Patent ID: 7168156

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head by laminating on a substrate first and second magnetic pole groups, magnetically connected to each other, having respective magnetic pole parts opposing each other on a side of a medium-opposing surface opposing a recording medium; a recording gap layer formed between the magnetic pole parts; and a thin-film coil insulated from the first and second magnetic pole groups and helically wound about at least one of the first and second magnetic pole groups; the method comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of first inner conductor parts and a lower connecting layer both in contact by way of an insulating film with a first magnetic pole layer disposed on the substrate, and a second magnetic pole layer disposed at a position defining a yoke length; forming an inner groove covered with a separation insulating film between the second magnetic pole layer and the first inner conductor parts adjacent each other; forming a second inner conductor part within each inner groove, and constructing a first conductor group by the first and second inner conductor parts; forming the first magnetic pole group by laminating a third magnetic pole layer on the second magnetic pole layer; forming the second magnetic pole group on the first magnetic pole group so as to provide the recording gap layer; forming a plurality of first outer conductor parts in contact with the second magnetic pole group by way of an insulating film, and an insulating part disposed at a position defining the yoke length; forming an outer groove covered with a separation insulating film between the insulating part and the first outer conductor parts adjacent each other; forming a second outer conductor part within each outer groove, and constructing a second conductor group by the first and second outer conductor parts; and forming a connecting part group by placing an upper connecting layer onto the lower connecting layer, and constructing the thin-film coil by the connecting part group and the first and second conductor groups.