Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for lapping row edges of a substrate work piece with a flat lapping element. The substrate work piece comprises a section of wafer having parallel aligned multiple row edges to be individually lapped. The wafer has different bow characteristics imparted to different substrate work piece. The bow characteristic of the substrate work piece to be lapped is determined, load points are selected on the work piece which will counteract the bow characteristic, and a pusher with push pads located at the selected load points pushes the work piece at those load points so that the pushing flexes the substrate work piece to counteract the bow characteristic to lap the row edge.

Abstract: A composite thin film slider with a protruding R/W device formed by chemical-mechanical polishing to protrude above its substrate and thereby reduce the distance between the R/W device and the recording media. The slider includes a ceramic or non-ceramic substrate with a substantially planar bearing surface, and a R/W device. The R/W device includes an insulator and certain conductive R/W components, deposited onto the substrate's deposit end. The R/W components may include, for example, a magnetic shield layer, a MR stripe layer, and a magnetic pole tip layer, all layered over the deposit end of the substrate. The R/W components protrude from the insulator sufficiently to extend past the substrate's bearing surface. To manufacture this slider, a substrate with the R/W device deposited thereon is polished with a lapping slurry to disproportionately erode the substrate and insulator with respect to the R/W components.