Method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive head with spin-valve film

A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive head comprising:

• forming a lower magnetic shield layer over a substrate;
• forming a lower gap layer over the lower magnetic shield layer;
• applying an auto-histogenetic diblock copolymer over the lower gap layer to cause island-like tissue portions and sea-like tissue portions to be arranged orderly in phase separation;
• selectively removing either the island-like tissue portions or the sea-like tissue portions;
• etching the lower gap layer using the not removed tissue portion as a resist;
• removing the resist to form an unevenness fabrication of the lower gap layer;
• forming a spin-valve film over the lower gap layer whose surface has been subjected to the unevenness fabrication;
• forming an upper gap layer over the spin-valve film;
• and
• forming an upper magnetic shield layer over the upper gap layer.

A magnetoresistive head comprising:

• a lower gap layer;
• an auto-histogenetic diblock copolymer disposed on the lower gap layer and having an unevenness pattern of island-like portions and sea-like portions, each island-like portion being higher than the sea-like portions by a step of unevenness;
• and
• a spin-valve film disposed on the unevenness pattern of the lower gap layer.