Patent ID: 8830635

Claim:
A magnetic head comprising: a write head for perpendicular magnetic recording, having a main pole and a return pole; and a read head incorporating a magnetoresistive film comprising magnetic layers stacked through an intermediate layer, formed between an upper magnetic shield layer, and a lower magnetic shield layer, a sensing current flowing so as to penetrate respective interfaces between the magnetic layers stacked, wherein at least either shield layer of the upper magnetic shield layer, and the lower magnetic shield layer, disposed closer to the write head for perpendicular magnetic recording, is made up so as to have a planar multi-layered structure made of alternating layers of: a magnetic material layer, and a non-magnetic material layer, wherein the non-magnetic material layer comprises a low thermal expansion non-magnetic material having a coefficient of thermal expansion smaller than that of the magnetoresistive film, and wherein the planar multi-layered structure comprises at least two non-magnetic material layers and at least two magnetic material layers.