Patent ID: 7099096

Claim:
A heat-assisted magnetic recording head, comprising: a thin film magnetic transducer having a pair of yokes and generating a magnetic field in a magnetic gap between two magnetic poles at the ends of the pair of yokes, wherein the electric resistance of at least one of the two magnetic poles is higher than that of the two yokes; and a heater placed in the vicinity of the magnetic gap and generating heat with an electric current, wherein a part of a magnetic recording medium in the vicinity of the magnetic gap is heated by the heater to reduce a magnetic-coercive of the part of the magnetic recording medium and the magnetic field generated by the thin film magnetic transducer is applied to the part of the magnetic recording medium, and the heater includes a conductor placed at the magnetic gap and electrically connected to the two magnetic poles, the conductor applying an electric current to the heater through the yokes to generate heat.