US 12,249,357 B2
Single-grain near-field transducer and process for forming same
Michael Christopher Kautzky, Eagan, MN (US); Tong Zhao, Eden Prairie, MN (US); Li Wan, Prior Lake, MN (US); and Xiaolu Kou, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 11, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/410,008.
Application 18/410,008 is a division of application No. 17/877,434, filed on Jul. 29, 2022, granted, now 11,935,567.
Application 17/877,434 is a division of application No. 16/252,167, filed on Jan. 18, 2019, granted, now 11,423,928, issued on Aug. 23, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/619,368, filed on Jan. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0185882 A1, Jun. 6, 2024
Int. Cl. G11B 5/31 (2006.01); C30B 25/04 (2006.01); G11B 5/105 (2006.01); G11B 5/127 (2006.01); G11B 5/84 (2006.01); G11B 7/124 (2012.01); H01L 33/00 (2010.01); G11B 5/00 (2006.01); G11B 5/60 (2006.01)
CPC G11B 5/314 (2013.01) [C30B 25/04 (2013.01); G11B 5/105 (2013.01); G11B 5/1272 (2013.01); G11B 5/1278 (2013.01); G11B 5/3163 (2013.01); G11B 5/84 (2013.01); G11B 7/124 (2013.01); H01L 33/0093 (2020.05); G11B 2005/0021 (2013.01); G11B 5/6088 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
forming a metal layer on a metal seed layer, the metal layer comprising a platinum group metal and having a structure with either no grain boundaries or coherent grain boundaries only, the metal seed layer formed on a carrier wafer, wherein the metal layer is formed with a predetermined crystalline orientation relative to the carrier wafer and a surface of the metal layer defines a first metal bonding layer;
providing a second metal bonding layer on a target substrate, the target substrate comprising one or more recording head subassemblies;
activating mating surfaces of the first and second metal bonding layers; and
flipping and joining the carrier wafer with the target substrate such that the first and second metal bonding layers are bonded and the metal layer is integrated with the recording head as a near-field transducer, wherein joining the carrier wafer with the target substrate comprises rotating the carrier wafer relative to the target substrate to provide in-plane orientation control of the near-field transducer relative to an air-bearing surface of the recording head.