Thin film magnetic head, method of manufacturing the same, and magnetic recording apparatus

A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a thin film coil for generating a magnetic flux;
• a magnetic pole layer extending rearward from a recording-medium-facing surface that faces a recording medium traveling in a medium travel direction and generating a magnetic field for magnetizing the recording medium in a direction orthogonal to the face of the recording medium on the basis of the magnetic flux generated by the thin film coil;
• a magnetic shield layer which extends rearward from the recording-medium-facing surface so as to be separated from the magnetic pole layer by a gap layer on the side close to the recording-medium-facing surface and connected to the magnetic pole layer via a back gap on the side far from the recording-medium-facing surface;
• and an insulating layer specifying a throat height and covering the thin film coil,
• wherein a step of forming the magnetic shield layer and the insulating layer comprises:
• a first step of forming a first magnetic shield layer portion constructing a part of the magnetic shield layer so as to extend rearward from the recording-medium-facing surface to a first position on the gap layer in which the back gap is provided while being adjacent to the gap layer;
• a second step of forming a first insulating layer portion constructing a part of the insulating layer so as to extend rearward from the first position while being adjacent to the gap layer, construct a flat surface together with the first magnetic shield layer portion, and specify the throat height on the basis of the first position;
• a third step of forming the insulating layer so as to include the first insulating layer portion and a second insulating layer portion by forming the second insulating layer portion constructing another part of the insulating layer so as to extend rearwardly from a second position that recedes from the first position, wherein the second position is offset from the first position relative to the recording-medium-facing surface while being adjacent to the flat surface in the first insulating layer portion and to cover the thin film coil;
• and
• a fourth step of forming the magnetic shield layer so as to include the first magnetic shield layer portion and a second magnetic shield layer portion by forming the second magnetic shield layer portion constructing another part of the magnetic shield layer so as to extend rearward from the recording-medium-facing surface to at least the back gap while being on the first magnetic shield layer portion.

A magnetic recording apparatus on which a recording medium traveling in a medium travel direction and a thin film magnetic head for performing magnetic process on the recording medium are mounted,

• the thin film magnetic head comprising:
• a thin film coil for generating a magnetic flux;
• a magnetic pole layer extending rearward from a recording-medium-facing surface that faces a recording medium traveling in a medium travel direction and generating a magnetic field for magnetizing the recording medium in a direction orthogonal to the face of the recording medium on the basis of the magnetic flux generated by the thin film coil;
• a magnetic shield layer which extends rearward from the recording-medium-facing surface so as to be separated from the magnetic pole layer by a gap layer on the side close to the recording-medium-facing surface and connected to the magnetic pole layer via a back gap on the side far from the recording-medium-facing surface, the magnetic shield layer including a first magnetic shield layer portion extending rearward from the recording-medium-facing surface to a first position while being adjacent to the gap layer, and a second magnetic shield layer portion extending rearward from the recording-medium-facing surface to at least the back gap while extending partially on the first magnetic shield layer portion;
• and
• an insulating layer including a first insulating layer portion which extends rearward from the first position while being adjacent to the gap layer, constructs a flat surface together with the first magnetic shield layer portion, and specifies a throat height on the basis of the first position, and a second insulating layer portion which extends rearward from a second position receding from the first position while being adjacent to the flat surface in the first insulating layer portion, and covers the thin film coil wherein the second position is offset from the first position relative to the recording-medium-facing surface.