A thin-film magnetic head has a second lower core layer sandwiched between a
magnetic
pole laminate, which is formed of a lower magnetic pole layer, a gap layer, and
an upper magnetic pole layer laminated in this order from bottom to top, and a
first lower core layer. Unlike a conventional thin-film magnetic head, this thin-film
magnetic head does not include a gap depth defining layer. This arrangement makes
it possible to easily form the magnetic pole laminate into a substantially rectangular
shape, and solves the problems with the conventional thin-film magnetic head attributable
to the presence of the gap depth defining layer, the problems being typically represented
by a curved gap layer or a reduced volume of the upper magnetic pole layer. Thus,
the intensity of a recording magnetic field in the vicinity of a gap can be stabilized
and increased, allowing the manufacture of thin-film magnetic heads capable of
successfully achieving narrower tracks.
