Abstract: A magnetic head having an air bearing surface reads and writes data to and from a disc. The magnetic head includes a substrate and a data transducer positioned upon the substrate adjacent the a bearing surface. The data transducer includes a plurality of metallic layers wherein each metallic layer has a top surface. An isolated transducer portion is isolated from the data transducer and recessed from the air bearing surface. The isolated transducer portion has a top surface wherein the top surface of the isolated transducer portion is positioned coplanar to the top surface of one of the plurality of metallic layers of the data transducer.

Abstract: The invention offers a writer coil that includes an insulator layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, a dielectric layer positioned on the top surface of the insulator layer, and at least a first and a second coil structure having a pitch of less than about 2 &mgr;m. The invention also offers a method of fabricating a writer coil by depositing an insulator layer, depositing a dielectric layer on the insulator layer, and forming at least one coil space and at least one coil structure within the dielectric layer by a Damascene process.