Patent ID: 6712984
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head including first and second magnetic layers magnetically coupled to each other and having first and second magnetic poles which face each other, with a gap layer in between, in a recording-medium-facing surface to be faced with a recording medium, a thin film coil provided between the two magnetic layers, and an insulating layer for insulating the thin film coil from the two magnetic layers,wherein at least one step of forming the first magnetic pole and a step of forming the second magnetic pole includes: a step of forming a magnetic material layer; a step of forming a mask precursor pattern on the magnetic material layer; a first etching step of forming a first mask by narrowing a part of the mask precursor pattern by ion beam etching and, simultaneously, etching the magnetic material layer to a depth in an area other than an area where the first mask is formed; and a second etching step of forming at least one of the first and second magnetic poles by selectively etching the magnetic material layer by reactive ion etching with the first mask, where the first magnetic pole extends in a direction apart from the recording-medium-facing surface and defines a recording track width of the recording medium, and the first magnetic layer includes a first magnetic layer portion having the first magnetic pole and a second magnetic layer portion which covers an area of the thin film coil and is magnetically coupled to the first magnetic layer portion, the first mask is formed so that a plane shape thereof includes at least a portion corresponding to the first magnetic pole in the first magnetic layer portion.