Patent ID: 7239480

Claim:
A thin film magnetic head comprising a recording element, wherein: the recording element comprises a lower magnetic film, an upper magnetic film, a gap film and a thin film coil; the lower magnetic film comprises a lower yoke portion and a lower pole portion, and the lower pole portion is provided at one end of the lower yoke portion that is on the side facing a recording medium; the upper magnetic film comprises an upper yoke portion and an upper pole portion; the upper yoke portion is provided at a distance from the lower yoke portion, and magnetically coupled with the lower yoke portion by the rear coupling portion that is on the rear side in relation to the side facing a recording medium; the thin film coil is provided with an insulating film and arranged between the lower yoke portion and the upper yoke portion; the upper pole portion comprises a pole end portion and a pole rear portion, and faces the lower pole portion with the gap film therebetween; the pole end portion has a width to define a recording track width; the pole rear portion has one end that is magnetically connected with the pole end portion at or in the vicinity of an edge of the insulating film and forms a first flare point at which the width in the track width direction increases, the other end that is connected with the upper yoke portion and forms a second flare point at which the width in the track width direction increases, and both side edges in the track width direction that are inclined so that the width in the track width direction gradually increases from the second flare point toward the first flare point; and the width of the pole end portion at the first flare point is smaller than the maximum width of the pole rear portion.