Patent ID: 7126789

Claim:
A process to manufacture a planar magnetic write head, having an air bearing surface, comprising: providing a lower magnetic shield layer; forming a disc of dielectric material on said lower magnetic shield layer; forming, on said disc, a copper coil having at least 7 turns and a DC resistance that is less than about 5 ohms; depositing and then patterning a layer of ferromagnetic material to form a lower pole, having a top surface, that includes a centrally located trench on whose floor rest said dielectric disc and copper coil; depositing a layer of baked photoresist to a thickness that is sufficient to cover said coil and to extend at least 1 micron above the top surface of the lower pole; by means of chemical mechanical polishing, planarizing until said copper coil and said lower pole are just exposed; depositing, and then patterning, an insulating layer to form a lid that fully covers said coil and said trench; depositing a first layer of high permeability material and then patterning said first layer of high permeability material so that it contacts only said lower pole; depositing and then planarizing a throat height defining layer on said lid whereby said throat height defining layer has a surface that is coplanar with the top surface of the lower pole; then depositing and patterning a layer of non-magnetic material to selectively coat said first layer of high permeability material and said throat height defining layer while leaving said lower pole uncovered on a side that opposes said air bearing surface, thereby forming a write gap; depositing a second layer of high permeability material onto all exposed surfaces, and then forming a top pole on said second layer of high permeability material.