Patent ID: 8760803

Claim:
A write module for writing data on a magnetic recording tape, comprising: a substrate; a tape bearing surface of said substrate for engaging said magnetic recording tape; plural write elements on said substrate, each of which comprises: a first pole piece; a second pole piece; said first and second pole pieces having respective pole tips separated from each other at said tape bearing surface to form a write gap having a write gap length that represents a separation distance between said respective pole tips, and said pole tips also having a width dimension defining a write gap width; said first and second pole pieces further having respective back gap regions that are magnetically connected to each other; said write elements being constructed and arranged so that the write gaps of adjacent write elements are spaced from each other by not more than approximately one write gap width; said write gaps being staggered but generally aligned along an axis that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of said magnetic recording tape; and said write elements having a vertical construction comprising plural thin film layers of said substrate oriented in generally perpendicular relationship with said tape bearing surface, with said first pole pieces being formed in a common thin film layer of said substrate and said second pole pieces being alternatingly formed in two different thin film layers of said substrate on opposite sides of said common thin film layer, to facilitate reduced write gap spacing.