Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a gap section, and a return path section. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined portion and a flat portion. The coil includes a specific coil element. The specific coil element has a front end portion, and an inclined surface contiguous with the front end portion. The write shield includes a top shield layer located on the front side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to the main pole, and located closer to a medium facing surface than the specific coil element. The top shield layer is located on the rear side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to an imaginary plane including the inclined surface of the specific coil element.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section is located on the trailing side relative to the main pole so that a space is defined between the main pole and itself. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion extends to pass through the aforementioned space, and extends once around the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The second winding portion does not pass through the aforementioned space, and surrounds only a part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, and a return path section. The coil includes a coil element located on the trailing side of the main pole. The coil element has a front end face facing toward the medium facing surface. The return path section includes a first portion, a second portion, and an intermediate film interposed between the first portion and the second portion. Part of the first portion is interposed between the medium facing surface and the front end face of the coil element. Part of the second portion is interposed between the first portion and the front end face of the coil element.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, and a return path section. The coil includes a coil element located on the trailing side of the main pole. The coil element has a front end face facing toward the medium facing surface. The return path section includes a first portion, a second portion, and an intermediate film interposed between the first portion and the second portion. Part of the first portion is interposed between the medium facing surface and the front end face of the coil element. Part of the second portion is interposed between the first portion and the front end face of the coil element.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section is located on the trailing side relative to the main pole so that a space is defined between the main pole and itself. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion extends to pass through the aforementioned space, and extends once around the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The second winding portion does not pass through the aforementioned space, and surrounds only a part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plasmon generator includes the steps of: forming an initial film made of a metal polycrystal and including a pre-plasmon-generator portion that later becomes the plasmon generator; heating the initial film with heating light so that a plurality of crystal grains constituting the metal polycrystal grow at least in the pre-plasmon-generator portion; stopping the heating of the initial film; and forming the plasmon generator by processing the initial film after the step of stopping the heating. The step of forming the plasmon generator includes the step of providing the pre-plasmon-generator portion with a front end face that generates near-field light.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield, and a gap section. The write shield includes a trailing shield. The trailing shield includes a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a fourth portion. The second portion and the third portion are located on opposite sides of the first portion in the track width direction. Top surfaces of the first to third portions are coplanar with each other. The fourth portion lies on the top surfaces of the first to third portions. The first portion is higher in saturation flux density than the second to fourth portions.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield and a gap section. The write shield includes a leading shield having a top surface opposed to a bottom end of the main pole. The gap section includes a leading gap section for separating the leading shield from the bottom end of the main pole. The leading gap section is formed using a first nonmagnetic layer and a second nonmagnetic layer. The first nonmagnetic layer has a first front end located closest to but at a distance from the medium facing surface. The second nonmagnetic layer has a second front end located in the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The waveguide includes a core and a cladding. The main pole and the core are located on the same side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to the plasmon generator. The main pole has a first end face located in the medium facing surface, and a second end face opposite to the first end face. The core has a front end face opposed to the second end face of the main pole. The cladding includes an interposition section interposed between the front end face of the core and the second end face of the main pole. The front end face of the core and the second end face of the main pole are inclined with respect to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a gap section, and a return path section. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined portion and a flat portion. The coil includes a specific coil element. The specific coil element has a front end portion, and an inclined surface contiguous with the front end portion. The write shield includes a top shield layer located on the front side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to the main pole, and located closer to a medium facing surface than the specific coil element. The top shield layer is located on the rear side in the direction of travel of the recording medium relative to an imaginary plane including the inclined surface of the specific coil element.

Abstract: A main pole includes a main body and a lower protrusion. The lower protrusion is located at a distance from a medium facing surface. The main body includes a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion has a first side surface and a second side surface. The lower protrusion has a third side surface and a fourth side surface. A first side shield has a first sidewall opposed to the first side surface. A second side shield has a second sidewall opposed to the second side surface. A bottom shield includes a receiving section. The receiving section has a third sidewall opposed to the third side surface, and a fourth sidewall opposed to the fourth side surface. The receiving section and the lower protrusion are formed in a self-aligned manner by using the first and second side shields.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a waveguide, a plasmon generator, and a heat sink. The heat sink includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is interposed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. Each of the first and second metal layers is formed of a metal material. The intermediate layer is formed of a material that is higher in Vickers hardness than the metal material used to form the first metal layer and the metal material used to form the second metal layer.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a coil, a magnetic path forming section, and an insulating film. The magnetic path forming section includes first and second magnetic material portions. The coil includes first and second coil elements located between the first and second magnetic material portions. The insulating film includes an underlying portion located under the first and second coil elements. In a method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head, the insulating film is formed to cover the first and second magnetic material portions, and then a seed layer is formed selectively on the underlying portion of the insulating film. The coil is formed by plating using the seed layer.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a trailing shield, a gap section, a return path section, and a coil underlayer. The main pole has a top surface including a first inclined portion and a flat portion. The coil includes a specific coil element. The specific coil element has a bottom surface facing toward the top surface of the main pole, and a front end face inclined with respect to a medium facing surface. The coil underlayer lies under the specific coil element, and has a front end face. The trailing shield includes a portion interposed between the front end face of the coil underlayer and the medium facing surface. The bottom surface of the specific coil element includes a second inclined portion.

Abstract: A return path section includes a first yoke portion located on the front side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to a main pole and in contact with the top surface of the main pole. A coil includes a plurality of coil elements extending to pass between a core of a waveguide and the first yoke portion. The plurality of coil elements include a specific coil element. The main pole rides over the specific coil element.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole and a heat sink. The heat sink includes two first portions and two second portions. The two first portions are located on opposite sides of the main pole in the track width direction and are each spaced from the main pole. The two second portions are located between the main pole and the two first portions. The main pole and the two first portions are each formed of a magnetic metal. The two second portions are formed of a nonmagnetic metal.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield, and first and second nonmagnetic layers. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined surface portion. The write shield includes an inclined portion facing toward the top surface of the main pole. The first nonmagnetic layer is interposed between the inclined surface portion and the inclined portion. The second nonmagnetic layer is interposed between the first nonmagnetic layer and the inclined portion. The first nonmagnetic layer has a first front end located in a medium facing surface. The second nonmagnetic layer has a second front end that is located closest to but at a distance from the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a first insulating film, and a second insulating film. The coil includes a specific coil element. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined surface portion and a flat surface portion. The write shield includes an inclined portion. The inclined portion includes a first portion opposed to the inclined surface portion, and a second portion located farther from a medium facing surface than the first portion. The specific coil element includes an interposition part interposed between the flat surface portion and the second portion. The first insulating film is interposed between the inclined surface portion and the first portion of the inclined portion, and between the interposition part and the second portion of the inclined portion. The second insulating film is interposed between the first insulating film and the second portion of the inclined portion.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a first insulating film, and a second insulating film. The coil includes a specific coil element. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined surface portion and a flat surface portion. The write shield includes an inclined portion. The inclined portion includes a first portion opposed to the inclined surface portion, and a second portion located farther from a medium facing surface than the first portion. The specific coil element includes an interposition part interposed between the flat surface portion and the second portion. The first insulating film is interposed between the inclined surface portion and the first portion of the inclined portion, and between the interposition part and the second portion of the inclined portion. The second insulating film is interposed between the first insulating film and the second portion of the inclined portion.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield, and first and second nonmagnetic layers. The main pole has a top surface including an inclined surface portion. The write shield includes an inclined portion facing toward the top surface of the main pole. The first nonmagnetic layer is interposed between the inclined surface portion and the inclined portion. The second nonmagnetic layer is interposed between the first nonmagnetic layer and the inclined portion. The first nonmagnetic layer has a first front end located in a medium facing surface. The second nonmagnetic layer has a second front end that is located closest to but at a distance from the medium facing surface.