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Nanoscale thermal transport aspects of heat-assisted magnetic recording devices and materials

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Abstract

Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) relies on careful management of heat flow at the nanoscale. This article describes the heat-transfer aspects of such a system that must be considered above and beyond standard Fourier’s Law-based heat conduction. A background on nanoscale heat transport is provided that discusses energy carriers and the role of interfaces and microstructure in nanoscale conduction. These heat-transport concepts are applied to the key components of the HAMR system—the head (principally, the near-field transducer [NFT]) and the magnetic medium. This analysis frames the central challenge of thermal engineering for a HAMR system—getting the medium hot enough while maintaining a NFT that it is cool enough to avoid degradation over time. Of particular note are discussions on the role of the interface thermal conductance in the NFT and the importance of thermal anisotropy in the medium due to its granular microstructure.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

    James A. Bain

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

    Jonathan A. Malen

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

    Minyoung Jeong

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

    Turga Ganapathy

Authors
  1. James A. Bain
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  2. Jonathan A. Malen
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  3. Minyoung Jeong
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  4. Turga Ganapathy
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Correspondence to James A. Bain.

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Bain, J.A., Malen, J.A., Jeong, M. et al. Nanoscale thermal transport aspects of heat-assisted magnetic recording devices and materials. MRS Bulletin 43, 112–118 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2018.6

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