Thin-film magnetic head and method of manufacturing same

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

• a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium;
• a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer that include magnetic pole portions disposed so as to oppose to each other with a predetermined spacing interposed therebetween along the traveling direction of the recording medium;
• a gap layer made of a non-magnetic material and provided between the first and second magnetic layers;
• a coupling portion for magnetically connecting the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer to each other at a distance from the medium facing surface;
• and a thin-film coil at least a part of which is disposed between the first and second magnetic layers and insulated from the first and second magnetic layers, wherein:
• the second magnetic layer has:
• a pole portion layer including the magnetic pole portion, the width of the pole portion layer measured in the medium facing surface defining a track width;
• and a yoke portion layer that serves as a yoke portion;
• and the pole portion layer has a saturated magnetic flux density equal to or greater than that of the yoke portion layer, the method comprising the steps of:
• forming the first magnetic layer;
• forming the gap layer, the coupling portion and the thin-film coil on the first magnetic layer, such that a surface of the at least part of the thin-film coil, the surface being closer to the second magnetic layer, is located closer to the first magnetic layer than an end of the gap layer is, the end being located in the medium facing surface next to the second magnetic layer, and than an end of the coupling portion is, the end being closer to the second magnetic layer;
• and
• forming the second magnetic layer on the gap layer and the coupling portion, wherein:
• the step of forming the second magnetic layer includes the steps of:
• forming the pole portion layer on the gap layer;
• and
• forming the yoke portion layer on the gap layer and the coupling portion, such that the yoke portion magnetically connects the end of the coupling portion closer to the second magnetic layer and an end surface of the pole portion layer, the end surface being farther from the medium facing surface, to each other.