Abstract: A magnetic head for reading from and/or writing to a magnetic information storage medium has a substrate on which a plurality of thin films are formed in sequence. The films provide a magnetic circuit having a magnetic gap, a bottom pole piece and a top pole piece overlying said bottom pole piece. The top pole piece is formed as a tip portion adjoining the magnetic gap and a rear portion which makes magnetic contact with the tip portion. The rear portion is formed in the sequence after the tip portion. To ensure accurate thickness and width of the tip portion, a non-magnetic protective film is formed on the tip portion after the tip portion is formed and before the rear portion is formed.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head including conductor coils, a plurality of insulating layers to interpose and insulate the conductor coils and a magnetic gap layer between upper and lower magnetic cores, in which another insulating layer is provided on a stepped region formed by end faces of the plurality of insulating layers.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film pattern on a base having a step portion. This method comprises a first step of forming a thin film of given material on the base, a second step of forming a predetermined pattern of a first photoresist film on said thin film at one of a first portion including a lower part of the step portion and a second portion including an upper part of the step portion, a third step of forming a predetermined pattern of a second photoresist film on said thin film at the other of the first and second portions and a fourth step of applying ion-milling to said thin film of given material using masks said first and second photoresist film patterns formed on said thin film at the first and second portions.