Abstract: A manufacturing method for a magnetoresistive element includes: a step of forming a stack; a step of forming an insulating film to cover the stack; a step of forming an initial magnetic layer to cover the stack and the insulating film so that a thickness of the initial magnetic layer in a first direction is greater than a thickness of the stack in the first direction; a step of forming an organic material film on the initial magnetic layer; and an etching step of etching a part of the initial magnetic layer and the organic material film by ion beam etching so that the initial magnetic layer becomes a pair of magnetic layers.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a trailing shield, and a spin torque oscillator. A top surface of the main pole includes a first inclined portion, a second inclined portion, and a third inclined portion arranged in order of closeness to a medium facing surface. Each of the first to third inclined portions has a front end closest to the medium facing surface and a rear end farthest from the medium facing surface. Each of the first to third inclined portions is inclined relative to the medium facing surface and a direction orthogonal to the medium facing surface so that its rear end is located forward relative to its front end in a direction of travel of a recording medium.

Abstract: A write shield of a magnetic head includes a pair of first side shields and a pair of second side shields. The pair of first side shields each include a first side wall and a second side wall. The pair of second side shields each include a third side wall. The third side wall of one of the pair of second side shields is continuous with the first side wall of one of the pair of first side shields. The third side wall of the other of the pair of second side shields is continuous with the first side wall of the other of the pair of first side shields.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. A second metal layer of the plasmon generator includes a second front end facing the medium facing surface. A third metal layer of the plasmon generator includes a narrow portion located on the second metal layer. The narrow portion includes a front end face located in the medium facing surface and configured to generate near-field light from a surface plasmon, and a rear end opposite the front end face. The rear end is located farther from the medium facing surface than is the second front end.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a trailing shield, a spin torque oscillator, first and second side shields, first and second gap films, and first and second guard films. The first gap film and the first guard film are interposed between the trailing shield and the first side shield. The second gap film and the second guard film are interposed between the trailing shield and the second side shield.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a trailing shield, and a spin torque oscillator. A bottom surface of the trailing shield includes a first portion that includes an end located in the medium facing surface and is in contact with the spin torque oscillator at least in part. An element height that is a dimension of the spin torque oscillator in a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface and a writer height that is a dimension of the first portion in the direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface are different from each other.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a trailing shield, a spin torque oscillator, and a first insulating layer. The first insulating layer is interposed between a portion of the main pole and a portion of the spin torque oscillator. The first insulating layer has a first end closest to the medium facing surface. The spin torque oscillator has a rear end farthest from the medium facing surface. The first end of the first insulating layer is located closer to the medium facing surface than the rear end of the spin torque oscillator is.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The first metal layer includes a plasmon exciting portion on which surface plasmons are excited. The second metal layer is located on the first metal layer, and includes a bottom surface in contact with the first metal layer, a top surface located on a side opposite to the bottom surface, a front end face that is located in the medium facing surface and generates near-field light from the surface plasmons, and a connecting surface that connects the top surface and the front end face. The connecting surface includes an inclined portion inclined relative to a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface.

Abstract: A near-field light generator includes a plasmon generator including a plasmon exciting portion on which a surface plasmon is excited, and a near-field transducer including a front end face that generates near-field light from the surface plasmon. The near-field transducer is formed of a first metal material. The plasmon generator includes a first portion formed of the first metal material and a second portion formed of a second metal material. The first portion is in contact with the near-field transducer. The second portion includes at least part of the plasmon exciting portion.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a write shield, a lower return path section, and an accommodation section. The accommodation section accommodates at least part of the return path section. A first portion of the accommodation section has a first inclined surface. A second portion of the accommodation section has a second inclined surface. A coil element of the coil has a third inclined surface opposed to the first inclined surface, and a fourth inclined surface opposed to the second inclined surface. The lower return path section includes a first inclined portion extending along the first inclined surface, and a second inclined portion extending along the second inclined surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a medium facing surface, a coil, a main pole, and a substrate. The main pole includes a first layer, and a second layer lying on the first layer. The first layer includes a thickness-changing portion whose dimension in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate decreases with decreasing distance to the medium facing surface. At least part of the second layer is located on the thickness-changing portion.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a magnetic head includes the steps of: forming a main pole; forming a spin torque oscillator; and forming a trailing shield. The step of forming the spin torque oscillator includes: a step of forming a layered film; a step of forming an interposition layer; a step of forming a mask; a first etching step of etching a portion of the interposition layer using the mask; a second etching step of etching a portion of the layered film using the mask and the interposition layer as an etching mask; a step of removing the interposition layer and the mask; and a patterning step of patterning the layered film into the spin torque oscillator.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole, a trailing shield, a spin torque oscillator, and a buffer layer. The buffer layer is interposed between the main pole and the spin torque oscillator. The spin torque oscillator has first and second side surfaces. The first and second side surfaces respectively form first and second angles with respect to a direction perpendicular to a top surface of a substrate. The first and second angles each fall within a range of 0° to 10°. The buffer layer has third and fourth side surfaces. The third side surface includes a first inclined portion forming a third angle greater than the first angle. The fourth side surface includes a second inclined portion forming a fourth angle greater than the second angle.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main pole and a write shield. The write shield includes a bottom shield, a first side shield and a second side shield. The first side shield has first and second sidewalls. The second side shield has third and fourth sidewalls. Each of the second and fourth sidewalls has a top edge farthest from a top surface of a substrate. The top edge of each of the second and fourth sidewalls is parallel to a medium facing surface. A portion of a top surface of the bottom shield, the first sidewall, and the third sidewall define a receiving section to receive a portion of the main pole. The receiving section has a bottom including a first inclined portion, a second inclined portion, and a third inclined portion.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a waveguide includes forming a core including a first and a second layer. The first layer has a top surface including a first region opposed to a bottom surface of the second layer, and a second region not opposed to the bottom surface of the second layer. Forming the core includes a step of forming an initial first layer, an etching stopper layer on the second region of the top surface of the initial first layer, an initial second layer on the initial first layer and the etching stopper layer, and a step of etching the initial second layer until the etching stopper layer is exposed, to make the initial second layer into the second layer. A difference between the refractive index of the etching stopper layer and the core is smaller than or equal to 10% of the refractive index of the core.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, and a magnetic path forming section for defining a first space for a portion of the coil to pass through. The magnetic path forming section includes a core section. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion includes one or two first coil elements extending to pass through the first space, and extends once or twice around the entire perimeter of the core section. The second winding portion does not pass through the first space, and extends less than once around the entire perimeter of the core section to rotate n degrees about a center point of the core section, where n is greater than 270 and smaller than 360.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a plasmon generator and a heat sink. The main pole includes a first narrow portion and a first wide portion. The plasmon generator includes a second narrow portion and a second wide portion. The first narrow portion has a first side surface and a second side surface. The second narrow portion has a third side surface and a fourth side surface. The heat sink includes a first portion adjacent to the first side surface and the third side surface, and a second portion adjacent to the second side surface and the fourth side surface.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a waveguide includes forming a core including a first layer and a second layer. The first layer has a top surface including a first region with which a bottom surface of the second layer is in contact, and a second region with which the bottom surface of the second layer is not in contact. Forming the core includes the steps of: forming an initial first layer; forming an etching stopper layer on the second region of the initial first layer; forming an initial second layer on the initial first layer and the etching stopper layer; etching the initial second layer and the initial first layer so as to make the initial first layer into the first layer; and etching the initial second layer until the etching stopper layer is exposed, so as to make the initial second layer into the second layer.

Abstract: A plasmon generator including a wide portion and a narrow portion is manufactured by etching an initial plasmon generator using an etching mask. The etching mask includes a first mask layer for defining the shape of one of the narrow portion and the wide portion, and a second mask layer for defining the shape of the other of the narrow portion and the wide portion. The etching mask is formed by forming a first hard mask, a second initial mask layer and a second hard mask in this order on a first initial mask layer, and etching the first and second initial mask layers by using the first and second hard masks.

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.