Method of making a thin film magnetic head with a leveler layer and superstrate

The method of forming a leveler layer on a thin film magnetic transducer having a bottom pole piece formed on a substrate, a top pole piece having a front gap section which cooperates with the bottom pole piece to form a front magnetic transducing gap, a contoured outer surface having a step formed thereon, a rear magnetic closure portion which cooperates with the bottom pole piece to form a rear magnetic closure section and a rearward support section, and coil windings enclosed by an insulating structure, a portion of which are locted between the bottom pole piece and the top pole piece and a portion of which extend rearwardly on the rearwardly extending section of the bottom pole piece beyond the rear magnetic closure section and wherein the rearward support section is located on that portion of the insulating structure enclosing the coil winding which extends rearwardly on the bottom pole piece which extends rearwardly beyond the rear magnetic closure section comprising the steps of

• forming a leveler pattern mask on the top pole piece and insulating structure containing the coil windings with unmasked sections thereof located on the front gap section of the top pole piece and on the support section to produce an unmasked front gap section and an unmasked support section with the remaining portion of the top pole piece and insulating structure being masked by the leveler pattern mask;
• depositing a leveler layer of a thickness which exceeds the height of the step of the contoured outer surface onto the unmasked front gap section of the top pole piece and the unmasked support section forming a leveler layer having a forward leveler section on the front gap section of the top pole piece and a rearward leveler section on the support section;
• and
• removing the remainder of the leveler pattern mask leaving a space located remotely from and rearward of the magnetic transducing gap and between the forward leveler section, the rearward leveler section and the contoured outer surface of the top pole piece.