Method of producing thin film magnetic head

A method for fabricating a thin film magnetic head, said thin film magnetic head comprising a lower magnetic core layer, an upper magnetic core layer, a nonmagnetic gap layer provided between said lower and upper magnetic core layers, a coil layer for inducing a recording magnetic field in said lower and upper magnetic core layers, and a second insulating layer covering said coil layer, said method comprising the steps of:

• forming said nonmagnetic gap layer on said lower magnetic core layer;
• forming a first insulating layer on a first part of said nonmagnetic gap layer, a second part of the nonmagnetic gap layer not covered with the first insulating layer is a magnetic gap formation section, which is part of a tip region;
• forming said coil layer and said second insulating layer on said first insulating layer;
• forming a first underlying layer composed of a magnetic material extending from said nonmagnetic gap layer inside the tip region over said second insulating layer;
• forming a first magnetic material layer on said first underlying layer outside the tip region;
• removing said first underlying layer inside the tip region;
• forming a nonmagnetic material layer extending from the nonmagnetic gap layer inside the tip region over said first magnetic material layer;
• forming a second underlying layer composed of a magnetic material on said nonmagnetic material layer;
• and
• forming a second magnetic material layer on said second underlying layer.