Thin-film magnetic head and method of manufacturing same, and slider of thin-film magnetic head and method of manufacturing same

A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head comprising:

• a recording head section having a recording head and a first medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium;
• and a reproducing head section having a reproducing head and a second medium facing surface that faces toward the recording medium, wherein the recording head section and the reproducing head section are bonded to each other so that the first medium facing surface and the second medium facing surface are continuous, the method comprising the steps of:
• fabricating the recording head section;
• fabricating the reproducing head section separately from the recording head section;
• and
• bonding the recording head section and the reproducing head section to each other.

A thin-film magnetic head comprising:

• a conductor that is electrically connected to an external device;
• an induction-type electromagnetic transducer electrically connected to the conductor;
• and a body for accommodating the conductor and the induction-type electromagnetic transducer, wherein:
• the body has a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium, and a back surface located on the opposite side from the medium facing surface;
• the conductor is exposed in the back surface;
• the induction-type electromagnetic transducer is stacked on the conductor;
• the induction-type electromagnetic transducer has:
• a thin-film coil electrically connected to the conductor;
• first and second pole portion layers opposed to each other and disposed near the medium facing surface;
• a magnetic-path-forming part that is disposed so as to surround a part of the thin-film coil and couples the first pole portion layer and the second pole portion layer to each other;
• and a gap part provided between the first and second pole portion layers;
• each of the first and second pole portion layers has a protrusion for defining a recording track width, the protrusion having an end surface exposed in the medium facing surface;
• and
• the thickness of each of the first and second pole portion layers defines a throat height.

A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head comprising:

• a conductor that is electrically connected to an external device;
• an induction-type electromagnetic transducer electrically connected to the conductor;
• and a body for accommodating the conductor and the induction-type electromagnetic transducer, wherein the body has a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium, and a back surface located on the opposite side from the medium facing surface, and the conductor is exposed in the back surface, the method comprising the steps of:
• forming the conductor;
• and
• forming the induction-type electromagnetic transducer to be stacked on the conductor, the electromagnetic transducer having:
• a thin-film coil electrically connected to the conductor;
• first and second pole portion layers opposed to each other and disposed near the first medium facing surface;
• a magnetic-path-forming part that is disposed so as to surround a part of the thin-film coil and couples the first pole portion layer and the second pole portion layer to each other;
• and a gap part provided between the first and second pole portion layers,
• each of the first and second pole portion layers having a protrusion for defining a recording track width, the protrusion having an end surface exposed in the medium facing surface, and the thickness of each of the first and second pole portion layers defining a throat height.

A slider for a thin-film magnetic head comprising:

• a slider section having a recording head and a first medium facing surface that faces toward a rotating recording medium;
• and
• a reproducing head section having a reproducing head and a second medium facing surface that faces toward the recording medium, wherein:
• the first medium facing surface has concavities and convexities for controlling the orientation of the slider section while the recording medium is rotating, and
• the slider section and the reproducing head section are bonded to each other so that the first medium facing surface and the second medium facing surface are continuous.

A method of manufacturing a slider for a thin-film magnetic head, the slider comprising:

• a slider section having a recording head and a first medium facing surface that faces toward a rotating recording medium;
• and a reproducing head section having a reproducing head and a second medium facing surface that faces toward the recording medium, wherein the first medium facing surface has concavities and convexities for controlling the orientation of the slider section while the recording medium is rotating, and the slider section and the reproducing head section are bonded to each other so that the first medium facing surface and the second medium facing surface are continuous, the method comprising the steps of:
• fabricating the slider section;
• fabricating the reproducing head section separately from the slider section;
• and
• bonding the slider section and the reproducing head section to each other.