In the formation of the top magnetic write pole in a thin film magnetic recording head, a CMP stop layer comprising rhodium is deposited over the Al2O3 layer that overlies the top magnetic pole. A mixture of silicon dioxide, ammonium persulfate and benzotriazole is employed as a slurry in the CMP process that removes the portion of the Al2O3 layer covering the top magnetic pole. This eliminates the need for an extra thick layer of Al2O3 to be first deposited over the top pole and then removed to expose the top pole. The magnetic layer that forms the top pole can be plated to the target thickness of the top pole. As a result, the thickness of the photoresist layer that is used to define the size and shape of the top pole can be decreased to a desirable thickness, facilitating the use of DUV radiation to expose the photoresist layer.