Perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of suppressing PTP and obtaining stabilized recording medium and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording head including a first magnetic layer having a main magnetic pole exposed from a surface opposed to a recording medium in a track width Tw, a return yoke layer opposed to the first magnetic layer with a nonmagnetic layer interposed therebetween, and a coil layer for applying a recording magnetic field to the first magnetic layer and the return yoke layer, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming the nonmagnetic layer on the first magnetic layer and forming the coil layer;
• (b) protruding the insulating layer, including at least a coil insulating layer covering the coil layer, upwardly on the nonmagnetic layer and retreating the insulating layer in a height direction, wherein a protrusion is formed in a center portion of the return yoke layer, a gap L1 between the anterior of the insulating layer and the opposed surface is adjusted so that the film thickness in the center portion of the return yoke layer is larger than the film thickness in opposite sides formed in the track width direction of the center portion in the front region of the insulating layer, and the front region where the top surface of the nonmagnetic layer is exposed in a planarized plane is formed in the front of the insulating layer, and
• (c) exposing the return yoke layer by forming the return yoke layer through the insulating layer from the front region,
• wherein the return yoke layer includes a center portion provided in a position opposed to the first magnetic layer in the film thickness direction, and opposed end portions, having the film thickness smaller than the center portion, that extend on the opposite sides in the track width direction of the center portion, and
• wherein a downside of the center portion and the opposed end portions is formed continuously and linearly parallel to the track width direction from the opposed surface, the downside being located facing to the first magnetic layer, and an upside of the center portion includes a protrusion portion protruding upwardly and having a maximum width T1 larger than the track width Tw to have the opposed end portions.