Thin film magnetic head with a plurality of engaged thin-film coils and method of manufacturing the same

A thin-film magnetic heads including:

• at least two magnetic layers including two magnetic poles magnetically coupled to each other, part of sides of the magnetic poles facing a recording medium being opposed to each other with a gap layer in between;
• and
• a thin-film coil unit placed between the at least two magnetic layers, the thin-film coil unit including:
• a helical-shaped first thin-film coil;
• an insulating film covering at least a bottom and sides of a helical groove which is a region between turns of the first thin-film coil;
• a conductive film covering the bottom and the sides of the helical groove covered with the insulating film;
• insulator sidewall films covering only the conductive film on the sides of the helical groove;
• and
• a second thin-film coil embedded at least inside the helical groove covered with the conductive film and the insulator sidewall films.

A thin film magnetic head, including:

• two magnetic layers including two magnetic poles magnetically coupled to each other, part of sides of the magnetic poles facing a recording medium being opposed to each other with a gap layer in between;
• and
• a thin-film coil unit placed between the two magnetic layers;
• the thin-film coil unit including:
• a helical-shaped first thin-film coil;
• an insulating film covering at least a bottom and sides of a helical groove which is a region between turns of the first in-film coil, the insulating film having one or more top edges;
• and
• a second thin-film coil embedded at least inside the helical groove covered with the insulating film so as to directly be in contact with the insulating film wherein:
• top edges of the first thin-film coil and the second thin-film coil are on a same level surface;
• and
• the one or more top edges of the insulating film are on the same level surface on which the top edges of the first thin-film coil and the second thin-film coil are located.

A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, including:

• at least two magnetic layers including two magnetic poles magnetically coupled to each other, part of sides of the magnetic poles facing a recording medium being opposed to each other with a gap layer in between;
• and
• a thin-film coil unit placed between the at least two magnetic layers, steps of forming the thin-film coil unit including the steps of:
• forming a helical-sped first thin-film coil;
• forming an insulating film covering at least a bottom and sides of a helical groove which is a region between turns of the first thin-film coil, the insulating film extending to a top surface of the first thin-coil;
• and
• forming a second thin-film coil, having a T-shaped cross-section, being at least partially positioned inside the helical groove covered with the insulating film so as to directly come to contact with the insulating film, and further being at least partially positioned so that a portion of the second thin-film coil covers at least part of the top surface of the first thin-film coil with the insulating film in between.

A method of manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head, including:

• at least two magnetic layers including two magnetic poles magnetically coupled to each other, part of sides of the magnetic poles facing a recording medium being opposed to each other with a gap layer in between;
• and
• a thin-film coil unit placed between the at least two magnetic layers, steps of forming the thin-film coil unit including the steps of:
• forming a helical-shaped first thin-film coil;
• forming an insulating film covering at least a bottom and sides of a helical groove which is a region between turns of the first thin-film coil;
• forming a conductive film covering the bottom and the sides of the helical groove covered with the insulating film;
• forming insulator sidewall films covering only the conductive film on the sides of the helical groove;
• and
• forming a second thin-film coil embedded at least inside the helical groove covered with the conductive film and the insulator sidewall films.