Patent ID: 8116176
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A thermally assisted magnetic head-slider having a recording/reproducing element that is configured to record and reproduce information and is disposed on an air-bearing surface side, a near-field light element that is configured to generate near-field light and is disposed on the air-bearing surface side, a semiconductor laser unit that serves as a light source for heating and is disposed on a surface different from the air-bearing surface side, and an optical waveguide that has a clad part and a core part guiding light from the semiconductor laser unit to a near-field light element, wherein a metal film having an aperture at a part through which the light from the semiconductor laser unit passes is disposed between the surface different from the air-bearing surface side and the semiconductor laser unit, a material to adjust refractive index is disposed in the aperture, a bottom surface of the metal film including the material to adjust refractive index is disposed to be in close contact with the surface different from the air-bearing surface side, and the semiconductor laser unit is disposed to be in close contact with a top surface of the metal film including the material to adjust refractive index.