Patent ID: 7724474

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a substrate having an element-formed surface and an opposed-to-medium surface; at least one magnetic head element provided in said element-formed surface, for writing and/or reading data signals; an overcoat layer formed on said element-formed surface so as to cover said at least one magnetic head element; a closure provided on said overcoat layer, a leading surface of said closure being in contact with a trailing surface of said overcoat layer; and at least one element contact pad protruded in a sliding-side surface of said thin-film magnetic head and comprising a contact surface including (a) part of said opposed-to-medium surface of said substrate, (b) a part of an end surface of said overcoat layer and (c) a part of an end surface of said closure, said contact surface having a contact with a surface of a flexible magnetic recording medium during reading and writing operations, a trailing end of said at least one element contact pad being positioned on a leading side in relation to a trailing surface of said closure, and one end of said at least one magnetic head element reaching said contact surface.