US Patent 7969683 Write first design for a perpendicular thin film head

A magnetic head structure for perpendicular recording and reading. The head structure includes a write head portion for writing data to magnetic media via lines of flux oriented substantially perpendicular to a surface of the media facing the write head portion. The write head portion includes a first pole piece having a first pole tip, a probe pole piece with a probe pole tip for emitting magnetic flux, an insulation stack positioned between the pole pieces, and one or more write coils embedded in the insulation stack. A read head portion that has been fabricated after the write head portion is coupled to the write head portion.