Patent ID: 8619514
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A thermally-assisted recording (TAR) head for writing to a magnetic recording layer comprising: a head carrier having a recording-layer-facing surface; a write pole layer on a surface generally orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface of the head carrier and having a tip at the recording-layer-facing surface; an optical waveguide layer on the head carrier oriented generally parallel to the write pole layer; a near-field transducer (NFT) layer on the head carrier oriented generally parallel to the write pole layer and located between the write pole layer and the optical waveguide layer, the NFT layer having an output tip at the recording-layer-facing surface and an input edge recessed a distance D wherein the optical waveguide layer has a thickness generally parallel to the recording-layer-facing surface, a length generally orthogonal to the recording-layer-facing surface, a width that tapers linearly from a width W