Patent ID: 7961429

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising: an electromagnetic coil element for writing data; a magnetoresistive effect element for reading data having two shield layers sandwiching a magnetoresistive effect multilayer; and a heating element including: (1) a heating layer forming a current path pattern, provided at least between said electromagnetic coil element and said magnetoresistive effect element, and configured to protrude by thermal expansion said electromagnetic coil element and said magnetoresistive effect element to control a flying height of the head; and (2) lead layers electrically connected with said heating layer for applying a heating current to said heating layer, at least a portion of a run-off portion midway in the current path pattern of said heating layer running off the shield layer closer to said heating layer than the other shield layer, having a resistance per unit length smaller than a resistance per unit length of the other portions than the portion running off the shield layer.