Patent ID: 6826012
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising:a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium; a reproducing head including: a magnetoresistive element; and a first shield layer and a second shield layer for shielding the magnetoresistive element, portions of the shield layers located on a side of the medium facing surface being opposed to each other with the magnetoresistive element in between; and a recording head including: 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 of the magnetic layers 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; wherein: the first magnetic layer includes: a first portion located in a region facing toward the at least part of the thin-film coil; and a second portion connected to a surface of the first portion facing toward the thin-film coil, the second portion including a portion that forms one of the pole portions and defines a throat height; the portion of the second portion of the first magnetic layer that defines the throat height has a length between an end thereof located in the medium facing surface and the other end, the length being greater than a length of the magnetoresistive element between an end thereof located in the medium facing surface and the other end; the at least part of the thin-film coil is located on a side of the second portion of the first magnetic layer; and the second magnetic layer defines a track width; and wherein a width of the second magnetic layer measured in a position corresponding to the other end of the portion of the second portion of the first magnetic layer is greater than a width of the second magnetic layer measured in the medium facing surface.