Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording and method of manufacturing same

A method of manufacturing a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording, the magnetic head comprising:

• a medium facing surface that faces toward a recording medium;
• a coil for generating a magnetic field corresponding to data to be written on the recording medium;
• a pole layer having an end face located in the medium facing surface, allowing a magnetic flux corresponding to the field generated by the coil to pass therethrough, and generating a write magnetic field for writing the data on the recording medium through the use of a perpendicular magnetic recording system;
• a pole-layer-encasing layer made of a nonmagnetic material and having a penetrating groove that accommodates the pole layer;
• and
• a substrate on which the encasing layer, the pole layer and the coil are stacked, wherein:
• the end face of the pole layer located in the medium facing surface has:
• a first side close to the substrate;
• a second side located opposite to the first side;
• a third side connecting an end of the first side to an end of the second side;
• and a fourth side connecting the other end of the first side to the other end of the second side;
• the second side defines a track width;
• and
• the end face of the pole layer located in the medium facing surface has a width that decreases as a distance from the first side decreases,
• the magnetic head further comprising an underlying layer that is made of a nonmagnetic conductive material, touches one of surfaces of the encasing layer closer to the substrate, and has an area greater than an area of the groove, the method comprising the steps of:
• forming the underlying layer;
• forming the encasing layer on the underlying layer;
• forming the pole layer in the groove of the encasing layer by plating through feeding a current to the underlying layer;
• and
• forming the coil.