Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic sensor comprises a read element and a magnetic-domain-control film positioned on both sides of the read element in a cross-track direction. The magnetic-domain-control film has a flare shape which causes the magnetic-domain-control film to flare away in an element height direction from the depthwise end of read element and extending in both directions away from the read element in a cross-track direction. In another embodiment, a method for forming a magnetic sensor includes forming a read element and forming a magnetic-domain-control film positioned on both sides of the read element in a cross-track direction, wherein the magnetic-domain-control film has a flare shape which causes the magnetic-domain-control film to flare away from the depthwise end of read element extending in both directions in a cross-track direction.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning a control object, such as a microactuator used to position a read/write transducer adjacent a data storage medium. In accordance with some embodiments, a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) element is adapted to induce rotational displacement of the control object in a bending mode of operation. The PZT element has a plurality of piezoelectric material layers and a plurality of electrically conductive layers interposed between the piezoelectric material layers. The piezoelectric material layers include a first subset of active layers and at least one non-active layer.

Abstract: A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a module, the module having both read and write transducers positioned towards a media facing side of the module, wherein the read and write transducers are selected from a group consisting of piggyback read-write transducers, merged read-write transducers, interleaved read and write transducers, and an array of write transducers flanked by servo read transducers; wherein the write transducers include write poles having media facing sides with negative, zero or near-zero recession from a plane extending along the media facing side of a substrate of the module; wherein the read transducers each have at least one shield, wherein a media facing side of the at least one shield is more recessed from the plane than the write poles.

Abstract: A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a module, the module having first and second transducers of different transducer types positioned towards a media facing side of the module, wherein the different transducer types are selected from a group consisting of data reader transducers, servo reader transducers, write transducers, piggyback read-write transducers and merged read-write transducers; a first protection structure for protecting the first transducer; and wherein the second transducer has either no protection or is protected by a second protection structure that is different than the first protection structure.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a sensor stack of thin films including a free layer; a hard bias structure comprising a first foundation layer, a second foundation layer formed on the first foundation layer and a hard bias layer formed above the second foundation layer, wherein portions of the first and second foundation layers positioned along a side wall of the sensor stack have a discrete island structure. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and generally associated method may be directed to a magnetic reader capable of concurrently or independently data access and environmental measurements. Various embodiments construct such a magnetic reader with first and second data transducing elements that are each adapted to selectively read data and measure clearance from an adjacent data storage media.

Abstract: A device includes a disk drive assembly configured to store information using a platter comprising a magnetic material surface and a magnetic head disposed above the magnetic material surface. The magnetic head is configured to move across tracks formed on the platter to write information to the magnetic material surface and read information from the magnetic material surface. The device also includes a controller operatively coupled with the disk drive assembly. The controller is configured to dynamically adjust the height of the magnetic head above the magnetic material surface at each of the tracks by determining a harmonic ratio for a particular track and comparing the harmonic ratio to a reference harmonic ratio for the track. For example, the controller calculates a difference between the harmonic ratio and the reference harmonic ratio.

Abstract: A method for accurately adjusting skew in the presence of tape motion includes performing a calibration run of magnetic tape in a tape drive. During the calibration run, the method records skew readings at selected intervals. The method then finds a range associated with the skew readings, such as by finding a high and low skew reading. The method then finds a center point of the range, and a difference between the center point and a desired center point. The method applies the difference to each recorded skew reading to generate a target skew reading for each recorded skew reading. The method generates a skew error signal that reflects the difference between each recorded skew reading and each corresponding target skew reading. The skew error signal will generally be consistent even as the tape moves, thereby allowing a technician to easily adjust and optimize the skew.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a data storage system includes a head; a drive mechanism for passing a medium over the head; a controller electrically coupled to the head; logic encoded in or available to the controller for: periodically determining a stopwrite threshold based on a standard deviation or a variance at a current position error signal sample, wherein a smoothing factor applied to a subsequent calculation of the standard deviation or variance is altered based at least in part on a current magnitude of the standard deviation or the variance; determining whether the current position error signal sample exceeds the stopwrite threshold; disabling writing when the current position error signal sample exceeds the stopwrite threshold; and enabling writing when the current position error signal sample does not exceed the stopwrite threshold. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described according to more embodiments.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide magnetic media access heads with metal coatings. In a particular embodiment, a magnetic media head for accessing magnetic media comprises a base substrate configured to support a magnetic head layer. The magnetic head layer is formed on the base substrate and configured to magnetically access the magnetic media. A metallic layer formed over the magnetic head layer and disposed between the magnetic head layer and the magnetic media when the magnetic media is positioned for access by the magnetic head layer.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining a skew error signal (SES) offset used to determine an SES to adjust heads in a drive unit. A determination is made of a first difference in a first orientation with respect to a direction of movement of the recordable storage media based on first and second position information read by first and second servo read elements on a first head. A determination is made of a second difference in a second orientation with respect to the direction of movement of the recordable storage media based on third and fourth position information read by the first servo read element and a third servo read element on a second head. An offset, calculated based on the determined first and second difference, is used to generate an error signal to adjust the first and second heads.

Abstract: Approaches are provided for a hard-disk drive (HDD) and techniques for using multiple LUNs per HDD where each LUN is mapped to a head/disk interface. In one example, a HDD generates multiple LUNs and assigns each to a single head, such that data written by a first head is only associated to a first LUN, and so forth.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole; a leading shield below a leading side of the main magnetic pole; a leading gap between the leading shield and the main magnetic pole; a trailing shield above a trailing side of the main magnetic pole; a trailing gap between the trailing shield and the main magnetic pole; and a nonmagnetic leading bump between the main magnetic pole and the leading shield. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide pipelined vectoring-mode CORDICS including a coordinate converter operable to yield a converted vector based on an input vector, wherein an x coordinate value of the converted vector is positive, a y coordinate value of the converted vector is positive, and the x coordinate value is greater than or equal to the y coordinate value, a pipeline of vector rotators operable to perform a series of successive rotations of the converted vector to yield a rotated vector and to store rotation directions of the series of successive rotations, and at least one lookup table operable to yield an angle of rotation based on the rotation directions.

Abstract: SMR disk drives are described that adjust track pitch or magnetic write width to compensate for external temperature effects. In one embodiment track pitch is increased when the media temperature increases. The temperature of magnetic media during write operations can be determined from the drives' temperature sensor. In other embodiments track pitch is adjusted based on the magnetic write width (MWW) which is determined from read-back testing of previously written data tracks. In an alternative embodiment, the width of the MWW is adjusted instead of the track pitch. The various factors that affect the MWW that can be used to increase or decrease the MWW, including write current characteristics and when available thermal-assistance parameters.

Abstract: A patterned-media magnetic recording disk drive has head positioning servo sectors on the disk that do not contain special patterns but merely use the same type of dots that are used for data. The “data” dots in angularly spaced sectors of the data tracks function as the servo sectors and are denoted as D-servo regions. The D-servo regions extend across an annular band of the disk, which may be a bootstrap band for self-servowriting. The dots in the annular band are randomly magnetized so that each track in each D-servo region provides a generally random readback signal at the data frequency. The precise radial and circumferential position of the read/write head within a D-servo region is determined by comparing the readback signal with a set of reference signal waveforms from a look-up reference table and finding the reference signal waveform that matches the readback signal.

Abstract: A method for recording data to a magnetic media while simultaneously reading sync and or servo data with reduced noise from the write head affecting the reading of the sync and or servo data. The invention records data using a write head of a first slider and reads the sync and or servo data from a read head located on a different slider that is facing a different disk surface than the first slider. In this way, magnetic or thermal noise from the write head does not affect the reading of the sync and or servo data.

Abstract: A shingled magnetic recording (SMR) disk drive has concentric shingled data tracks having data sectors with physical block addresses (PBAs), with the tracks being arranged in annular bands separated by annular inter-band gaps. The disk drive also has an on-disk extended cache region and may have writable inter-band cache (IBC) tracks in the inter-band gaps. A count is maintained in memory for each band and each IBC, and the count is incremented for each writing to a band or an IBC. When a count for a band or IBC reaches a predetermined threshold, the data is read from the tracks in the boundary region of the adjacent band that are within the range of the FTE and that data is then written to the extended cache. The FTE-affected tracks are then invalidated, meaning that PBAs can no longer be assigned to the data sectors in those tracks.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic recording layer including a magnetic material characterized by having convex and concave portions, the convex portions acting as magnetic regions, a nonmagnetic material positioned within each concave portion of the magnetic material which act as nonmagnetic regions that separate the magnetic regions, an organic material layer which exhibits a corrosion-inhibiting characteristic with respect to cobalt or cobalt alloy positioned on a nonmagnetic region side of each concave portion, and an oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer positioned adjacent the organic material layer on a magnetic region side of each concave portion of the magnetic material. In another embodiment, the magnetic recording medium may be a patterned recording layer having a protective film, and the oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer may be positioned at least in defect portions of the protective film.

Abstract: A module according to one embodiment includes a plurality of transducers; a tape bearing surface having a transducer region aligned with the transducers in a tape travel direction, and outer regions flanking the transducer region in a direction perpendicular to the tape travel direction; a first coating on the transducer region of the tape bearing surface; and a second coating on at least one of the outer regions of the tape bearing surface, the second coating being different than the first coating.

Abstract: An example provides a system and method for decreasing a data transfer rate of a linear tape drive. The method includes detecting, within a linear tape drive, a first data transfer rate of a host computing system to determine whether the first data transfer rate is slower than a second data transfer rate of a magnetic tape head within the linear tape drive. The method also includes, in response to determining that the first data transfer rate is slower than the second data transfer rate, deactivating a specified number of data write elements within the magnetic tape head, wherein deactivating the specified number of the data write elements includes decreasing the second transfer rate.

Abstract: A data storage system according to one embodiment includes a head; a drive mechanism for passing a medium over the head; a controller electrically coupled to the head; logic for periodically determining a stopwrite threshold based on a current position error signal sample; logic for determining whether the current position error signal sample exceeds the stopwrite threshold; logic for disabling writing when the current position error signal sample exceeds the stopwrite threshold; and logic for enabling writing when the current position error signal sample does not exceed the stopwrite threshold. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for reading magnetic tape are provided herein. The system includes a tape head including two read arrays. Each of the two read arrays includes a first set of data read elements of a first channel pitch and a second set of data read elements of a second channel pitch, and the first set of data read elements and the second set of data read elements are interleaved. The tape head also includes a write array located between the two read arrays.

Abstract: A magnetic recording device includes a magnetic disk and a magnetic head that performs magnetic recording to the magnetic disk. The magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer and a microwave generating element. The magnetic recording device further includes a microwave generating element driving current control circuit. The microwave generating element driving current control circuit, during the magnetic recording, applies a microwave generating element driving current at a first current level to the microwave generating element for a period that is from at the latest a polarity reversal of the recording current before a subsequent polarity reversal of the recording voltage, and thereafter applies another microwave generating element driving current at a second current level, which is smaller than the first current level, to the microwave generating element, or stops the application of the another microwave generating element driving current until the polarity reversal of the recording voltage.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes a storage unit, a head position detector and a head position estimator. The head position detector detects a position of a first head if the first head is switched to a second head. The head position estimator estimates a position of the second head based on the position of the first head, first and second voltages, polarities of first and second microactuators, gains of the first and second microactuators, and a first inter-head offset. The first and second voltages are applied to the first and second microactuators, respectively. The first inter-head offset is stored in the storage unit.

Abstract: Approaches described in this disclosure are generally directed to methods and devices for delaying a write turn-on of a memory device. A write control signal from a memory controller to a preamplifier of a storage device is asserted. A warm-up interval of write drivers of the preamplifier is initiated, the warm-up interval having a duration of predetermined length. Data is transmitted to the write drivers during the warm-up interval.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive has three vibration sensors mounted to the disk drive base to provide feedforward vibration compensation signals. First and second spaced-apart sensors are aligned generally parallel to a radius from the disk rotational axis to a head position on the disk between the inside diameter position (hID) and outside diameter position (hOD) for detecting rotational vibration about the disk rotational axis and linear vibration in the cross-track direction. A third vibration sensor is aligned generally orthogonal to the primary axes of the first and second vibration sensors for detecting primarily linear vibrations in the along-the-track or track circumferential direction.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes heads, disks and a controller. The controller performs a servo write control in order to write a plurality of radial servo patterns on each surface of the disk by using the spiral servo patterns. The servo controller positions the head above the spiral servo patterns by using first position information based on the spiral servo patterns. The position information generator generates second position information based on the radial servo patterns read by the head positioned above the spiral servo patterns. The processor corrects target position information for positioning the head based on the second position information by using the spiral servo patterns read by the head.

Abstract: A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a nonmagnetic gap layer in a trench; a pole seed layer above the nonmagnetic gap layer; and a pole layer of a magnetic material above the pole seed layer, wherein at least one of the nonmagnetic gap layer, the pole seed layer and the pole layer has nitrogen therein. A magnetic head according to another embodiment includes a nonmagnetic gap layer in a trench; a pole seed layer above the nonmagnetic gap layer, the pole seed layer being comprised primarily of a material selected from a group consisting of NiCr, Ta/Ru, Ta/Rh, NiCr/Ru, NiCr/Rh, NiCr, CoOx, Ru, Rh, Cu, Au/MgO, Ta/Cu; and a pole layer comprised primarily of CoFe above the pole seed layer, wherein at least one of the nonmagnetic gap layer, the pole seed layer and the pole layer has nitrogen therein.

Abstract: Interface circuitry of a storage device or other type of processing device comprises at least one data path, and an adaptive power supply configured to provide a variable supply voltage to the data path. The adaptive power supply comprises a reference voltage circuit having a plurality of field effect transistors collectively configured to provide a variable reference voltage, with different ones of the field effect transistors being biased into different operating regions. For example, a first subset of the field effect transistors may each be biased into a linear region such that the variable reference voltage tracks variations in on-resistance of one or more corresponding field effect transistors of the data path, and a second subset of the field effect transistors may each be biased into a saturation region such that the variable reference voltage tracks variations in threshold voltage of the corresponding field effect transistors of the data path.

Abstract: A hard disk drive or other disk-based storage device comprises a storage disk, a read/write head configured to read data from and write data to the storage disk, and control circuitry coupled to the read/write head and configured to process data received from and supplied to the read/write head and to control positioning of the read/write head relative to the storage disk. The control circuitry comprises an inter-track interference detector configured to process a signal read from at least a given track of the storage disk via the read/write head in order to detect interference in that signal from at least one other track of the storage disk. The control circuitry further comprises an inter-track interference based head position controller configured to adjust the positioning of the read/write head responsive to the detected interference.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a magnetic recording layer and a thermally active material adjacent to and/or embedded in the magnetic recording layer, wherein the thermally active material has a thermal property that changes when the temperature of the thermally active material changes, or undergoes a phase transition in a predetermined temperature range, to reduce a peak temperature or increase a thermal gradient of a heated portion of the magnetic recording layer.

Abstract: A power converter includes a first inductor, a rectifier arm, a first switch arm including a first and second switch circuits, a second switch arm including a third switch circuit and a first capacitor, a LC serial circuit, a Transformer, a rectification and smoothing circuit connected to secondary winding of the transformer, and a control circuit to perform on-off control of the three switch circuits. The rectifier arm, the first and second switch arms and the LC serial circuit are connected in parallel with each other. The LC serial circuit and primary winding of the transformer are connected. AC power supply is connected to the rectifier arm via the first inductor. The control circuit includes an output voltage control circuit to control output voltage at specific setting value, an intermediate voltage control circuit to control intermediate voltage at specific setting value, and a power factor correction control circuit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a lubricant includes a perfluoropolyether having a chemical structure of wherein Rf is at least one of —CF2O(CF2CF2O)m(CF2O)nCF2— and —CF2CF2O(CF2CF2CF2O)kCF2CF2—, with m representing 0 or a positive integer, n representing 0 or a positive integer, and k representing 0 or a positive integer, and wherein R1 to R4 are selected from a group consisting of —H or with at least one of R1 to R4 being

Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including: a sleeve provided with a shaft protruded in an upward axial direction and having oil filling a bearing clearance formed between the sleeve and the shaft, the sleeve rotatably supporting the shaft; a base member including a mounting part protruded in the upward axial direction, the mounting part having the sleeve fixed to an inner surface thereof; and a hub fixed to an upper portion of the shaft and including a main wall part, the main wall part being formed with at least a portion of an inner surface thereof corresponding to an outer surface of the sleeve and being formed with at least a portion of an outer surface thereof corresponding to the inner surface of the mounting part, the main wall part and the mounting part having an interval therebetween widening in the downward axial direction.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk drive writes, upon receiving a first write data block in a plurality of write data blocks having continuous logical block addresses, the first write data block in a first storage location which is included in a specific area on a disk and is adjacent to a position of the head, and writes a second write data block in a second storage location which is included in the specific area and is adjacent to the position of the head. The second storage location is a storage location skipped from the first storage location by an interval corresponding to a difference between a write completion timing of the first write data block and a reception timing of the second write data block.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic disk device including an acceleration feedforward module, an eccentricity correction module, and a control module. The acceleration feedforward module includes a first amplification module, a second amplification module, and an addition module. The first amplification module amplify a first rotation correlation value according to a rotation component by a first gain. The second amplification module amplifies a second rotation correlation value according to a rotation synchronization component of the rotation component, by a second gain acquired by subtracting the first gain from 1. The addition module adds the first rotation correlation value amplified by the first amplification module and the second rotation correlation value amplified by the second amplification module to obtain the first correction amount.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a reference head select module selects any one of magnetic heads as a reference head; a follow-up controller executes a follow-up control of a trajectory of the reference head based on a signal read by the reference head; and an eccentric controller executes an eccentric control of a trajectory of a magnetic head other than the reference head in order that an eccentric error between the trajectory of the reference head and the trajectory of the corresponding magnetic head is close to zero.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a piezoelectric device drive method includes measuring gains including a first gain by applying voltages including a first voltage to a piezoelectric device at a first timing, calculating gain characteristics associated with the applied voltages from the measured gains, measuring a second gain by applying the first voltage to the piezoelectric device at a second timing, correcting the calculated gain characteristics based on the first gain and the second gain, and calculating a third gain based on the corrected gain characteristics and the second gain in a case where a second voltage other than the first voltage is applied.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods for measuring latency in an electronic device such as, e.g., a storage device, may include coupling circuitry configured to capacitively couple an outbound or write data path to an inbound or read data path. A latency measurement signal may be driven on the write data path, the coupling circuitry may transmit at least a portion of the latency measurement signal from the write data path to the read data path, and the latency measurement signal may be sensed on the read data path to be used to determine communication path latency in the device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield pole on a trailing side of the main pole, a recording coil, and a temperature control element unit. The temperature control element unit includes a first electrode on a leading side of the main pole and on both sides of a track of the main pole, a second electrode on the leading side of the main pole and on a track center of the main pole, an N-type semiconductor and a P-type semiconductor connected to the first and second electrodes, and a wiring portion which applies a current via the second electrode, N-type semiconductor, first electrode, P-type semiconductor, and second electrode. The first and second electrodes form a heat absorbing portion and a heat radiating portion.

Abstract: A head for magnetic data recording that includes an embedded contact sensor. The embedded contact sensor detects head disk contact by detecting changes in temperature as a result of contact between the head and the disk. The embedded contact sensor includes a thermoresistive layer and a structure for pinning the magnetic domains of the thermoresistive layer. This pinning of the magnetic domains prevents the thermoresistive layer from changing resistance in response to magnetic fields (rather than temperature) so as to avoid unwanted signal noise as a result of a magnetic signal from the magnetic media.

Abstract: There is provided a base assembly for a motor, including: a base for a motor; a magnet mounted in the base to provide a driving force to a magnetic head; and a magnet insertion part having the magnet inserted therein and formed to penetrate through the base so as to restrict a movement of the magnet.

Abstract: Approaches for a hard-disk drive (HDD) having a balanced resistive temperature detector (RTD). A HDD includes a head slider comprising a single RTD. A read/write IC comprises a balance resistor having the same resistance as the single RTD when the head slider is not in physical contact with the disk. The same amount of current flows through the single RTD and the balance resistor except when the head slider is in physical contact with the disk. Detecting a voltage change across the single RTD enables physical contact between the head slider and the disk to be accurately detected using a circuit with low noise. Alternately, the head slider may include two RTDs connected in sequence, and the balance resistor may possess the same resistance as the two RTDs. The two RTDs may vary inversely with environmental changes to avoid the need to recalibrate the balance resistor after any environmental change.

Abstract: A magnetic data recording system wherein the wherein adjacent track interference during writing is avoided by modulating the size of a write bubble on the magnetic media in response to a position error signal. If the position error signal indicates that the magnetic head is off-track, circuitry within the magnetic data recording system adjusts the size of the write bubble temporarily to prevent the write bubble from encroaching on a neighboring data track. This adjustment of the write bubble can be accomplished by adjusting power to the write head. Adjustment of the write bubble can also be achieved by adjusting power to a magnetic oscillator in a microwave assisted magnetic recording system (MAMR) or adjusting power to a heating element in a thermally assisted magnetic recording system.

Abstract: There are provided a base for a motor and a hard disk drive including the same. The base for a motor includes a base body having a disk disposed thereon; and a fixing part formed on the base body and slidably fitted in a female rail mounted on at least one side of a connector part mounted on a substrate to fix the base body to the substrate to which power is applied.

Abstract: There is provided a base assembly including: a bracket device connected to a head assembly in order to drive the head assembly for reading information from a disk and including an elastic member provided on one surface thereof, the elastic member having a terminal disposed in an inner portion thereof and connected to a main circuit board; and a press base formed by press processing and having an opening part into which the elastic member is inserted, wherein the press base includes an elastic support part forming the opening part and extended in a direction into which the bracket device is inserted to thereby increase a contact area with the elastic member.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a patterned magnetic recording medium includes an interlayer positioned above a nonmagnetic substrate, wherein portions of the interlayer have good crystal orientation separated by portions of the interlayer which have poor crystal orientation, and a magnetic recording layer positioned above the interlayer. The magnetic recording layer is defined by a pattern which includes magnetic portions having good crystal orientation above the portions of the interlayer having good crystal orientation separated by magnetic portions having poor crystal orientation above the portions of the interlayer having poor crystal orientation. In another embodiment, a method is proposed for producing the patterned magnetic recording medium as described above which includes forming an interlayer and a recording layer above the interlayer, and imparting a template pattern to the interlayer using an organic resist during or after formation of the interlayer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes an oxide recording layer including an oxide and a non-oxide recording layer which does not contain an oxide positioned above the oxide recording layer. The oxide recording layer includes a region R1 where a grain boundary width in a direction parallel to a plane of formation of R1 increases therealong from a lowermost portion of the oxide recording layer toward a medium surface, a region R3 positioned above R1 wherein a grain boundary width increases therealong toward the medium surface, a region R2 where a grain boundary width of R2 decreases therealong from R1 to R3, with R2 being positioned between R1 and R3, and a region R4 where a grain boundary width of R4 decreases therealong from R3 toward the medium surface, with R4 being positioned above R3 and near an uppermost portion of the oxide recording layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a trailing shield positioned on a trailing side of the main magnetic pole, a trailing gap positioned between the trailing shield and the main magnetic pole, side shields positioned on either side of the main magnetic pole in a cross-track direction, side gaps positioned between the side shields and the main magnetic pole on either side of the main magnetic pole in the cross-track direction, and trailing shield gaps positioned on either side of the main magnetic pole in the cross-track direction between the trailing shield and the side shields, wherein the trailing shield gaps extend beyond the side gaps in a direction parallel to the cross-track direction. In addition, a method for producing a magnetic head as described above is also disclosed, according to one embodiment.