Thin film magnetic head and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head comprising the steps of:

• forming a first magnetic layer having a pole portion such that the first magnetic layer is supported by a substrate;
• forming a thin film coil above said first magnetic layer such that the thin film coil is supported by an insulating layer in an electrically isolated manner;
• forming a gap layer made of a non-magnetic material on at least said pole portion of the first magnetic layer and on said insulating layer;
• forming a second magnetic layer having a pole portion which is opposed to said pole portion of the first magnetic layer via said gap layer;
• performing an anisotropic etching to remove a portion of said gap layer adjacent to side edges of said pole portion of the second magnetic layer by using said pole portion of the second magnetic layer as a mask to form a recess in said gap portion;
• performing an etching to remove a portion of said first magnetic layer by using said pole portion of the second magnetic layer as a mask such that said recess is dug down partially into the first magnetic layer;
• and
• polishing the substrate, pole portions of the first and second magnetic layers and gap layer sandwiched by these magnetic layers to form an air bearing surface which is to be opposed to a magnetic record medium, while an inner side wall of said recess is used as a positional reference.

A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head comprising the steps of:

• forming a first magnetic layer having a pole portion such that the first magnetic layer is supported by a substrate;
• forming a gap layer made of a non-magnetic material on said first magnetic layer;
• forming a thin film coil such that the thin film coil is supported by an insulating layer in an electrically isolated manner;
• forming a second magnetic layer having a pole portion which is opposed to said pole portion of the first magnetic layer via said gap layer;
• performing an anisotropic etching to remove a portion of said gap layer adjacent to side edges of said pole portion of the second magnetic layer by using said pole portion of the second magnetic layer as a mask to form a recess in said gap portion;
• performing an etching to remove a portion of said first magnetic layer by using said pole portion of the second magnetic layer as a mask such that said recess is dug down partially into the first magnetic layer;
• and
• polishing the substrate, pole portions of the first and second magnetic layers and gap layer sandwiched by these magnetic layers to form an air bearing surface which is to be opposed to a magnetic record medium, while an inner side wall of said recess is used as a positional reference.