Patent ID: 7903373

Claim:
A thin film magnetic head comprising: a playback element disposed between a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer; a recording element laminated on the upper shield layer, wherein the recording element comprises a main magnetic pole layer and a return yoke layer such that the return yoke layer is opposite the main magnetic pole layer with a gap spacing therebetween, and wherein the rear end of the return yoke layer in the height direction is connected to the main magnetic pole layer; a heating element which is disposed below a coil layer serving as a part of the recording element and which generates heat during energization so as to allow at least one of the playback element and the recording element to protrude toward the recording medium side through thermal expansion; and a pair of electrode leads of the heating element, wherein the pair of electrode leads include wide wiring portions having a width larger than the line width of the heating element and connection wiring portions for connecting between the wide wiring portions and the rear ends of the heating element in a height direction, the connection wiring portions are disposed in a region sandwiched between the upper shield layer and a magnetic layer of the recording element in a lamination direction, and the entire connection wiring portion, as seen from the lamination direction, is within the upper shield layer and the return yoke layer.