Read/write performance and reliability of a flying optical head using a monolithically integrated LD-PD

A flying head using the switching characteristics of an optically switched laser diode is shown to have an excellent read/write performance and head-disk interface. This head consists of an aluminum nitride slider and a 1.3-microm wavelength InGaAsP laser diode monolithically integrated with a photodetector (LD-PD). A ridged waveguide is fabricated on top of the LD facet to converge the light beam. The lensless flying head has a minimum power of 18 mW for writing information (at 1 MHz) at a medium velocity of 7 m/s. The disk has a SiN protective layer over a SbTeGe phase-change recording medium. The head signal remains good after more than 5 x 10(4) contact start/stop cycles and 4.4 x 10(8) passes in an experimental room environment.