Thin-film magnetic head, method of manufacturing the same, head gimbal assembly, and hard disk drive

A head gimbal assembly comprising a thin-film magnetic head formed on a support and a gimbal for securing the support;

• wherein the thin-film magnetic head is constructed such that a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face on a side of a medium-opposing surface opposing a recording medium, a write shield layer having a write shield end face disposed in the medium-opposing surface, a gap layer formed between the main magnetic pole layer and write shield layer, and a thin-film coil wound around any of the main magnetic pole layer, the write shield layer or a shield magnetic layer connected the main magnetic pole layer are laminated on a substrate;
• wherein the shield magnetic layer comprises a leading shield part arranged on the substrate side of the main magnetic pole layer and arranged on the medium-opposing surface side of the thin-film coil, and the leading shield part has a variable distance structure in which a rearmost part most distanced from the medium-opposing surface on the main magnetic pole layer side is distanced more from the main magnetic pole layer than is a foremost part closest to the medium-opposing surface on the main magnetic pole layer side.

A hard disk drive comprising a head gimbal assembly having a thin-film magnetic head and a recording medium opposing the thin-film magnetic head;

• wherein the thin-film magnetic head is constructed such that a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face on a side of a medium-opposing surface opposing a recording medium, a write shield layer having a write shield end face disposed in the medium-opposing surface, a gap layer formed between the main magnetic pole layer and write shield layer, and a thin-film coil wound around any of the main magnetic pole layer, the write shield layer or a shield magnetic layer connected the main magnetic pole layer are laminated on a substrate;
• wherein the shield magnetic layer comprises a leading shield part arranged on the substrate side of the main magnetic pole layer and arranged on the medium-opposing surface side of the thin-film coil, and the leading shield part has a variable distance structure in which a rearmost part most distanced from the medium-opposing surface on the main magnetic pole layer side is distanced more from the main magnetic pole layer than is a foremost part closest to the medium-opposing surface on the main magnetic pole layer side.