The invention relates to a method of producing a thin-film magnetic head, starting from a magnetic carrier, on which a first non-magnetic layer is deposited, depositing spatially separated flux conductors, and at least between the flux conductors depositing a second non-magnetic layer, whereafter on the flux conductors and the second non-magnetic layer an electrically insulating layer is deposited on which a magneto-resistance element is applied. The invention also relates to a thin-film magnetic head which includes a magnetic carrier on which a first non-magnetic layer is present on which flux conductors and a second non-magnetic insulating layer are located, this second non-magnetic layer being arranged at least between the flux conductors, there being present on the flux conductors and the second non-magnetic layer an electrically insulating layer on which a magneto-resistance element is provided at least facing the second magnetic insulating layer.
A method and a thin-film magnetic head as described in the opening paragraph are disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application 62-246115A. In the prior-art magnetic head the magneto-resistance element bridges a leading and a trailing flux conductor and the magneto-resistance element is located outside the magnetic yoke constituted by the flux conductors and a carrier. This significantly improves the efficiency of the thin-film magnetic head compared with a magnetic head in which the magneto-resistance element is located inside the yoke between the carrier and the flux conductors. In the prior-art method, the flux conductors are deposited by means of sputtering and are structured by an ion etching procedure. In such a method a magnetic layer which is first deposited, is coated by a shielding layer, for example a photoresist. This shielding layer is thereafter structured, for example by exposing the layer selectively to light. By doing so the photoresist is developed, whereafter the exposed portion is removed. Thereafter the magnetic layer can be structured by means of the ion etching procedure. The prior-art method has the disadvantage that a relatively large number of manufacturing steps must be carried out for the formation of the flux conductors, causing the method to be time-consuming and consequently rather expensive.