Method for manufacturing a magnetic head slider

A method for manufacturing a magnetic head slider, the method comprising the steps of:

• a first step of forming on a wafer, a plurality of read heads each including a read element, and a processing detection pattern for a read operation;
• a second step of forming on each of the plurality of read heads, a plurality of write heads each including an auxiliary magnetic pole piece, a main magnetic pole piece, a coil, and a shield provided at a trailing side of the main magnetic pole piece, a plurality of first processing detection patterns each formed on the same layer as a plated underlayer adapted for forming the shield by using a plating method, and a plurality of second processing detection patterns each formed on a layer including the main magnetic pole piece;
• a third step of cutting the wafer into a plurality of row bars;
• a fourth step of lapping independently a surface of each of the row bars by pressing the surface of the row bar against a rotary lapping surface table, then oscillating the row bar in a radial direction of the lapping surface table, and lapping the surface while detecting a resistance value of the processing detection pattern for the read operation and resistance values of each of the first and second processing detection patterns, the fourth step further including the steps of detecting a front end position of the second processing detection pattern, assigning a correlation between element height of the main magnetic pole piece and the resistance value of the first processing detection pattern, and lapping the surface of the row bar while detecting the resistance value of the first processing detection pattern;
• and
• a fifth step of cutting the row bar into individual magnetic head sliders by grooving an air bearing surface after the fourth step of lapping.