Near-field transducer with compositionally graded material for heat assisted magnetic recording

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a HAMR head. The HAMR head includes a main pole, a waveguide and a NFT disposed between the main pole and the waveguide. The NFT includes an antenna, and the antenna is made of a compound that has a composition that varies based on the location within the antenna. In one embodiment, the antenna has a surface at a media facing surface (MFS) and the surface has an apex, and the composition of the compound varies from the apex in a direction away from the apex. The apex has the highest temperature during the operation of the HAMR head, and having a composition that is thermally stable at the apex helps achieve higher reliability.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat assisted magnetic recording head, comprising:
 a main pole;   a waveguide; and   a near-field transducer disposed between the main pole and the waveguide, wherein the near-field transducer comprises an antenna, wherein the antenna includes a first surface at a media facing surface, and wherein the antenna comprises a compound having a composition that varies from the media facing surface in a direction perpendicular to the media facing surface.   
     
     
         2 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 1 , wherein the composition of the compound of the antenna includes a primal material and one or more additive materials, wherein the composition of the compound of the antenna further includes a highest amount of the one or more additive materials at the media facing surface, and the amount of the one or more additive materials decreases from the media facing surface in the direction that is perpendicular to the media facing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 2 , wherein the primal material is selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, or Al, and a composite material having two to four elements selected from Au, Ag, Cu and Al. 
     
     
         4 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more additive materials are selected from the group consisting of Rh, Co, Ni, Pt, Pd, Ru, B, Mo, W, Ti, Ir and Re. 
     
     
         5 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more additive materials are selected from the group consisting of Rh, Co, Ni, Pt, Pd, Ru, B, Mo, W, Ti, Ir and Re. 
     
     
         6 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 2 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is linear. 
     
     
         7 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 2 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is exponential. 
     
     
         8 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 2 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is polynomial. 
     
     
         9 . The heat assisted magnetic recording head of  claim 2 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is step-wise. 
     
     
         10 . A hard disk drive, comprising:
 a magnetic media;   a magnetic read head; and   a heat assisted magnetic recording magnetic write head, wherein the heat assisted magnetic recording magnetic write head comprises:
 a main pole; 
 a waveguide; and 
 a near-field transducer disposed between the main pole and the waveguide, wherein the near-field transducer comprises an antenna, wherein the antenna includes a first surface at a media facing surface, and wherein the antenna comprises a compound having a composition that varies from the media facing surface in a direction perpendicular to the media facing surface. 
   
     
     
         11 . The hard disk drive of  claim 10 , wherein the composition of the compound of the antenna includes a primal material and one or more additive materials, wherein the composition of the compound of the antenna further includes a highest amount of the one or more additive materials at the media facing surface, and the amount of the one or more additive materials decreases from the media facing surface in the direction that is perpendicular to the media facing surface. 
     
     
         12 . The hard disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein the primal material is selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, or Al, and a composite material having two to four elements selected from Au, Ag, Cu and Al. 
     
     
         13 . The hard disk drive of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more additive materials are selected from the group consisting of Rh, Co, Ni, Pt, Pd, Ru, B, Mo, W, Ti, Ir and Re. 
     
     
         14 . The hard disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more additive materials are selected from the group consisting of Rh, Co, Ni, Pt, Pd, Ru, B, Mo, W, Ti, Ir and Re. 
     
     
         15 . The hard disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is linear. 
     
     
         16 . The hard disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is exponential. 
     
     
         17 . The hard disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is polynomial. 
     
     
         18 . The hard disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein the decrease in the amount of the one or more additive materials in the primal materials is step-wise.