Magnetoresistance effect type read-head and method of producing the same

A method of producing a magnetoresistance effect type read-head, comprising the steps of:

• forming a read-element and a couple of hard films, which sandwich said read-element, on a substrate;
• forming a pattern section connecting an end section of one of said hard films, which is located on the far side with respect to said read-element, to an end section of the other hard film, which is located on the opposite far side with respect to said read-element, on the height direction side, wherein said pattern section is formed by coating a surface of a work with resist and patterning the resist;
• forming a soft magnetic film on the pattern section;
• and
• forming said hard films and said soft magnetic film into a continuous pattern, wherein the continuous pattern is formed by coating surfaces of said hard films and said soft magnetic film with resist having a pattern, which corresponds to the desired hard films and the desired soft magnetic film, and performing ion milling with using the resist as a mask.

A head slider of a magnetic disk apparatus having a magnetic head, which includes a magnetoresistance effect type read-head and a write-head,

• wherein said magnetoresistance effect type read-head comprises:
• a read-element;
• a couple of hard films sandwiching said read-element, said hard films applying bias magnetic fields to said read-element;
• and
• a soft magnetic film being provided on the height direction side, said soft magnetic film connecting an end section of one of said hard films, which is located on the far side with respect to said read-element, to an end section of the other hard film, which is located on the opposite far side with respect to said read-element, so as to circulate magnetic fluxes of said hard films via said soft magnetic film.

A magnetic disk apparatus, comprising:

• a head suspension;
• a head slider being mounted on said head suspension;
• and
• a magnetic head being mounted on said head slider, said magnetic head including a magnetoresistance effect type read-head and a write-head,
• wherein said magnetoresistance effect type read-head comprises:
• a read-element;
• a couple of hard films sandwiching said read-element, said hard films applying bias magnetic fields to said read-element;
• and
• a soft magnetic film being provided on the height direction side, said soft magnetic film connecting an end section of one of said hard films, which is located on the far side with respect to said read-element, to an end section of the other hard film, which is located on the opposite far side with respect to said read-element, so as to circulate magnetic fluxes of said hard films via said soft magnetic film.