The magnetic microstructures of 2：17 type Sm （Co, Fe, Cu, Zr）z magnets were detected by magnetic force microscopy. Comparing the microstructures of the specimens eoated with and without Ta thin film before and after heat-treatment, it is found that： （a） as a protection layer, Ta coating layer about 20 nm thick can effectively restrain Sm volatilization under high temperature; （b） the stress built in the 2.17 type Sm-Co magnets during specimen preparation only affects some local parts of the domain structures; （c） the magnetic microstructures vary largely for specimens heat-treated at high temperature without Ta film coating due to Sm volatilization. In addition, by comparing with high coercivity Fe-Pt point tips, it is found that the Co-Cr thin-film tips are not suitable for detecting the magnetic microstructures of strong permanent magnets.
