Patent ID: 6598289
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head comprising: a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium; a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer magnetically coupled to each other and including magnetic pole portions opposed to each other and placed in regions on a side of the medium facing surface, each of the magnetic layers including at least one layer; a gap layer provided between the pole portions of the first and second magnetic layers; and a thin-film coil at least a part of which is placed between the first and second magnetic layers, the at least part of the coil being insulated from the first and second magnetic layers; the method including the steps of:forming the first magnetic layer; forming the gap layer on the first magnetic layer; forming the thin-film coil so that the at least part of the coil is placed on the first magnetic layer; forming the second magnetic layer on the gap layer and above the at least part of the coil; wherein one of the step of forming the first magnetic layer and the step of forming the second magnetic layer includes the step of forming a layer including a yoke portion, the layer including the yoke portion forming a part of one of the magnetic layers, so that the at least part of the thin-film coil is sandwiched between the layer including the yoke portion and the other one of the magnetic layers; the step of forming the layer including the yoke portion including the steps of: forming a frame made of an insulating material around a region where the layer including the yoke portion is to be formed; forming a layer including a magnetic material inside and on top of the frame, the layer including the magnetic material to be the layer including the yoke portion; and polishing the layer including the magnetic material so that the frame is exposed, the top surfaces of the frame and the layer including the magnetic material are flattened, the layer including the magnetic material has the same thickness as that of the frame, and a portion of the layer including the magnetic material remaining inside the frame makes up the layer including the yoke portion.