The present invention provides a thin film magnetic head capable of
suppressing unintentional wiring to a neighboring track and preventing
information recorded on a recording medium from being erased. A main
magnetic pole layer is constructed so that height of a widened end
surface in a lower main magnetic pole layer specifying a wide portion is
smaller than height of an exposed surface in an upper main magnetic pole
layer (front end portion) specifying a uniform width portion. Since the
area of the widened end surface is narrowed with respect to the area of
the exposed surface, even if an amount of magnetic flux flowing in the
lower main magnetic pole layer increases at the time of recording
information, as compared with the case where the height of the widened
end surface is equal to the height of the exposed surface, unintentional
emission of the magnetic flux flowing in the lower main magnetic pole
layer from the widened end surface not via the upper main magnetic pole
layer (front end portion) toward the recording medium is suppressed.