In the conventional process, a coercitivity increase is realized by effecting selective presence of, for example, Dy
metal in
crystal grain boundary zones of sintered
magnet. However, as this process employs a physical film forming technique using a vacuum vessel, such as
sputtering, there has been a difficulty in
mass productivity in the performing of vast quantities of
magnet treatment. Further, from the viewpoint, for example, that an expensive high-purity Dy
metal or the like must be employed as a film forming material, there has been a drawback in
magnet cost. There is provided a method of modifying the
grain boundary of Nd-Fe-B magnet, characterized in that a
fluoride,
oxide or
chloride of
metal element M (M: Pr, DY, Tb or Ho) is subjected to
reduction treatment so that there is effected
diffusion infiltration of the metal element M from the surface of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnet having an Nd rich
crystal grain boundary phase surrounding the circumferential part of Nd2Fe14B main
crystal into the grain boundary phase.