Method and system for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording head

A method for providing a magnetic recording transducer including an intermediate layer, the method comprising:

• providing a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) on the intermediate layer;
• providing a mask on the BARC, the mask including a line;
• transferring the line to the BARC, a remaining portion of the BARC residing under the line;
• providing a hard mask layer on the mask;
• performing a first chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) to expose the line, thereby providing an aperture in the hard mask corresponding to the line;
• performing a lift-off to remove the line;
• removing the remaining portion of the BARC under the line after the line has been removed;
• performing a reactive ion etch to form a trench in the intermediate layer under the aperture, the trench having a bottom and a top wider than the bottom;
• and
• providing the PMR pole, at least a portion of the PMR pole residing in the trench.