A magnetic head has highly thermally conductive insulator materials
containing cobalt-oxide so that heat can more effectively dissipate from
the magnetic head. In one illustrative example, the magnetic head has
first and second gap layers and a read sensor disposed between the first
and the second gap layers. The first and the second gap layers are
advantageously made of cobalt-oxide (CoO.sub.x) (e.g. CoO or Co.sub.2
O.sub.3), which may exhibit a thermal conductivity of between 5-8
watts/meter-Kelvin or greater. In another illustrative example, a magnetic
head is made of a substrate; first and second shield layers; an undercoat
layer formed between the substrate and the first shield layer; first and
second gap layers formed between the first and the second shield layers;
and a read sensor formed between the first and the second gap layers. The
undercoat layer is also made of CoO.sub.x. The improved dissipation of
heat from the magnetic head improves the read sensor performance and
reduces the likelihood of other problems, such as head-to-disk interface
problems.
