Process for fabricating a magnetic pole and shields

A process for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer having a main pole including a pole top, a plurality of sides, and a shield adjacent to at least one of the plurality of sides for use in a data storage system, comprising:

• providing a substrate, an underlayer and a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer deposited to a first thickness on and in contact with the underlayer;
• performing a first scanning polishing on a first section of the first intermediate layer to planarize the first section of the first intermediate layer to a second thickness;
• providing the main pole in the planarized first section of the first intermediate layer;
• providing a first pattern of photoresist on and in contact with the first section of the first intermediate layer, the pattern comprising an aperture to define a side shield trench;
• etching a side shield trench in the aperture and filling the side shield trench with shield material;
• providing a second intermediate layer over at least a portion of the first section of the first intermediate layer;
• performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to reduce the thickness of the second intermediate layer to less than a first height above the pole top;
• performing a second scanning polishing on the second intermediate layer to less than a second height above the pole top;
• performing ion milling to expose the pole top;
• providing a write gap layer on the top of the main pole;
• and
• providing a top shield, at least a portion of the top shield on the write gap layer.

A process for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer having a main pole including a pole top, a plurality of sides, and a shield adjacent to at least one of the plurality of sides for use in a data storage system, comprising:

• providing a substrate, an underlayer and a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer deposited to a first thickness on and in contact with the underlayer;
• performing a first scanning polishing on a first section of the first intermediate layer to planarize the first section of the first intermediate layer to a second thickness;
• providing the main pole in the planarized first section of the first intermediate layer;
• providing a first pattern of photoresist on and in contact with the first section of the first intermediate layer, the pattern comprising an aperture to define a side shield trench;
• and
• performing a wet etch to remove at least a portion of the first intermediate layer thereby exposing at least one of the plurality of main pole sides, and depositing side shield material in the side shield trench, wherein the performing the first scanning polishing includes surface referenced scanning.

A process for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer having a main pole including a pole top, a plurality of sides, and a shield adjacent to at least one of the plurality of sides for use in a data storage system, comprising:

• providing a substrate, an underlayer and a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer deposited to a first thickness on and in contact with the underlayer;
• performing a first scanning polishing on a first section of the first intermediate layer to planarize the first section of the first intermediate layer to a second thickness;
• providing the main pole in the planarized first section of the first intermediate layer;
• providing a first pattern of photoresist on and in contact with the first section of the first intermediate layer, the pattern comprising an aperture to define a side shield trench;
• and
• performing a wet etch to remove at least a portion of the first intermediate layer thereby exposing at least one of the plurality of main pole sides, and depositing side shield material in the side shield trench, wherein the performing the first scanning polishing includes thickness reference scanning.