Perpendicular magnetic write head having a novel trailing return pole for reduced wide-area-track-erasure

1. A magnetic write head, comprising:

a magnetic write pole having an end disposed toward an air bearing surface;

a magnetic return pole, the magnetic return pole, further comprising:

a throat region having a relatively narrowed width;

a wing structure between the air bearing surface and the throat region, the wing structure including an inner wing and an outer wing, the inner wing having a front edge that is at the air bearing surface, and the outer wing having a front edge that is stepped back from the air bearing surface.

2. A write head as in claim 1 , wherein the front edge of the outer wing is substantially parallel with the air bearing surface.

3. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the front edge of the outer wing forms an angle not greater than 10 degrees with respect to the air bearing surface.

4. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the front edge of the outer wing forms a tapered notch.

5. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the front edge of the outer wing forms a square notch having an edge that is substantially at a right angle with the air bearing surface.

6. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the front edge is recessed from the air bearing surface by a distance of at least 0.1 μm.

7. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the front edge is recessed from the air bearing surface by a distance of about 0.75 μm.

8. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the outer wing has a length of at least 2 μm.

9. A write head as in claim 1 wherein the magnetic return pole has a longitudinal centerline, and wherein the inner wing extends to a distance of about 5.5 μm from the centerline.

10. A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic data recording, comprising:

a magnetic write pole having an end disposed toward an air bearing surface and having a leading edge and a trailing edge;

a first magnetic return pole, having an end disposed toward the air bearing surface, the first magnetic return pole being in a leading direction relative to the write pole;

a trailing magnetic shield, formed at the air bearing surface and separated from leading edge of the write pole by a non-magnetic trailing gap;

a trailing magnetic return pole having an end disposed toward the air bearing surface and being magnetically connected with the trailing magnetic shield, the trailing magnetic return pole, leading magnetic return pole and write pole begin magnetically connected with one another in a region away from the air bearing surface; and

a non-magnetic, electrically conductive write coil arranged about the magnetic write pole so as to induce a magnetic flux in the magnetic write pole when a current flows through the write coil;

the trailing magnetic shield further comprising:

a throat portion located near, but removed from, the air bearing surface;

first and second inner wing portions extending laterally outward from the throat portion, and each having a front edge that extends to the air bearing surface; and

first and second outer wing portions, each extending laterally outward from an end of one of the inner wing portions, each of the inner wing portions having a front edge that is recessed from the air bearing surface.

11. A magnetic write head as in claim 10 wherein the front edge of each of the outer wing portion is substantially parallel with the air bearing surface.

12. A magnetic write head as in claim 1 wherein the front edge of each of the outer wing portions forms an angle of 0 to 10 degrees relative to the air bearing surface.

13. A magnetic write head as in claim 10 wherein the front edge of the outer wing forms a tapered notch.

14. A write head as in claim 10 wherein the front edge of the outer wing forms a square notch having an edge that is substantially at a right angle with the air bearing surface.

15. A write head as in claim 10 wherein the front edge of the outer wing portion is recessed from the air bearing surface by an angle of at least 0.1 μm.

16. A write head as in claim 10 wherein the front edge of the outer wing portion is recessed from the air bearing surface by a distance of about 0.75 μm.

17. A write head as in claim 10 wherein the outer wing has a length of at least 2 μm.

18. A write head as in claim 10 wherein the magnetic return pole has a longitudinal centerline, and wherein the inner wing extends to a distance of about 5.5 μm from the centereline.

19. A magnetic data recording system comprising:

a housing;

a magnetic disk mounted within the housing;

an actuator mounted within the housing;

a slider connected with the actuator for movement adjacent to a surface of the magnetic medium;

a magnetic write head formed on the slider, the magnetic write head further comprising:

a magnetic write pole having an end disposed toward an air bearing surface;

a magnetic return pole, the magnetic return pole, further comprising:

a throat region having a relatively narrowed width;

a wing structure between the air bearing surface and the throat region, the wing structure including an inner wing and an outer wing, the inner wing having a front edge that is at the air bearing surface, and the outer wing having a front edge that is stepped back from the air bearing surface.

20. A magnetic data recording system as in claim 19 wherein the front edge of the outer wing is substantially parallel with the air bearing surface.

21. A magnetic data recording system as in claim 19 wherein the front edge of the outer wing forms an angle not greater than 10 degrees with respect to the air bearing surface.

22. A magnetic data recording system as in claim 19 further comprising a notch initiating at a junction of the inner and outer wing.