Patent ID: 7911883
Filing Date: 2011-03-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A near-field light generating device comprising: an encasing layer having a top surface and a groove that opens in the top surface; and a near-field light generating element that is accommodated in the groove and has a near-field light generating part, a surface plasmon being excited based on light and propagating to the near-field light generating part, the near-field light generating part generating near-field light based on the surface plasmon, wherein: the groove has a first sidewall and a second sidewall that decrease in distance from each other with increasing distance from the top surface of the encasing layer; the near-field light generating element has an outer surface, the outer surface including: a first end face that includes the near-field light generating part; a second end face opposite to the first end face; and a coupling portion that couples the first end face and the second end face to each other; a length of the near-field light generating element in a direction perpendicular to the first end face is greater than a length of the first end face in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the encasing layer; the coupling portion includes a top surface, a first side surface that is opposed to the first sidewall, and a second side surface that is opposed to the second sidewall, a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface decreasing with increasing distance from the top surface of the coupling portion; the first end face includes: a first side that is located at an end of the first side surface; a second side that is located at an end of the second side surface; a third side that is located at an end of the top surface of the coupling portion; and a pointed tip that is formed by contact of the first and second sides with each other and constitutes the near-field light generating part; each of the first side and the second side includes an upper part and a lower part that are continuous with each other; and an angle formed between the lower part of the first side and the lower part of the second side is smaller than that formed between the upper part of the first side and the upper part of the second side.