Abstract: The present embodiments relate to a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write head with an iridium (Ir) film. The Ir film can include a body layer and a plasmon generator (PG) film comprising Iridium with a thin Ir seed layer. The Ir seed layer can be in direct contact with a dielectric (aluminum oxide). The thickness of the Ir film can be 40 nanometers or less including both a body layer and the seed layer. Incorporating Iridium as a material used for a PG can be a high surface plasmon efficient material with also being reliable under high temperature irradiation during a heat-assisted writing process.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a magnetoresistive element includes: a step of forming a stack; a step of forming an insulating film to cover the stack; a step of forming an initial magnetic layer to cover the stack and the insulating film so that a thickness of the initial magnetic layer in a first direction is greater than a thickness of the stack in the first direction; a step of forming an organic material film on the initial magnetic layer; and an etching step of etching a part of the initial magnetic layer and the organic material film by ion beam etching so that the initial magnetic layer becomes a pair of magnetic layers.

Abstract: A waveguide includes a core and a cladding. The core has an inlet on which light is incident. The core includes a front portion and a rear portion located between the front portion and the inlet. The front portion and the rear portion each have a thickness that is a dimension in a first direction and a width that is a dimension in a second direction. The first direction is orthogonal to a propagation direction of the light. The second direction is orthogonal to the propagation direction of the light and the first direction. The thickness of the front portion decreases with increasing distance from the inlet.

Abstract: A waveguide includes a core and a cladding. The core has an inlet on which light is incident. The core includes a front portion and a rear portion located between the front portion and the inlet. The front portion and the rear portion each have a thickness that is a dimension in a first direction and a width that is a dimension in a second direction. The first direction is orthogonal to a propagation direction of the light. The second direction is orthogonal to the propagation direction of the light and the first direction. The thickness of the front portion decreases with increasing distance from the inlet.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a trailing shield, and a spin torque oscillator. A top surface of the main pole includes a first inclined portion, a second inclined portion, and a third inclined portion arranged in order of closeness to a medium facing surface. Each of the first to third inclined portions has a front end closest to the medium facing surface and a rear end farthest from the medium facing surface. Each of the first to third inclined portions is inclined relative to the medium facing surface and a direction orthogonal to the medium facing surface so that its rear end is located forward relative to its front end in a direction of travel of a recording medium.

Abstract: A write shield of a magnetic head includes a pair of first side shields and a pair of second side shields. The pair of first side shields each include a first side wall and a second side wall. The pair of second side shields each include a third side wall. The third side wall of one of the pair of second side shields is continuous with the first side wall of one of the pair of first side shields. The third side wall of the other of the pair of second side shields is continuous with the first side wall of the other of the pair of first side shields.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. A second metal layer of the plasmon generator includes a second front end facing the medium facing surface. A third metal layer of the plasmon generator includes a narrow portion located on the second metal layer. The narrow portion includes a front end face located in the medium facing surface and configured to generate near-field light from a surface plasmon, and a rear end opposite the front end face. The rear end is located farther from the medium facing surface than is the second front end.

Abstract: A near-field light generator includes a plasmon generator including a plasmon exciting portion on which a surface plasmon is excited, and a near-field transducer including a front end face that generates near-field light from the surface plasmon. The near-field transducer is formed of a first metal material. The plasmon generator includes a first portion formed of the first metal material and a second portion formed of a second metal material. The first portion is in contact with the near-field transducer. The second portion includes at least part of the plasmon exciting portion.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a lower return path section, and an accommodation section. The accommodation section accommodates at least part of the return path section. A first portion of the accommodation section has a first inclined surface. A second portion of the accommodation section has a second inclined surface. A coil element of the coil has a third inclined surface opposed to the first inclined surface, and a fourth inclined surface opposed to the second inclined surface. The lower return path section includes a first inclined portion extending along the first inclined surface, and a second inclined portion extending along the second inclined surface.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a waveguide includes forming a core including a first and a second layer. The first layer has a top surface including a first region opposed to a bottom surface of the second layer, and a second region not opposed to the bottom surface of the second layer. Forming the core includes a step of forming an initial first layer, an etching stopper layer on the second region of the top surface of the initial first layer, an initial second layer on the initial first layer and the etching stopper layer, and a step of etching the initial second layer until the etching stopper layer is exposed, to make the initial second layer into the second layer. A difference between the refractive index of the etching stopper layer and the core is smaller than or equal to 10% of the refractive index of the core.

Abstract: A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and a second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The first to fourth sidewalls have first to fourth edges, respectively, that are farthest from a top surface of a substrate. The distance between a rear end of the first edge and a rear end of the third edge in a track width direction is greater than the distance between a front end of the first edge and a front end of the third edge in the track width direction. The distance between the second edge and the fourth edge in the track width direction increases with increasing distance from the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A first side shield has a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and a second side shield has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall. The first to fourth sidewalls have first to fourth edges, respectively, that are farthest from a top surface of a substrate. The distance between a rear end of the first edge and a rear end of the third edge in a track width direction is greater than the distance between a front end of the first edge and a front end of the third edge in the track width direction. The distance between the second edge and the fourth edge in the track width direction increases with increasing distance from the medium facing surface.

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 magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section is located on the trailing side relative to the main pole so that a space is defined between the main pole and itself. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion extends to pass through the aforementioned space, and extends once around the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The second winding portion does not pass through the aforementioned space, and surrounds only a part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a medium facing surface, a coil, a main pole, a write shield, and a first and a second return path section. The first return path section is located on the leading side of the main pole. The coil includes a specific coil element passing through a space defined by main pole, a gap section, write shield and first return path section. The main pole has a bottom end including a first portion and a second portion, the second portion being farther from medium facing surface than is the first portion. The specific coil element has a rear end farthest from medium facing surface. The distance from medium facing surface to rear end of the specific coil element is smaller than or equal to the distance from the medium facing surface to the boundary between the first portion and the second portion.

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 magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section is located on the trailing side relative to the main pole so that a space is defined between the main pole and itself. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion extends to pass through the aforementioned space, and extends once around the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The second winding portion does not pass through the aforementioned space, and surrounds only a part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface.

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 magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a gap section, and a return path section. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined portion and a flat portion. The coil includes a specific coil element. The specific coil element has a front end portion, and an inclined surface contiguous with the front end portion. The write shield includes a top shield layer located on the front side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to the main pole, and located closer to a medium facing surface than the specific coil element. The top shield layer is located on the rear side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to an imaginary plane including the inclined surface of the specific coil element.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section is located on the trailing side relative to the main pole so that a space is defined between the main pole and itself. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion extends to pass through the aforementioned space, and extends once around the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The second winding portion does not pass through the aforementioned space, and surrounds only a part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface.