Patent ID: 6473384
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
An optical head comprising:a slider supported by a suspension arm such that a load weight is placed on the suspension arm, the load weight being counterbalanced by an air bearing force generated by movement of the slider relative to a recording medium so as to produce a clearance between the recording medium and the slider; a flexible structure linking the slider to the suspension arm so that a posture of the slider relative to the suspension arm can be changed; an arm-to-slider light guiding structure for guiding light between the suspension arm and the slider; a minute aperture formed at a bottom face of the slider for interacting with the recording medium via near-field light; and an in-slider light guiding structure for guiding light between the surface of the slider and the aperture; wherein information is recorded to and/or read from the recording medium based on the scattering of near-field light between the recording medium and the aperture while the slider is being scanned over the surface of the recording medium; and wherein the flexible structure is integrated with the arm-to-slider light guiding structure.