Thin film magnetic head including adhesion enhancing interlayers, and upper and lower gap insulative layers having different hydrogen contents and internal stress states

摘要

A thin film magnetic head includes a magnetoresistive element portion movable over and relative to a magnetic recording medium for reading information stored therein, upper and lower shielding layers disposed with the magnetoresistive element portion therebetween for magnetically shielding the magnetoresistive element portion, and upper and lower gap insulative layers respectively interposed between the upper shielding layer and the magnetoresistive element portion and between the lower shielding layer and the magnetoresistive element portion. Each of the upper and lower gap insulative layers includes a hydrogen- incorporated film. The upper gap insulative layer has an increased hydrogen content and a reduced internal stress relative to the lower gap insulative layer.