Patent ID: 8468683

Claim:
A method of making a write pole for a perpendicular magnetic recording write head, comprising: depositing a layer of magnetic material over a substrate, the magnetic material having a desired thickness and composition for the write pole; depositing a layer of non-magnetic material over the layer of magnetic material; depositing a polymeric underlayer over the layer of non-magnetic material; depositing a dielectric hard mask layer over the polymeric underlayer; forming a photoresist mask over the dielectric hard mask layer such that the photoresist mask covers a first portion of the dielectric hard mask layer and leaves a second portion exposed; removing the exposed second portion of the dielectric hard mask layer such that a portion of the polymeric underlayer is exposed and a dielectric hard mask is formed; removing the exposed polymeric underlayer to expose the layer of non-magnetic material and to form a polymeric underlayer mask that is tapered from the dielectric hard mask to the layer of non-magnetic material, the removing also resulting in removal of the photoresist mask formed over the dielectric hard mask; removing the exposed portions of the layer of non-magnetic material to expose the layer of magnetic material; and removing exposed portions of the layer of magnetic material to form a write pole that is tapered from the polymeric underlayer mask to the substrate at an angle of greater than 10 degrees and up to 20 degrees.