Patent ID: 7869160
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A perpendicular recording head comprising: a writer pole; and a top shield disposed above the writer pole and magnetically coupled thereto and including a convex surface that faces the writer pole and is proximate thereto, the convex surface being convex as viewed from the writer pole; a gap layer; the writer pole including a width and a facing surface that faces the top shield and is proximate thereto, the facing surface being concave as viewed from the top shield, a portion of the gap layer residing between the facing surface and the top shield, wherein the writer pole includes a recessed depth measured along a vertical axis of the writer pole from a bottom of the facing surface to a line between the edges of the facing surface, and a ratio of the recessed depth to a maximum thickness of the gap layer between the writer pole and the top shield is greater than about 1; and wherein the portion of the gap layer has a radius of curvature that is less than three times the width of the writer pole; wherein the convex surface includes a first edge and a second edge and wherein the top shield further includes a first shield surface, a second shield surface, and a pedestal between the first shield surface and the second shield surface, the first and second shield surfaces being substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis of the writer pole, the pedestal including the convex surface, a first pedestal surface adjoining the convex surface at the first edge and a second pedestal surface adjoining the convex surface at the second edge, the first pedestal surface residing between the convex surface and the first shield surface, the second pedestal surface residing between the convex surface and the second shield surface, the first pedestal surface extending from the first shield surface toward the writer pole, and the second pedestal surface extending from the second shield surface toward the writer pole, wherein the first pedestal surface and the second pedestal surface are parallel to the vertical axis of the writer pole.