Patent ID: 7130161

Claim:
A magnetic head disposed on a rotary cylinder rotatable in a predetermined direction, and having a medium sliding surface substantially flush with a peripheral surface of the rotary cylinder, the magnetic head comprising: a first shielding layer composed of a magnetic material; a second shielding layer spaced from the first shielding layer substantially parallel thereto and composed of a magnetic material; a magnetoresistive element provided between the first and second shielding layers and insulated from the first and second shielding layers by a nonmagnetic insulating layer; and a marker layer disposed on a side of the first shielding layer remote from the magnetoresistive element so as to determine the center in a track-width direction of the magnetoresistive element, wherein the layers and the element are exposed from the medium sliding surface while being inclined at a predetermined azimuth angle to the predetermined direction, and wherein a major part of the marker layer is disposed inside two imaginary azimuth lines in the track-width direction, the imaginary azimuth lines extending straight in the predetermined direction through both end portions in the track-width direction of the magnetoresistive element, and both end portions of the marker layer are disposed outside the imaginary azimuth lines in the track-width direction.