Patent ID: 7870659

Claim:
A method for defining a perpendicular magnetic head, comprising: forming a portion of a read and write head including a first shield layer, a first read gap layer, first and second pole layers, and a coil layer; depositing a sensor film on a surface only over the portion of the read head; depositing, in the same plane as the sensor film, a full-film shaping pole layer only over the portion of the write head; defining a track width of the sensor film; patterning of a photoresist to define a pole tip of the shaping pole layer including write track width and flare position, and at the same time to define a back edge of the sensor film; removing material of the sensor film and shaping pole layer from the areas not covered by the photoresist; depositing a second read gap layer and then a second shield over the sensor film; and lapping the shaping pole layer concurrently with the sensor film to define the flare position of the pole tip of the shaping pole layer and to define a sensor height with accurate positioning of write head flare.