Method for manufacturing perpendicular magnetic head including a main pole surrounded by shield layers

A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic head having a writing element that writes magnetic information to a recording medium, comprising:

• a first step for forming a main magnetic pole part generating a magnetic field on a substrate;
• a second step for removing at least a part of the substrate and a material existing at a circumference of the main magnetic pole part so as to expose an entire circumference of the main magnetic pole part at a surface that becomes an opposing medium surface (ABS) opposite to the recording medium;
• a third step for forming a shield gap film that is made of a nonmagnetic material so as to cover the entire circumference of the main magnetic pole part at least at the surface that becomes the ABS;
• and
• a fourth step for forming a shield layer so as to cover an entire circumference of the shield gap film at least at the surface that becomes the ABS.