Methods and structures for the fabrication of a thin film, perpendicular recording write head are disclosed. The structure provides a pole tip separated from a rear pole by a non-magnetic separation layer located adjacent the flare point. The rear pole contains an imbedded non-magnetic layer. The separated pole tip and imbedded layer aid in the high data rate recording as well as the erasure performance of the write pole structure. The fabrication involves the deposition of two different oxide layers which have mutually high etch selectivities. This characteristic allows a write pole structure to be built wherein the track width is independent of the location of the flare point. The process also produces a structure wherein the placement of the throat height of the shield is self aligned to the flare point of the write pole.