Method for fabricating a pole of a magnetic transducer

A method for fabricating a pole of a magnetic transducer, the method comprising:

• providing a Ru layer having a thickness and a top surface;
• providing a mask covering a portion of the Ru layer, the mask including an antireflective coating (ARC) layer and a photoresist layer on the ARC layer;
• milling an exposed portion of the Ru layer at a mill angle to form a depression therein, the depression forming a bevel in the Ru layer, the bevel having a depth less than the thickness, the bevel having a bevel angle with respect to a remaining portion of the top surface, the bevel angle being greater than zero degrees, less than ninety degrees, and less than the mill angle;
• refilling the depression with a refill material, the refill material being nonmagnetic and having a refill material thickness substantially equal to the depth;
• providing a capping layer on the refill material;
• removing the mask after the capping layer is provided, the step of removing the mask including performing a lift-off of the photoresist layer and reactive ion etching the ARC layer;
• planarizing at least the capping layer after the mask is removed;
• removing the capping layer, thereby exposing a substantially flat refill material top surface;
• depositing a nonmagnetic layer on the refill material, the nonmagnetic layer and the refill material having substantially the same composition, the nonmagnetic layer having a substantially flat nonmagnetic layer top surface;
• removing a portion of the nonmagnetic layer and a portion of the refill material to form a trench in the nonmagnetic layer and the refill material, the trench having a profile corresponding to the pole and a bottom on a portion of the Ru layer;
• and
• providing the pole in the trench, the pole having a leading edge bevel corresponding to the bevel in the Ru layer.