Patent ID: 8015693

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, the method comprising: a lower magnetic pole layer forming step of forming a lower magnetic pole layer; a lower magnetic pole projection forming step of forming the lower magnetic pole layer with a lower magnetic pole projection; a gap layer forming step of laminating a nonmagnetic gap layer on the lower magnetic pole projection; and an upper magnetic pole forming step of forming an upper magnetic pole on the nonmagnetic gap layer; wherein the lower magnetic pole projection forming step forms the lower magnetic pole projection by simultaneously etching a plurality of parts of an area in a surface of the lower magnetic pole layer, the plurality of parts of the area including two parts respectively adjacent to two opposing sides, in a track width direction, of a projection forming part of the surface of the lower magnetic pole layer that is to become the lower magnetic pole projection, and a part that is adjacent to the projection forming part and is on a side of the projection forming part opposite from a medium-opposing surface of the lower magnetic pole layer.