Patent ID: 7360296

Claim:
A method of fabricating a magnetic head comprising the steps of: fabricating a stack of layers for the magnetic sensor for a magnetic head on a wafer into an initial shape that extends below a predetermined ABS plane for the magnetic head; fabricating left and right hard-bias/lead structures on left and right sides of the magnetic sensor, the left and right hard-bias/lead structures extending below the predetermined ABS plane; removing a portion of the hard-bias/lead structures and the magnetic sensor below the predetermined ABS plane forming a void for a lapping gap extending from the left hard-bias/lead structure across the magnetic sensor and into the right hard-bias/lead structure, the void having an edge approximately aligned with the predetermined ABS plane; refilling the void with a selected material to form the lapping gap and define a height of the magnetic sensor; forming leads for the magnetic sensor; separating the magnetic head from the wafer to expose a surface for lapping; and lapping the surface of magnetic head to remove at least a portion of the lapping gap to expose the predetermined ABS plane.