Patent ID: 7365942
Filing Date: 2008-04-29
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A thin-film magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording, comprising; a medium facing surface; a coil for generating a magnetic field; a main magnetic pole layer for performing perpendicular magnetic recording by means of a magnetic field generated by said coil; a write shield layer facing said main magnetic pole layer with said coil between them; and a write gap layer interposed between said main magnetic pole layer and said write shield layer, wherein said main magnetic pole layer is provided with a main pole film portion and a yoke pole film portion provided on the surface of the main pole film portion facing said write shield layer, said write shield layer is located in part at a specified virtual domain and has a varying depth inside the specified virtual domain, said virtual domain is a domain being determined by a virtual extended plane and a virtual perpendicular plane and being at a yoke pole film portion side with regard to said virtual extended plane and said virtual perpendicular plane, said virtual extended plane is a plane obtained by extending a surface of said yoke pole film portion facing said write shield layer and perpendicular to the medium facing surface, and said virtual perpendicular plane is a plane extending from an inner surface of a first shield film portion of said write shield layer that is coupled to said write gap layer and parallel to and separate from the medium facing surface.