Abstract: The tape head of the present invention has a substrate and a closure separated by a gap. The tape head is of the type having a flat closure module. The gap layers disposed in the gap include a recording track layer and a patterned gap layer. The recording track layer has a nonplanar topography along said gap that is defined by at least one of a read track and a write track. The patterned gap layer is disposed over substantially an entire surface of the gap side surface of the closure. The patterned gap layer is etched so as to selectively define a topography along said gap that inversely corresponds to the nonplanar topography of the recording track layer. As a result, the patterned gap layer fills any localized air space that would otherwise exist in the gap due to the nonplanar topography of the recording track layer. By filling the localized air space in the gap, microchipping is reduced and/or eliminated in the tape head of the present invention.