Patent ID: 8184406

Claim:
A thin film magnetic head comprising: a sensor film; a pair of an upper shield and a lower shield for applying an electric current in a film thickness direction of the sensor film; a pair of second insulating films formed adjacently to both sides of the sensor film in a track-width direction; a pair of magnetic films that are formed at both sides of the sensor film in the track-width direction and are adjacent to the second insulating film; a first insulating film disposed outside the second insulating film in a track-width direction of the sensor film; and a third insulating film disposed immediately adjacent the upper shield and the first insulating film and between the upper shield and the first insulating film, wherein, on an air bearing surface, the second insulating film is adjacent to both wall surfaces in a track direction of the pair of magnetic films and the third insulating film is disposed outside the second insulating film in the track direction, and wherein the second insulating film is raised toward and touches the upper shield where the second insulating film meets the first insulating film.