Thin film magnetic head for high density recording, a method of manufacturing the same, and a magnetic recording apparatus comprising the same

A manufacturing method of a thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a common shield having both shield function and lower magnetic core function,
• a recording gap formed on said common shield, having specified gap length and gap depth,
• an upper magnetic core disposed oppositely to said common shield through said recording gap, and
• a pair of shunt members made of a soft magnetic material formed at the side of said recording gap, being magnetically insulated from said common shield and upper magnetic core, said method comprising:
• a step of forming a nonmagnetic film as the recording gap on the common shield,
• a step of forming an upper magnetic core having a narrower width than the common shield on said nonmagnetic film,
• a step of trimming said nonmagnetic film and common shield in a specified depth, using said upper magnetic core as mask,
• a step of forming an insulating material on the trimmed surface, and
• a step of forming shunts made of soft magnetic material on said insulating material.

A manufacturing method of a thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a common shield-having both shield function and lower magnetic core function,
• a recording gap formed on said common shield, having specified gap length and gap depth,
• an upper magnetic core disposed oppositely to said common shield through said recording gap, and
• a pair of shunt members made of a soft magnetic material formed at the side of said recording gap, being magnetically insulated from said common shield and upper magnetic core through a nonmagnetic layer,
• wherein said shunts are formed by trimming the nonmagnetic layer near the recording gap from the ABS side to form recesses, and filling the recesses with a soft magnetic material.

A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing signals in a magnetic recording medium, wherein a magnetic head mounted on said magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is a thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a common shield having both a shield function and a lower magnetic core function,
• a recording gap formed on said common shield, having a specified gap length and gap depth,
• an upper magnetic core disposed oppositely to said common shield through said recording gap, and
• a pair of shunt members made of a soft magnetic material formed at the side of said recording gap, the shunt members being magnetically insulated from said common shield and upper magnetic core through a nonmagnetic layer.