Patent ID: 7213326

Claim:
A method of making a horizontal magnetic head having a planar head surface, comprising the steps of: forming at least one coil layer and an insulation stack with the coil layer being embedded in the insulation stack; forming first and second pole pieces with the insulation stack sandwiched between the first and second pole pieces; forming the first pole piece with a first horizontal component which is partially bounded by first and second major planar thin film surfaces joined by a first edge with the first major planar thin film surface of the first horizontal component forming a portion of the planar head surface; forming the first pole piece with a first recessed horizontal component which is recessed from and extends parallel to the planar head surface; forming the first pole piece with a slanted component which extends at an angle to an ABS and joins the first recessed horizontal component and the first horizontal component; forming the second pole piece with a second horizontal component which is partially bounded by first and second major planar thin film surfaces joined by a second edge with the first major planar thin film surface of the second horizontal component forming a portion of the planar head surface; forming a write gap layer between said first and second edges; forming a first shield layer having first and second major planar thin film surfaces joined by a third edge with the first major planar thin film surface of the first shield layer forming a portion of the planar head surface; forming a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor and first and second gap layers with the MR sensor sandwiched between the first and second gap layers and the first and second gap layers located between the third edge and the first horizontal component and with the MR sensor and the first and second gap layers forming portions of the planar head surface; and forming an insulation layer between the MR sensor, the first and second gap layer, the first shield layer, the first horizontal component and the first recessed horizontal component so as to separate the MR sensor, the first and second gap layers, the first shield layer and the first horizontal component from the first recessed horizontal component.