Thin film magnetic head and manufacturing method thereof

A method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head with a write element, the write element comprising:

• a first yoke portion;
• a first pole portion projecting from a flat surface of the first yoke portion at a medium-facing surface side and having a reduced width at its upper end;
• a gap film;
• a second pole portion facing the upper end of the first pole portion, having the same width as the upper end of the first pole portion, with the gap film interposed between the second pole portion and the upper end of the first pole portion;
• a second yoke portion continuous with the second pole portion at the medium-facing surface side and connected to the first yoke portion by a back gap portion that is recessed in the thin film magnetic head from the medium-facing surface;
• and
• a coil surrounding in a spiral form the back gap portion on the flat surface of the first yoke portion;
• wherein:
• the first pole portion includes a magnetic film adjacent to the gap film, and the magnetic film is etched at both sides in width direction so as to have a narrowed portion having substantially the same width as the second pole portion, and a base portion connected to the narrowed portion and increasing in thickness toward the narrowed portion;
• the manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
• forming in an uniform thickness a film that is to form the second yoke portion;
• covering the second yoke portion with a resist mask that has an opening where the second pole portion is to be formed;
• etch-backing the resist mask so as to expose a part of the second yoke portion;
• and
• etching through the opening a part of the magnetic film and/or a part of the gap film that are in the opening.