Patent ID: 7212378

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head having an opposing face that opposes a recording medium, the thin-film magnetic head comprising: a lower core layer extending from the opposing face in a height direction; a magnetic layer directly or indirectly connected to the lower core layer at a position a predetermined distance away from the opposing face in the height direction; and a coil toroidally wound around the magnetic layer, the coil comprising: a plurality of first coil segments that cross over the magnetic layer, the first coil segments being separated from each other with predetermined gaps therebetween in the height direction; a coil insulating layer covering the first coil segments, the magnetic layer being formed on the coil insulating layer; a plurality of second coil segments that cross over the magnetic layer, the second coil segments being formed on the coil insulating layer; a plurality of bank layers disposed at two sides of the magnetic layer in the track width direction, the bank layers being electrically connected with ends of the first coil segments, and a lower magnetic pole layer formed above the lower core layer and a gap layer comprising a nonmagnetic metal material formed on the lower magnetic pole layer, the lower magnetic pole layer and the gap layer being formed by plating, wherein ends of each second coil segment in the track width direction are electrically connected with upper faces of the bank layers to connect ends of the adjacent first coil layers with each other via the second coil segments, thereby forming a toroidal coil, wherein the magnetic layer is formed on the gap layer and functions as an upper magnetic pole layer; the lower magnetic pole layer, the gap layer, and the magnetic layer constitute a first composite structure; the width of the first composite structure in the track width direction at the opposing face defines a track width Tw; and each banking layer comprises a second composite structure comprising a first sublayer comprising the same material as the lower magnetic pole layer, a second sublayer comprising the same material as the gap layer, and a third sublayer comprising the same material as the magnetic layer.