THERMAL HEAD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal head which can reduce the surface steps of a protective layer, and can improve printing quality. SOLUTION: This thermal head includes: a plurality of resistance layers which are formed on a protrusion-form section on the surface of a board; an individual electrode and a common electrode which feed power to the plurality of resistance layers; and the protective layer which covers the surface of the board. In the thermal head, on the protrusion-form section, an auxiliary step section having the same thickness with the common electrode is installed in a manner to be located on the other end section side of the resistance layers and at a different position from the common electrode. Then, the surface height of the protective layer by the auxiliary step section is made to meet the surface height of the protective layer by the common electrode in the orthogonal direction to the running direction of a printing medium. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT