Patent ID: 8189293

Claim:
A perpendicular magnetic recording head, comprising: a shield above a substrate, the shield comprising: a groove, the groove comprising: a bottom side near a leading edge of the shield; inclined sides extending from the bottom side toward a trailing edge of the shield, the inclined sides extending from a front surface side of the shield positioned closest to an air bearing surface (ABS) of the head to a recessed side of the shield opposite the front surface side of the shield, wherein the shield is coupled to a non-magnetic layer at the recessed side, wherein a cross-sectional area of the groove taken parallel to an interface of the substrate and the shield at a position nearer to the substrate is less than a cross-sectional area of the groove taken parallel to the interface of the substrate and the shield at a position farther from the substrate, wherein a cross-sectional area of the groove taken parallel to the front surface side of the shield at a position nearer to the front surface side of the shield is less than a cross-sectional area of the groove taken parallel to the front surface side of the shield at a position farther from the front surface side of the shield, wherein at least a portion of the sides of the groove have curved surfaces; and a main magnetic pole positioned at least partially in the groove of the shield.