Patent ID: 7768747

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head, comprising: a lower magnetic shield layer; a magnetoresistive effect multi-layered structure formed on said lower magnetic shield layer so that current flows in a direction perpendicular to surfaces of laminated layers; and an upper magnetic shield layer formed on said magnetoresistive effect multi-layered structure, said lower magnetic shield layer consisting of a first soft magnetic layer and a second soft magnetic layer laminated on and magnetically connected with said first soft magnetic layer, said first soft magnetic layer having a recessed part in which a part of an upper surface of said first soft magnetic layer outside both side ends in a track-width direction of said magnetoresistive effect multi-layered structure being located lower in height than an upper surface within a region where said magnetoresistive effect multi-layered structure is formed, said second soft magnetic layer being formed inside the recessed part outside both side ends in the track-width direction of said magnetoresistive effect multi-layered structure.