The effect of NiFeCr seed layer composition on the giant magnetoresistance properties of [FeCoNi/Cu] multilayers

•Study on the effect of the composition of NiFeCr seed layer on the interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) and giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in FeCoNi/Cu multilayer films.•Optimal composition of (Ni0.55Cr0.45)100-yFey with 0 ≤ y ≤ 47 at. % for seed layer to obtain the largest GMR ratio of 35%. This is due to a strong [111]-texture and a coarse grain size of the FeCoNi/Cu multilayer.•We found that not only the crystallographic texture and grain size but also the roughness of FeCoNi/Cu interface influence IEC and GMR.•This paper provides a guideline for development of GMR magnetic sensors.