Patent ID: 6940689

Claim:
A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium; a first pole layer and a second pole layer that include magnetic pole portions opposed to each other and located in regions of the pole layers on a side of the medium facing surface; a coupling portion located away from the medium facing surface, and including at least one of a portion of the first pole layer and a portion of the second pole layer, and magnetically coupling the first pole layer to the second pole layer; a gap layer provided between the pole portion of the first pole layer and the pole portion of the second pole layer; and a thin-film coil disposed around the coupling portion, at least part of the coil being disposed between the first and second pole layers and insulated from the first and second pole layers, wherein: the first pole layer incorporates: a first layer disposed to face toward the thin-film coil; a second layer disposed near the medium facing surface and connected to the first layer in such a manner that the second layer protrudes closer toward the second pole layer than the first layer; and a third layer disposed near the medium facing surface and connected to the second layer in such a manner that the third layer protrudes closer toward the second pole layer than the second layer; the thin-film coil incorporates: a first coil having turns part of which is disposed between the second layer and the coupling portion; a second coil having turns at least part of which is disposed between the turns of the first coil; and a connecting layer disposed on a side of the third layer and connecting the first coil to the second coil in series; and the thin-film magnetic head further comprises: a first insulating film disposed between the first layer and the first and second coils; a second insulating film disposed between the turns of the first coil and the turns of the second coil; a third insulating film disposed between the connecting layer and the first and second coils; and a fourth insulating film disposed around the connecting layer.