Patent ID: 8914969

Claim:
A method for fabricating a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface location (ABS location) corresponding to an air-bearing surface (ABS), the method comprising: providing an etch stop layer; providing a sacrificial leading shield on the etch stop layer, the sacrificial leading shield having a beveled surface and including NiFe; providing a nonmagnetic layer, a portion of the nonmagnetic layer on the sacrificial leading shield; providing a pole trench in the nonmagnetic layer, the pole trench having a shape and location corresponding to the pole, the pole trench residing on the sacrificial leading shield; forming a pole having a pole tip region, the pole having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom in the pole tip region, a portion of the pole in the pole tip region residing in the pole trench and at the ABS location; removing a portion of the nonmagnetic layer adjacent to the pole and the sacrificial leading shield such that an air bridge resides in place of the sacrificial leading shield between the portion of the pole and the etch stop layer; and providing at least one shield layer, the at least one shield layer substantially filling the air bridge and forming a monolithic shield including a leading shield and at least one side shield.