Patent ID: 7227720
Filing Date: 2007-06-05
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording comprising: a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium; a coil for generating a magnetic field corresponding to data to be written on the recording medium; a pole layer having an end located in the medium facing surface, allowing a magnetic flux corresponding to the field generated by the coil to pass therethrough, and generating a write magnetic field for writing the data on the recording medium through the use of a perpendicular magnetic recording system; a shield layer having an end located in the medium facing surface, a portion of the shield layer located away from the medium facing surface being coupled to the pole layer; and a gap layer made of a nonmagnetic material and provided between the pole layer and the shield layer, wherein: in the medium facing surface, the end of the shield layer is disposed forward of the end of the pole layer along a direction of travel of the recording medium with a specific space created by a thickness of the gap layer; at least part of the coil is disposed between the pole layer and the shield layer and insulated from the pole layer and the shield layer; the end of the pole layer located in the medium facing surface incorporates: a first side closer to the gap layer; a second side opposite to the first side; a third side connecting an end of the first side to an end of the second side; and a fourth side connecting the other end of the first side to the other end of the second side; the end of the shield layer located in the medium facing surface has an edge on a side of the gap layer, the edge including: a first portion facing toward the first side, the gap layer being disposed in between; two second portions that are disposed on both sides of the first portion opposed to each other in the direction of the track width and that are disposed such that a difference in level is created between the first portion and each of the second portions; a third portion connecting an end of the first portion to one of the second portions; and a fourth portion connecting the other end of the first portion to the other one of the second portions; and each of the difference in level and a distance between a straight line drawn in line with the second side and the second portions is smaller than a distance between the straight line and the first portion.