Patent ID: 7019943

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a first magnetic pole; a second magnetic pole, magnetically connected to said first magnetic pole at a position separated from a surface facing a recording medium, holding a gap layer made of a nonmagnetic material between said first and second magnetic poles; a coil at least partly located between said first and second magnetic poles; a recording shield layer made of a magnetic material and positioned on the side of said second magnetic pole opposite from said first magnetic pole; and a recording shield gap layer made of a nonmagnetic material and positioned between said second magnetic pole and said recording shield layer; said recording shield layer covering, by way of said recording shield gap layer, at least both lateral parts of said second magnetic pole on the side of said second magnetic pole facing the recording medium, wherein said second magnetic pole has a stepped part with a changed height; and wherein said recording shield layer has a step at a position corresponding to said stepped part in said second magnetic pole.