Magnetic head with delayed connection heater shunting

A slider for magnetic data recording, the slider comprising:

• a slider body
• a heating element formed on a surface of the slider body;
• a read head formed on the slider, the read head including a magnetoresistive sensor sandwiched between first and second electrically conductive magnetic shields;
• a write head formed over the read head the write head including an electrically conductive, magnetic yoke structure and an electrically conductive coil structure;
• a first heating element contact pad, electrically connected with the heating element through a series of layers deposited in the same plane as and of the same material as the read head and magnetic yoke structure;
• a second heating element contact pad, electrically connected with the heating element through a series of layers deposited in the same plane as and of the same material as the read head and magnetic yoke structure;
• and
• an electrically conductive grounding path formed on a region of the slider surface removed from the first and second heating element contact pads, the electrically conductive grounding path being electrically connected with the slider body via layers that are formed in the same plane as and of the same material as the read head and magnetic yoke structure;
• and
• an electrically conductive lead connecting the first heating element contact pad with the electrically conductive grounding path, the electrically conductive lead being formed of the same material and in the same plane as the electrically conductive coil structure.

A method for forming a slider on a wafer, comprising:

• providing a wafer;
• forming a heater element on the wafer, the heating element having leads extending to a first contact pad region and a second contact pad region on the wafer, while forming the heater element on the wafer, forming an electrically conductive material in a ground path region on the wafer, the electrically conductive material in the ground path region being electrically connected with the wafer;
• forming a read head, while forming the read head, also forming electrically conductive layers in the first and second contact pad regions and in the ground path region;
• forming a write head structure, while forming the write head structure, forming electrically conductive layers in the first and second contact pad regions and in the ground path region;
• making a determination of whether the slider is to be an up slider or a down slider, and based on this determination, selecting one of the first and second contact pad regions to electrically connect with the ground path region;
• and
• forming an electrically conductive lead to connect the selected contact pad region with the ground path region.