Microstructure and magnetic domain structure of Co/NiFe/MnNi systems

A Co/NiFe ferromagnetic bilayer has been exchange-coupled to MnNi and the resulting system has been annealed at different temperatures for several hours in a static magnetic field. The magnetic and microstructural properties have been studied as well as the effect of a Ta seed layer. The study has focused on the evolution of the exchange-bias field with that of MnNi structure which transforms from a nonmagnetic as-grown cubic phase to the antiferromagnetic tetragonal phase after annealing.