Patent ID: 7864489

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a substrate having an air bearing surface; a read head element for reading data, formed on or above an element formation surface of said substrate, one end surface of said read head element reaching an head end surface on the air bearing surface side; a protective coat formed on said head end surface in such a way to cover at least said one end surface of said read head element; and at least one antistatic layer for preventing said protective coat from being electrostatically charged, formed on or above said element formation surface, one end surface of said at least one antistatic layer reaching said head end surface, said protective coat covering a portion, not the whole, of said one end surface of said at least one antistatic layer on said head end surface, wherein a charge moves between an opposed-to-medium surface of said protective coat and said at least one antistatic layer via a non-covered portion of said at one antistatic layer.