Patent ID: 6882502
Filing Date: 2005-04-19
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
1. A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a lower core layer; a gap layer formed on the lower core layer, with a lower pole layer therebetween; an upper pole layer formed on the gap layer; an upper core layer formed on the upper pole layer; and a Gd-defining layer for defining a depth in a height direction of a joint surface between the gap layer and the upper pole layer, the Gd-defining layer being formed on the lower core layer in the height direction from a surface facing a recording medium, wherein a width in a track width direction of the gap layer is smaller than a width in the track width direction of the upper pole layer when viewed from the surface facing the recording medium, wherein the width in the track width direction of the gap layer is less than 0.4 μm when viewed from the surface facing the medium.