To provide a method for forming a magnetic layer pattern and a method for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head wherein formation accuracy and mass-productivity are high.
After a buffer layer 14 is formed on a base magnetic layer, the base magnetic layer is etched and patterned to form a precursor magnetic layer. Subsequently, by locally etching the precursor magnetic layer additionally while radiating an ion beam from a relatively large irradiation angle θ2 (=about 60.0°±10.0°), a magnetic pole part layer 13A is formed. Because of the presence of the buffer layer 14, a lower end vicinity part is preferentially etched rather than the upper end vicinity part of the base magnetic layer. Thus, a tip 13A1 is formed in which an upper end width and a lower end width for regulating a recording track width are respectively W2, W3, and the magnetic pole part layer 13A is highly accurately formed in which the tip surface of the tip 13A1 is reverse-trapezoidal.
SHIINO OSAMU
WATABE YUICHI
ROPPONGI TETSUYA
