Patent ID: 8611051

Claim:
A magnetic head comprising: a head slider comprising a bearing surface opposed to a surface of a recording medium, and an inflow end portion and an outflow end portion for an airflow produced between the recording medium surface and the bearing surface; and a recording element and a reproduction element in the outflow end portion of the head slider, the bearing surface comprising a leading step at the inflow end portion, a skirt portion located at the inflow end portion and extending transversely relative to the head slider, a leading pad on the leading step and comprising a junction extending, at a transversely central portion thereof, to the skirt portion, first groove surfaces disposed individually on the opposite sides of the junction and being continuous with a downstream central portion of the skirt portion, second groove surfaces disposed on an upstream side of the first groove surfaces and formed deeper than the first groove surfaces, and negative-pressure grooves disposed individually on the transversely opposite sides of the first groove surfaces between the second groove surfaces and the skirt portion and formed deeper than the second groove surfaces.