Abstract: A magnetic head in one embodiment includes a bottom pole; a top pole positioned above a plane extending through the bottom pole and parallel to a plane of deposition of the bottom pole, wherein the top pole is at least partially offset from the bottom pole in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition of the top pole; a first write gap in the top pole; and a first coil for generating a magnetic flux across the first write gap. A method in one embodiment includes forming a bottom pole; forming a top pole above a plane extending through the bottom pole and parallel to a plane of deposition of the bottom pole, wherein the top pole is at least partially offset from the bottom pole in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition of the top pole, wherein at least one write gap is formed in the top pole; forming side poles for coupling the top and bottom poles; and forming a first coil for generating a magnetic flux across the first write gap.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a lustrous and uniform plating film having high-performance magnetic characteristics and a thin film magnetic head usable in a high frequency recording band by using the plating film of the invention at a magnetic pole portion. Plating is performed in a plating bath at a low pH of about 1.5 to 2.3. The accuracy of pH control is improved. A magnetic film with the addition of a high resistive metal such as Cr or Mo is formed under the plating condition. Further, the magnetic characteristic is improved by applying a heat treatment to the plating film in a magnetic field, according to specific embodiments of the present invention. A plating film with brightness and uniformity having high saturation magnetic flux density can be formed by reducing the hysteresis loss and the eddy current loss as the magnetic characteristics by the above techniques.

Abstract: A soft magnetic film is formed of a CoFeNi alloy containing trace amounts of chlorine and sulfur as impurities. The stress of the soft magnetic film can be reduced effectively, specifically to 1,200 MPa or less, by adjusting the concentration ratio of chlorine to sulfur within the range from 1 to 60. In addition, variations in film stress can be reduced to provide higher yields of CoFeNi alloy films with low stresses.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording head comprises a substrate, a first magnetic core formed on the substrate, a second magnetic core having the front end face with a magnetic gap with respect to the front end face of the first magnetic core, and a coil for developing magnetic flux between the front end portions of the magnetic cores. A width of the second magnetic core at the front end portion thereof is chosen to be smaller than that of the first magnetic core. The second magnetic core is at a leading position relative to the second magnetic core in a traveling direction on a recording medium. In such configuration, it is possible to reduce side erase due to recording magnetic flux fringing and to achieve high density of magnetic recording while maintaining the conventional fabrication steps for the thin film magnetic recording head, thereby avoiding the problem in the fabrication.