Method of manufacturing magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a return path section

A method of manufacturing a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording, the magnetic head comprising:

• a medium facing surface that faces a recording medium;
• a coil that produces a magnetic field corresponding to data to be written on the recording medium;
• a main pole that has an end face located in the medium facing surface, the main pole allowing a magnetic flux that corresponds to the magnetic field produced by the coil to pass, and producing a write magnetic field for writing the data on the recording medium by means of a perpendicular magnetic recording system;
• a write shield made of a magnetic material and having an end face located in the medium facing surface;
• a gap part made of a nonmagnetic material and interposed between the main pole and the write shield;
• a first return path section made of a magnetic material;
• an accommodation part made of a nonmagnetic material and accommodating at least part of the first return path section;
• and
• a substrate having a top surface, wherein:
• the coil, the main pole, the write shield, the gap part, the first return path section, and the accommodation part are located above the top surface of the substrate;
• the end face of the write shield includes:
• a first end face portion located on a front side in a direction of travel of the recording medium relative to the end face of the main pole;
• and a second end face portion located on a rear side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to the end face of the main pole;
• the first return path section is located on the rear side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to the main pole and lies between the main pole and the top surface of the substrate, the first return path section connecting the write shield and part of the main pole away from the medium facing surface to each other so that a first space is defined by the main pole, the gap part, the write shield, and the first return path section;
• the coil includes at least one first coil element extending to pass through the first space;
• and
• the first return path section includes a magnetic layer including a first, a second, and a third portion, wherein the first portion is located closer to the top surface of the substrate than is the first space, the second portion is located closer to the medium facing surface than is the first space, and the third portion is located farther from the medium facing surface than is the first space,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• forming the accommodation part;
• forming the first return path section after the accommodation part is formed;
• and
• forming the coil, the main pole, the write shield and the gap part after the first return path section is formed,
• wherein the step of forming the first return path section forms the first to third portions from the same material simultaneously.