Patent ID: 8159783

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head substrate comprising: a ceramic base with a principal surface; and an undercoat film, which is made of an aluminum oxide and which covers the principal surface of the ceramic base, an electrical/magnetic transducer being provided on the undercoat film; wherein the substrate further includes an intermediate layer between the principal surface of the ceramic base and the undercoat film; the intermediate layer is made of a material other than the aluminum oxide, has been patterned so as to make a portion of the principal surface of the ceramic base contact with the undercoat film, and has an opening where the electrical/magnetic transducer is not located; the ceramic base is a single monolithic layer arranged to be the bottom-most layer of the thin-film magnetic head substrate; in a region other than the opening of the intermediate layer, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the principal surface of the ceramic base: the intermediate layer is present between the undercoat film and the ceramic base; and the undercoat film is not in contact with the ceramic base; and the intermediate layer is made of a non-magnetic material.