Patent ID: 8449752

Claim:
A method for fabricating a magnetic head, comprising: patterning a write pole on a substrate; patterning a side gap material along one or more sidewall portions of the write pole; depositing a masking layer over at least the write pole and the side gap material; patterning the masking layer to expose a portion of the write pole; and forming a trailing step on the exposed portion of the write pole, the trailing step comprising laminations of magnetic layers separated by alumina, wherein the magnetic pole is a flared pole having a first width at an air bearing surface (ABS) portion of the magnetic pole and an increasing width starting at a flare point and extending away from the ABS, wherein the trailing step is formed only over a surface of the magnetic pole that extends between the flare point and a top of the magnetic pole, the top of the magnetic pole being at an opposite end of the ABS.