Perpendicular magnetic recording head with trailing shield throat height less than shaping layer distance from ABS

1. A magnetic head having an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:

a writing pole, comprising:

a pole tip for writing data to magnetic media via lines of flux emitted from an ABS end of the writing pole;

a shaping layer coupled to the pole tip, the shaping layer being for focusing flux to the pole tip;

a trailing shield spaced apart from the writing pole, the trailing shield causing the lines of flux to enter the media at an angle from a plane perpendicular to a surface of the media facing the writing pole; and

a non-magnetic mask layer co-planar to the trailing shield which defines the height of the trailing shield;

wherein a throat height of the trailing shield is less than a distance from the ABS end of the writing pole to the shaping layer.

2. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a distance between the pole tip and the trailing shield, and a distance between the ABS end of the pole tip and a writeable layer of the media, is between about 2:1 and about 1:2.

3. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the pole tip and the trailing shield is less than about 50 nm.

4. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trailing shield is not magnetically continuous to a back gap of the magnetic head.

5. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trailing shield is magnetically connected with a return pole of the magnetic head.

6. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a return pole, the trailing shield being positioned between the writing pole and the return pole.

7. A magnetic head as recited in claim 6 , wherein the return pole is stitched to the trailing shield at a position recessed from the ABS.

8. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , wherein the head is a perpendicular head.

9. A magnetic head as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trailing shield is positioned adjacent a mask material, the mask material defining the throat height of the trailing shield.

10. A magnetic head as recited in claim 9 , wherein a height of the mask material is greater than a distance from the trailing shield to the ABS.

11. A magnetic head structure for perpendicular recording and reading, the magnetic head structure having an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:

a write head portion for writing data to magnetic media, the write head portion including:

a first pole piece;

a probe pole piece, the probe pole piece having a probe pole tip for emitting magnetic flux from an ABS end thereof;

an insulation stack positioned between the pole pieces;

at least one write coil embedded in the insulation stack;

a shaping layer positioned between the probe pole piece and the first pole piece, the shaping layer being for focusing flux to the probe pole tip; and

a trailing shield spaced apart from the probe pole piece, the trailing shield causing the magnetic flux to enter the media at an angle from a plane perpendicular to a surface of the media facing the probe pole tip; and

a non-magnetic mask layer which is coplanar to the trailing shield;

wherein a throat height of the trailing shield is less than a distance from the ABS end of the probe pole tip to the shaping layer.

12. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 11 , wherein a ratio of a distance between the probe pole tip and the trailing shield, and a distance between the ABS end of the probe pole tip and a writeable layer of the media, is between about 2:1 and about 1:2.

13. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 11 , wherein a distance between the probe pole tip and the trailing shield is less than about 50 nm.

14. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 11 , wherein the trailing shield is not magnetically continuous to a back gap of the magnetic head structure.

15. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 11 , wherein the trailing shield is magnetically connected with a return pole of the magnetic head structure.

16. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 11 , wherein a return pole piece is stitched to the trailing shield at a position recessed from the ABS.

17. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 11 , wherein the trailing shield is positioned adjacent a mask material, the mask material defining the throat height of the trailing shield.

18. A magnetic head structure as recited in claim 17 , wherein a height of the mask material is greater than a distance from the trailing shield to the ABS.

19. A magnetic storage system, comprising:

magnetic media;

at least one head for reading from and writing to the magnetic media, each head having:

a write head portion for writing data to the media via lines of flux oriented substantially perpendicular to a surface of the media facing the write head portion, the write head portion including:

a pole tip for writing data to the magnetic media via lines of flux emitted from an ABS end of the pole tip;

a shaping layer coupled to the pole tip, the shaping layer being for focusing flux to the pole tip; and

a trailing shield spaced apart from the pole tip, the trailing shield causing the lines of flux to enter the media at an angle from a plane perpendicular to a surface of the media facing the pole tip;

wherein a throat height of the trailing shield is less than a distance from the ABS end of the pole tip to the shaping layer;

a non-magnetic mask layer which is coplanar to the trailing shield;

a slider for supporting the head; and

a control unit coupled to the head for controlling operation of the head.