Patent ID: 7872831

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a recording head portion configured to record magnetic information on a patterned media including minimum magnetization inversion units lined up with a non-magnetic area sandwiched between them, said recording head portion including, a thin-film coil configured to generate a magnetic flux, a magnetic pole layer that extends rearward from a patterned media opposite surface in opposition to said patterned media to generate a magnetic field to magnetize said patterned media on the basis of the magnetic flux generated at said thin-film coil, and a write shield layer that is located on a side of said magnetic pole layer in a direction of travel of said patterned media and extends rearward from said patterned media opposite surface, so that said write shield layer is isolated by a gap layer from said magnetic pole layer on a side near said patterned media opposite surface and coupled to said magnetic pole layer through a back gap on a side far away from said patterned media opposite surface, wherein a combined release angle Φ for a dominant recording magnetic field that is generated from said magnetic pole layer toward said patterned media for recording magnetic information is set to within an angle range of 35° to 65° with respect to said patterned media surface.