Method for manufacturing thin film magnetic head

A manufacturing method of a magnetic head possessing a coil positioned between a lower magnetic pole and an upper magnetic pole, the method comprising:

• forming a coil substrate possessing a plurality of first convex portions on a surface of the lower magnetic pole;
• forming a first insulating layer on the coil substrate, the insulating layer possessing a plurality of second convex portions along the contour of the first convex portions;
• forming a planarization layer surrounding the plurality of second convex portions;
• forming a plurality of concave portions aligned to the first convex portions by etching the first insulating layer by making use of the planarization layer as a mask, the plurality of concave portions being self-aligned to the first convex portions;
• forming a coil inside the concave portions;
• forming a second insulating layer covering the coil;
• and
• forming the upper magnetic pole on the second insulating layer.

A manufacturing method of a magnetic head including a reproducing head possessing a magneto-resistance effect element which possesses a first concave portion on an upper surface and is interposed between a pair of an upper and a lower magnetic shield layer through a reproducing magnetic gap, and a recording head possessing a pair of an upper and a lower magnetic pole disposed through a recording magnetic gap, the method comprising:

• forming, on a upper side reproducing magnetic gap, a lower magnetic pole concurrently serving as at least an upper side magnetic shield layer possessing a second concave portion, the second concave portion conforming to the first concave portion;
• forming a first planarization layer in the second concave portion;
• and
• forming, by etching the lower magnetic pole making use of the first planarization layer as a mask, a convex portion self-aligned dimensionally to the first concave portion.

A method of manufacturing a magnetic head, the magnetic head comprising lower and upper magnetic poles, and a magnetic gap disposed between the upper and lower magnetic poles, the method comprising:

• forming the lower magnetic pole, the lower magnetic pole having a first convex surface;
• forming a layer of non-magnetic material over the first convex surface, the layer of non-magnetic material having a convex portion, the convex portion being conformed to the first convex surface and having a top surface;
• forming a planarization layer laterally surrounding the convex portion;
• selectively removing, using the planarization layer as a mask, a portion including the top surface of the convex portion from the layer of non-magnetic material and leaving a portion of the layer of non-magnetic material under the planarization layer to form a concave portion of the layer of non-magnetic material, the concave portion being self-aligned with the first convex surface;
• and
• forming the upper magnetic pole in the concave portion.