Patent ID: 8289647

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a magnetic recording write element including a main pole, the main pole having a leading edge and an opposing trailing edge and a first side surface and a second side surface separating the leading edge from the trailing edge; a first side magnetic shield positioned adjacent the first side surface and a second side magnetic shield positioned adjacent to the second side surface; a first side shield gap separates the first side shield from the first side surface of the main pole; a second side shield gap separates the second side shield from the second side surface of the main pole; a front magnetic shield is separated from the main pole trailing edge by a front shield gap; and an exposed side shield surface and a parallel exposed front shield portion define a recess extending into the front shield adjacent to the trailing edge, and parallel to the trailing edge, the recess extends laterally away from the main pole and into the front shield a distance greater than the first side shield gap or second side shield gap, the recess extends over the first side shield a distance in a range from 0.25-2 times the first side shield gap distance and the recess extends over the second side shield a distance in a range from 0.25-2 times the second side shield gap distance.