Thin film magnetic head and magnetic disk apparatus including the same

A magnetic head comprising:

• a lower magnetic core including a first magnetic layer,
• an upper magnetic core including:
• a second plated magnetic layer having a first face emerging at a face opposed to a medium, and
• a third plated magnetic layer having a second face not emerging at a face opposed to the medium, which is connecting to said second plated magnetic layer at a position of said second face,
• a gap film formed between said lower magnetic core and said upper magnetic core, wherein,
• the distance between said first face and said second face is 0.2 to 1.5 μm.

A manufacturing method of a thin film magnetic head comprising:

• forming a lower magnetic core,
• forming a gap layer,
• forming an end portion of an upper magnetic core above the gap layer,
• forming a protective film above the lower magnetic core
• forming a coil and an insulator above the protective film,
• forming a frame by a negative resist formed on the end portion of an upper magnetic core and the insulator, and
• forming a rear portion of the upper magnetic core by using the frame, and,
• wherein the end portion of the upper magnetic core has a face opposed to a medium.

A magnetic head comprising:

• a lower magnetic core,
• a gap layer formed above the lower magnetic core,
• an end portion of an upper magnetic core formed above the gap layer, and having a face opposed to a medium,
• a protective film formed above the lower magnetic core, and next to the end portion of the upper magnetic core,
• a coil and an insulator formed above the protective film, and
• a rear portion of the upper magnetic core formed on the end portion of the upper magnetic core and the insulator,
• wherein the coil and the insulator are formed above the end portion of the upper magnetic core, and
• the rear portion of the upper magnetic core is formed by using a negative resist frame.

A manufacturing method of a magnetic head comprising:

• forming a lower magnetic core,
• forming a gap layer above the lower magnetic core,
• forming an end portion of an upper magnetic core above the gap layer,
• forming a protective film above the end portion to cover the end portion,
• polishing the protective film by CMP to expose a surface of the end portion and smooth the surface of the protective film,
• forming a coil and an insulator above the protective film,
• depositing a negative resist above the end portion and the insulator,
• forming a frame which extends past the expected location of an air bearing surface (ABS) by exposing and developing the negative resist,
• forming a rear portion of the upper magnetic core by plating above the insulator and a part of the end portion using the frame formed by exposing and developing the negative resist as a mask, and
• removing the negative resist forming the frame to result in the rear portion being recessed from the expected ABS.

A manufacturing method of a magnetic head comprising:

• forming a lower magnetic core,
• forming a gap layer above the lower magnetic core,
• forming an end portion of an upper magnetic core above the gap layer,
• depositing an SiO2 or Al2O3 film above the end portion after forming the end portion of the upper magnetic coil,
• polishing the SiO2 or Al2O3 film by CMP to expose a surface of the end portion,
• forming a coil and an insulator above the SiO2 or Al2O3 film,
• depositing a negative resist over the end portion and the insulator after forming said coil,
• forming a frame which extends past the expected location of an air bearing surface (ABS) by exposing and developing the negative resist,
• forming a rear portion of the upper magnetic core by plating above the insulator and a part of the end portion using the frame formed by exposing and developing the negative resist as a mask, and
• removing the negative resist forming the frame to result in the rear portion being recessed from the expected ABS.
• wherein a face of the rear portion is apart from a face of the end portion,
• wherein the SiO2 or Al2O3 film formed above the end portion is removed by the CMP.