Surface defect inspecting method and device

A surface defect inspecting apparatus comprising:

• an irradiating means for irradiating an irradiation light having a predetermined pattern on an inspection target surface;
• an imaging means for imaging the inspection target surface irradiated with the irradiation light;
• and
• an image processing means for effecting an image processing on an image obtained by the imaging means,
• wherein the irradiating means irradiates, from an irradiation face thereof, an irradiation light having a mesh-like pattern including meshes of a same shape, each mesh having an irradiation area smaller than a non-irradiation area in a plane normal to the optical axis;
• and
• the image processing means, in the image processing, processes lightness/darkness information of an image area corresponding to a non-irradiated area in the inspection target surface.

A surface inspecting apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a predetermined layout pattern;
• an imaging camera for imaging an inspection target surface irradiated with an irradiation light of the light emitting elements;
• and
• an outputting portion for outputting obtained image information of the imaging camera,
• wherein the layout pattern comprises a mesh-like repetitive layout pattern which repeats a continuous arrangement of the light emitting elements along a predetermined direction thereby leaving a dark face of a predetermined shape therewithin;
• the imaging camera is disposed so as to receive, on at least one dark face, the irradiation light of each light emitting element reflected off an area opposed to the dark face of the inspection target surface;
• and an emitting area of each of the light emitting elements is smaller than an area of the dark face.