Patent ID: 7343668
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head, comprising: forming a lower gap layer made of a non-magnetic material on a main magnetic pole layer; forming an upper gap layer on the lower gap layer; forming a resist layer on the upper gap layer; removing a portion of the resist layer that corresponds to a range of an end surface serving as a medium facing surface to a position, at which a predetermined throat height is obtained so that the upper gap layer is exposed through the removed portion; performing a dry etching as a plating pre-treatment to expose a new surface of the resist layer and to remove an area of the upper gap layer that is not covered with the resist layer, so that the lower gap layer is exposed through the removed area; and forming a plating underlayer on the exposed lower gap layer, the upper gap layer, and the resist layer, and forming a return path layer on the plating underlayer by plating.