Patent ID: 8107326
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A thermally-assisted recording (TAR) head structure for a magnetic recording disk drive comprising: a slider having a disk-facing surface, a top surface opposite to said disk-facing surface, a front end, a trailing end and two sides, the slider having a height defined by the distance between the disk-facing surface and the top surface and a length defined by the distance between the front and trailing ends; a laser diode comprising a semiconductor substrate having first and second substantially parallel surfaces defining a length greater than 300 μm, the laser light being output from said second surface, and contact pads on said first surface; and a carrier connecting the laser diode to the slider and having a base connected to the contact pads on said first surface of the semiconductor substrate and at least one leg connected to the slider, the carrier and connected laser diode being located within a region bounded by upper and lower surfaces parallel with the slider top and disk-facing surfaces, respectively, the laser diode being connected to the slider with the laser's linear laser beam path aligned substantially orthogonal to said second surface of the semiconductor substrate and the trailing end of the slider.