Patent ID: 7952831

Claim:
A perpendicular magnetic recording write head for magnetizing regions in data tracks of a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic recording disk comprising: a magnetic write pole having a substantially planar end for facing the recording layer and a generally straight trailing edge oriented generally orthogonal to the along-the-track direction and having a width in the cross-track direction for defining a write pole trackwidth, the magnetic write pole being partially surrounded by a nonmagnetic material; a trailing shield having an end generally coplanar with the write pole end, the trailing shield having a generally trapezoidal-shaped notch spaced from the write pole trailing edge, the trailing shield notch having a front edge facing the write pole trailing edge with a width generally equal to the write pole trailing edge and a back edge substantially wider than the write pole trailing edge; and nonmagnetic gap material filling the gap between the trailing edge of the write pole and the front edge of the trailing shield notch, the nonmagnetic gap material comprising a nonmagnetic mask film on and in contact with the trailing edge of the write pole, a nonmagnetic metal film on and in contact with the mask film, and a nonmagnetic gap layer on and in contact with the metal film, the gap layer being a material different than the nonmagnetic material partially surrounding the write pole and extending in the cross-track direction substantially wider than the trackwidth.