Patent ID: 7894159

Claim:
A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording, comprising: a magnetic write pole having a trailing edge, a leading edge and first and second laterally opposed sides; first and second magnetic side shields extending laterally from the first and second laterally opposed sides of the write pole, each of the first and second side shields being separated from the write pole by a non-magnetic side gap layer at least a portion of each of the first and second magnetic shields being located within a region bounded by planes defined by the trailing and leading edges; a trailing shield formed adjacent to the trailing edge of the write pole, the trailing shield being separated from the write pole and from the first and second side shields by a non-magnetic layer; wherein: at least one of the first and second magnetic side shields has a Side Shield Throat Height (SSTH) that varies with increasing distance from the write pole; the trailing shield has a Trailing Shield Throat Height (TSTH); and SSTH and TSTH are unequal at some point along the magnetic side shield.