Slider with integrated thermally-assisted recording (TAR) head and integrated long laser diode

• Main Authors: STRAND TIMOTHY CARL, HIRANO TOSHIKI, STIPE BARRY CUSHING
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.01.2012
• Subjects: INFORMATION STORAGE; INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORDCARRIER AND TRANSDUCER; PHYSICS

A thermally-assisted recording (TAR) slider has an integrated TAR head and an integrated laser diode. The laser diode may be an external-cavity VCSEL that includes a semiconductor substrate with the VCSEL formed on one surface, an external cavity on the opposite surface, and an output third mirror on the output surface of the external cavity. The TAR head is integrated with the slider at the trailing end and includes an optical waveguide having a grating coupler oriented in a plane generally parallel to the slider trailing end, and a near-field transducer (NFT) at the slider air-bearing surface (ABS) and coupled to the waveguide. A carrier is attached to the slider and has a base portion that supports the external-cavity VCSEL so that the linear path of its output laser beam is aligned with and oriented orthogonal to the plane of the grating coupler. The grating coupler receives the laser radiation and turns it 90 degrees into the waveguide, which directs the laser radiation to the NFT at the ABS.