Patent ID: 7839607

Claim:
A method for fabricating a CPP read head having a CPP read head sensor and a hard bias layer, said method comprising: A) depositing a strip of sensor material in a sensor material region; B) depositing strips of fast-milling dielectric material in first and second fast-milling dielectric material regions adjacent to said sensor material region; C) depositing a protective layer on said sensor material region and said first and second fast-milling material regions; D) depositing a layer of masking material on said strip of sensor material and said strips of fast-milling dielectric material to provide masked areas and exposed areas of said sensor material region and said first and second fast-milling dielectric material regions; E) providing a shaping source which shapes said exposed areas; F) depositing said hard bias material on said region of sensor material and said first and second regions of fast-milling dielectric material to form a cap of hard bias material on each of these regions; G) removing said cap of hard bias material and said masking material from each of these regions.