Patent ID: 8082658

Claim:
A method of controlling a lapping process for lapping conductive material from a row of recording heads, wherein the conductive material was deposited on an air bearing surface (ABS) of the row of recording heads during an ABS damascene process used to form a feature in the recording heads, the method comprising: connecting electrical leads to at least one lapping guide on the row of recording heads, wherein the conductive material deposited during the ABS damascene process creates a short circuit across the at least one lapping guide; performing a lapping process on the row of recording heads to remove the conductive material from the ABS of the row deposited during the ABS damascene process; measuring a resistance of the at least one lapping guide in the row of recording heads; and stopping the lapping process responsive to a measured resistance of the at least one lapping guide indicating that the conductive material deposited during the ABS damascene process has been removed from the ABS of the row of recording heads.