therefore, the distance between the magnetic-pole end surface and the NFL-generating end surface becomes zero. The propagation edge is not contacted with the magnetic pole. Accordingly, the surface plasmon can propagate along on the propagation edge without being absorbed by the pole. Thus, the NFL-emission point is ensured to be at the end point of the propagation edge.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: a medium facing surface; a magnetic pole; a waveguide including a core and a cladding; a plasmon generator; and a protruding member. The protruding member is disposed between the medium facing surface and a front end face of the core facing toward the medium facing surface. The protruding member has a first end face located in the medium facing surface, and a second end face facing toward the front end face of the core and receiving light having propagated through the core and passed through the front end face. The protruding member is formed of a metal different from both a material forming the magnetic pole and a material forming the plasmon generator. The protruding member is heated and expanded by the light received at the second end face, so that the first end face gets protruded toward a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The main pole has a front end face including first and second ends that are opposite in a track width direction. An arbitrary cross section of the main pole that passes through an arbitrary point on the front end face and is perpendicular to a medium facing surface and to the track width direction has a length in a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface. When the arbitrary point on the front end face is located at a center of the front end face in the track width direction, the length of the arbitrary cross section is smaller than that when the arbitrary point is located at the first end and that when the arbitrary point is located at the second end.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic write head includes a magnetic pole having an end surface exposed at an air bearing surface, a waveguide extending toward the air bearing surface to propagate light, and a plasmon generator provided between the magnetic pole and the waveguide, and generating near-field light from the air bearing surface, based on the light propagated through the waveguide. The plasmon generator has an end portion exposed at the air bearing surface or located in close proximity to the air bearing surface, the end portion having a minimum thickness in a region close to the waveguide.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a waveguide, a near-field optical device which emits near-field light from a near-field-light-generating end surface that forms a portion of an opposed-to-medium surface, and a magnetic pole generates write field from its end on the opposed-to-medium surface side. The near-field optical device includes a contact-to-waveguide surface, and a propagation edge configured to propagate there on the surface plasmon excited by the light. A gap between a near-field optical device-opposed surface of the magnetic pole and the propagation edge of the near-field optical device is larger at a section far from the end on the opposed-to-medium surface side than that at a section near the opposed-to-medium surface side.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head capable of a satisfying thermally-assisted magnetic recording without depending on the use of a near-field light generator is provided. The head comprises a waveguide and a main magnetic pole having a main pole tip. Further, at least a portion of the main pole tip is embedded in a groove provided in the upper surface of the waveguide. Further, a second clad layer is provided on the first clad layer and on a rear side from the main pole tip. This configuration of the first and second clad layers suppresses the absorption of the light propagating through the waveguide by the main magnetic pole. Further, the configuration in which at least a portion of the main pole tip is embedded in the groove can cause the distance between the light spot center of the waveguide and the main magnetic pole to be sufficiently small.

Abstract: A plasmon generator has an outer surface including a propagation edge, and has a near-field light generating part lying at an end of the propagation edge and located in a medium facing surface. The propagation edge faces an evanescent light generating surface of a waveguide's core with a predetermined distance therebetween and extends in a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface. The propagation edge is arc-shaped in a cross section parallel to the medium facing surface. The plasmon generator includes a shape changing portion in which a radius of curvature of the propagation edge in the cross section parallel to the medium facing surface continuously decreases with decreasing distance to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A plasmon generator has an outer surface including a plasmon exciting part, and has a near-field light generating part located in a medium facing surface. The plasmon exciting part faces an evanescent light generating surface of a waveguide's core with a predetermined distance therebetween. The outer surface of the plasmon generator further includes first and second inclined surfaces that are each connected to the plasmon exciting part. The first and second inclined surfaces increase in distance from each other with increasing distance from the plasmon exciting part. The plasmon generator includes a shape changing portion where the angle of inclination of each of the first and second inclined surfaces with respect to the evanescent light generating surface increases continuously with decreasing distance to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: Provided is a near-field light generator capable of avoiding a noise to the generated near-field light. The generator comprises a waveguide and a plasmon antenna comprising a propagation surface or edge, for propagating surface plasmon, extending to a near-field light generating end. A portion of one side surface of the waveguide is opposed to a portion of the propagation surface or edge, so as for the waveguide light to be coupled with the plasmon antenna. And an end surface of the waveguide is inclined in such a way as to become away from the plasmon antenna toward the near-field light generating end side. The light that propagates through the waveguide and is not transformed into surface plasmon is refracted or totally reflected in the inclined end surface, does not come close to the generated near-field light, thus does not become a noise for the generated near-field light.

Abstract: A near-field light generating device includes: a waveguide having a groove that opens in the top surface; a clad layer disposed on the top surface of the waveguide and having an opening that is contiguous to the groove; a near-field light generating element accommodated in the opening; and a buffer layer interposed between the near-field light generating element and each of the waveguide and the clad layer in the groove and the opening. The near-field light generating element includes: first and second side surfaces that decrease in distance from each other toward the groove; an edge part that connects the first and second side surfaces to each other and is opposed to the groove with the buffer layer therebetween; and a near-field light generating part that lies at one end of the edge part and generates near-field light.

Abstract: An outer surface of a plasmon generator includes: a plasmon exciting part that faces an evanescent light generating surface with a predetermined distance therebetween; and a front end face located in a medium facing surface. The plasmon generator has: first and second sidewall parts that are connected to the plasmon exciting part and increase in distance from each other with increasing distance from the plasmon exciting part; and at least one extended portion connected to an edge of at least one of the first and second sidewall parts opposite from the plasmon exciting part. A magnetic pole has a portion interposed between the first and second sidewall parts. The front end face includes first and second portions lying at ends of the first and second sidewall parts and connected to each other into a V-shape. An end face of the magnetic pole has a portion interposed between the first and second portions of the front end face.

Abstract: A drive device capable of engaging a drive shaft and a part holding the drive shaft with a suitable force without accompanying increase in the size of the drive device. The drive device includes a couple member with a piezoelectric element and a transmission shaft coupled together, a lens holder that holds a lens and to which the couple member is secured, a biasing member that biases the transmission shaft in a direction intersecting a placement direction of the transmission shaft viewed from the lens holder (excluding a lengthwise direction of the transmission shaft), and a link member (link body) that holds the transmission shaft in a slidable manner together with the biasing member.

Abstract: An outer surface of a plasmon generator includes: a plasmon exciting part that faces an evanescent light generating surface with a predetermined distance therebetween; and a front end face located in a medium facing surface. The plasmon generator has: first and second sidewall parts that are connected to the plasmon exciting part and increase in distance from each other with increasing distance from the plasmon exciting part; and at least one extended portion connected to an edge of at least one of the first and second sidewall parts opposite from the plasmon exciting part. A magnetic pole has a portion interposed between the first and second sidewall parts. The front end face includes first and second portions lying at ends of the first and second sidewall parts and connected to each other into a V-shape. An end face of the magnetic pole has a portion interposed between the first and second portions of the front end face.

Abstract: A plasmon generator has an outer surface including a plasmon exciting part that faces an evanescent light generating surface of a waveguide. The outer surface further includes first and second inclined surfaces that increase in distance from each other with increasing distance from the plasmon exciting part, and a front end face. The front end face has first and second portions that are connected to each other into a V-shape. The first portion includes a first side lying at an end of the first inclined surface. The second portion includes a second side lying at an end of the second inclined surface. An angle formed between a lower part of the first side and a lower part of the second side is smaller than that formed between an upper part of the first side and an upper part of the second side.

Abstract: A plasmon generator has an outer surface including a plasmon exciting part that faces an evanescent light generating surface of a waveguide. The outer surface further includes first and second inclined surfaces that increase in distance from each other with increasing distance from the plasmon exciting part, and a front end face. The front end face has first and second portions that are connected to each other into a V-shape. The first portion includes a first side lying at an end of the first inclined surface. The second portion includes a second side lying at an end of the second inclined surface. An angle formed between a lower part of the first side and a lower part of the second side is smaller than that formed between an upper part of the first side and an upper part of the second side.

Abstract: A near-field light generating device includes: a waveguide; a buffer layer disposed on the top surface of the waveguide; an adhesion layer that is formed by incompletely oxidizing a metal layer and disposed on the buffer layer; and a near-field light generating element disposed on the adhesion layer. The adhesion layer has a resistance-area product higher than that of the metal layer unoxidized and lower than that of a layer that is formed by completely oxidizing the metal layer. A layered structure consisting of the buffer layer, the adhesion layer and the near-field light generating element has a peel-test adhesive strength higher than that of a layered structure consisting of the buffer layer and the near-field light generating element.