Abstract: An electrical lap guide having a first layer, the first layer including a material having a first resistivity, the first layer having first and second contact regions for electrically connecting the electrical lap guide to electrical leads; a second layer, the second layer including a material having a second resistivity, wherein the electrical lapping guide has a lapping axis and a layered axis, the layered axis being perpendicular to the lapping axis, the electrical lapping guide has an air bearing plane, the air bearing plane being perpendicular to the lapping axis, the second layer is disposed adjacent to a portion of the first layer in the direction of the layered axis, and the first layer extends farther in the lapping axis than does the second layer.

Abstract: A method fabricates a transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The method includes providing at least one near-field transducer (NFT) film and providing an electronic lapping guide (ELG) film substantially coplanar with a portion of the at least one NFT film. The method also includes defining a disk portion of an NFT from the portion of the at least one NFT film and at least one ELG from the ELG film. The disk portion corresponds to a critical dimension of the NFT from an ABS location. The method also includes lapping the at least one transducer. The lapping is terminated based on a signal from the ELG.

Abstract: A method of forming a near field transducer (NFT) for energy assisted magnetic recording is disclosed. A structure comprising an NFT metal layer and a first hardmask layer over the NFT metal layer is provided A first patterned hardmask is formed from the first hardmask layer, the first patterned hardmask disposed over a disk section and a pin section of the NFT to be formed. An etch process is performed on the NFT metal layer via the first patterned hardmask, the etch process forming the NFT having the disk section and the pin section.

Abstract: A method and system provide an EAMR transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) that resides near a media during use. The EAMR transducer includes a write pole, coil(s), a near field transducer (NFT), a waveguide, and a reflective grating. The write pole writes to a region of the media. The coil(s) energize the write pole. The NFT is proximate to the ABS and focuses the energy onto the media. The waveguide is configured to direct the energy from the laser toward the NFT at an incident angle with respect to the ABS. A first portion of the energy reflects off of the ABS at a reflected angle. The reflective grating receives the first portion of the energy at the reflected angle from the ABS and reflects a second portion of the energy toward the ABS. The NFT resides between at least part of the waveguide and the reflective grating.

Abstract: An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser is described. The EAMR transducer has an air-bearing surface (ABS) residing near a media during use. The laser provides energy. The transducer includes a waveguide, a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS, a write pole, a heat spreader, and at least one coil. The waveguide directs the energy from the laser toward the ABS. The NFT is optically coupled with the waveguide, focuses the energy onto the media, and includes a disk having an NFT width. The write pole writes to the media. The heat spreader is thermally coupled with the NFT. A first portion of the heat spreader is between the NFT and the pole, is between the ABS and a second portion of the heat spreader, and has a first width. The second portion has a second width greater than the first width.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an optical grating are described. The optical grating is configured for light of a wavelength. The optical grating includes a top cladding, a core, and bottom cladding. The core resides between the bottom cladding and the top cladding. The core includes a plurality of discrete ridges spaced apart by a nonlinear pitch. The light traverses the top cladding before the core and has a plurality of angles of incidence with the core. The nonlinear pitch of the core is larger for a larger angle of incidence of the plurality of angles of incidence.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetic device is described. A mask removing layer is formed on a layered sensing stack and a hard mask layer is formed on the mask removing layer. A first reactive ion etch is performed with a non-oxygen-based chemistry to define the hard mask layer using an imaged layer formed on the hard mask layer as a mask. A second reactive ion etch is performed with an oxygen-based chemistry to define the mask removing stop layer using the defined hard mask layer as a mask. A third reactive ion etch is performed to define the layered sensing stack using the hard mask layer as a mask. The third reactive ion etch includes an etching chemistry that performs at a lower etching rate on the hard mask layer than on the layered sensing stack.

Abstract: An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer coupled with a laser is described. The EAMR transducer has an air-bearing surface (ABS) residing near a media during use. The laser provides energy. The transducer includes a waveguide, a near field transducer (NFT) proximate to the ABS, a write pole and at least one coil. The waveguide directs the energy from the laser toward the ABS. The NFT is optically coupled with the waveguide and focuses the energy onto a region of the media. The write pole writes to the region of the media. The write pole has a magnetic portion and a nonmagnetic liner. The magnetic portion has a plurality of sides and a pole thermal conductivity. The nonmagnetic liner is adjacent to at least the sides of the magnetic portion, and has a liner thermal conductivity greater than the pole thermal conductivity. The coil(s) are for energizing the write pole.

Abstract: A method and system for fabricating transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) is described. The method and system include providing at least one near-field transducer (NFT) film and providing an electronic lapping guide (ELG) film substantially coplanar with a portion of the at least one NFT film. The method and system also include defining a disk portion of an NFT from the portion of the at least one NFT film and at least one ELG from the ELG film. The disk portion corresponds to a critical dimension of the NFT from an ABS location. The method and system also include lapping the at least one transducer. The lapping is terminated based on a signal from the ELG.

Abstract: In some examples, a system comprising a data storage member including a magnetic storage medium, the magnetic storage medium having a plurality of magnetic bit domains aligned on at least one data track, where a transition boundary between respective magnetic bit domains defines a transition curvature. The system may further comprise a magnetic read head including a first shield layer, a second shield layer, and a read sensor stack provided proximate to the first and second shield layers, where the magnetic read head senses a magnetic field of each of the plurality of magnetic bit domains according to a read playback sensitivity function. In some examples, the shield layers and read sensor stack may be configured to provide a reader playback sensitivity function that substantially corresponds to the shape of the respective magnetic bit domains.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor having a trilayer sensor stack with two ferromagnetic freelayers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer is disclosed. The sensor is biased with a back biasing magnet adjacent a back of the trilayer sensor. The back biasing magnet, the trilayer sensor stack, or both have substantially trapezoidal shapes to enhance the biasing field and to minimize noise. In some embodiments, the trilayer sensor or back bias magnet have a shape designed to stabilize a micromagnetic “C” shape or concentrate magnetic flux in the trilayer sensor stack.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetic device is described. A mask removing layer is formed on a layered sensing stack and a hard mask layer is formed on the mask removing layer. A first reactive ion etch is performed with a non-oxygen-based chemistry to define the hard mask layer using an imaged layer formed on the hard mask layer as a mask. A second reactive ion etch is performed with an oxygen-based chemistry to define the mask removing stop layer using the defined hard mask layer as a mask. A third reactive ion etch is performed to define the layered sensing stack using the hard mask layer as a mask. The third reactive ion etch includes an etching chemistry that performs at a lower etching rate on the hard mask layer than on the layered sensing stack.

Abstract: An electrical lap guide having a first layer, the first layer including a material having a first resistivity, the first layer having first and second contact regions for electrically connecting the electrical lap guide to electrical leads; a second layer, the second layer including a material having a second resistivity, wherein the electrical lapping guide has a lapping axis and a layered axis, the layered axis being perpendicular to the lapping axis, the electrical lapping guide has an air bearing plane, the air bearing plane being perpendicular to the lapping axis, the second layer is disposed adjacent to a portion of the first layer in the direction of the layered axis, and the first layer extends farther in the lapping axis than does the second layer.

Abstract: Aspects include methods to produce pattern media templates and the templates. A pattern of resist structures is formed on a first material layer. A conformal layer of a second material is deposited on the resist pattern, covering tops and side walls of the resist structures. The first material is more resistant to ion milling than the second material, and less resistant to plasma etching than the second material. The first material can be amorphous carbon and the second material can be aluminum oxide. The second material is removed on the tops, and preserved on the side walls. The resist structures and portions of the first layer not supporting second layer material are removed by plasma. The remaining structure is 2× denser than the resist pattern. Conformal deposition of second material and ion milling can be repeated.