Patent ID: 7623322

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head: comprising: a substrate; a magnetic read head element having a shield area, formed on the substrate; a magnetic write head element having a pole area, formed on an opposite side of the magnetic read head element with respect to the substrate; an overcoat layer covering the magnetic read head element and the magnetic write head element, formed on the substrate; a heater heating at least during the magnetic read head element or the magnetic write head element in operation, formed in the overcoat layer only on an opposite side of the magnetic write head element with respect to the substrate; and a slit area splitting the shield area in a shield length direction, the slit area being made of a lower thermal conductivity material than a material of the shield area, wherein a distance D slit from an end surface of the thin-film magnetic head, where the shield area faces, to the slit area is less than or equal to a distance D h from the end surface to the heater.