Patent ID: 7748103

Claim:
A method for making a perpendicular magnetic recording write head having a write pole and a notched trailing shield comprising: depositing on a substrate, a layer of magnetic write pole material having the desired thickness for the write pole; depositing a thin nonmagnetic mask film on the write pole; forming a patterned resist layer on the thin nonmagnetic mask film; etching the thin nonmagnetic mask film and the write pole substantially to the substrate to leave the write pole with the thin nonmagnetic mask film in regions covered by the patterned resist layer, where the write pole is formed into a beveled shape; covering the patterned resist layer, the thin nonmagnetic mask film, and the write pole with nonmagnetic filler material, such that sides of the write pole are filled with the nonmagnetic filler material; removing a portion of the nonmagnetic filler material, leaving a thickness of the nonmagnetic filler material greater than a thickness of the write pole; removing the patterned resist layer to leave an opening in the remaining nonmagnetic filler material exposing the thin nonmagnetic mask film and the write pole; etching the thin nonmagnetic mask film and the nonmagnetic filler material at the edges of the thin nonmagnetic mask film to remove substantially all the thin nonmagnetic mask film and widen said opening; depositing into said widened opening and over the remaining nonmagnetic filler material, a gap layer of nonmagnetic material; and depositing over said gap layer, a layer of magnetic trailing shield material, the portion of said trailing shield material within said widened opening forming a trailing shield notch spaced from the write pole by the gap layer.