Magnetic head shield pole with nonmagnetic separation film between transition portion and shield portion

A compound thin film magnetic head comprising:

• an inductive head that includes a gap layer disposed between an upper magnetic film, which functions as an upper pole, and a lower magnetic film, a plurality of nonmagnetic separation layers being disposed in the lower magnetic film;
• a magnetoresistive head that includes a magnetoresistive element disposed between an upper shield and a lower shield;
• the lower magnetic film including a shield layer, which functions primarily as the upper shield of the magnetoresistive head, a transition part, and a lower pole part disposed adjacent the gap layer and having a width matched to the upper pole, the lower pole part functioning as a lower pole of the inductive head, the transition part gradually decreasing in width from the shield layer to the lower pole part;
• and
• wherein one of the nonmagnetic separation layers is disposed between the shield layer and the transition part.