A pair of side pads, which are arranged to face each other by having a
negative pressure generating part in the direction orthogonal to an air
flow direction of a slider therebetween, are made to have three or more
steps, respectively. Of the respective surfaces having the plural steps,
the surfaces having a highest height respectively are not subject to a
milling, and the respective surfaces of having plural steps are made to
gradually have a deeper cavity depth as the surface comes closer to the
air inflow end. Further, it is also effective for improving the
efficiency in positive pressure generation to surround the second side
pad region partially by the region of the surface being not subject to
the milling, and to surround the third side pad region partially by the
second surface region.