a process for fabricating sliders with one or more sacrificial structures that facilitate lapping to create the air - bearing surface is described . prior to separating individual sliders from a wafer , a mask of material that is not removable by deep reactive ion etching is patterned on the surface of the sliders . the mask outlines a sacrificial extension around portions of the magnetic transducer elements that are nearest the predetermined plane which will become the abs . the sacrificial extension makes the surface of the slider which will be lapped non - planar . the sacrificial extension extends below the predetermined abs plane . when the sliders are individually separated by drie , the shape of the mask including the sacrificial extension is projected down into and along the slider body .