Abstract: Light from a light source device is polarized through a polarizer and is caused to impinge obliquely onto an object to be inspected. The resulting scattered light is received by a CCD imaging device having an element for separating scattered polarized light disposed in a dark field. Component light intensities are worked out for an obtained P-polarized component image and an obtained S-polarized component image and a polarization direction is determined as a ratio of them. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are determined from images obtained by imaging of the light scattering entities in a state where static stress is not applied to the object to the inspected and in a state where static load is applied thereto so as to generate tensional stress on the side irradiated by light. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are compared with predetermined threshold values.

Abstract: Light from a light source device (4) is polarized through a polarizer (5) and is caused to impinge obliquely on an object (W) to be inspected. The resulting scattered light (SB) is received by a CCD imaging device (7) having an element (9) for separating scattered light disposed in a dark field. Component light intensities are worked out for an obtained P-polarized component image and an obtained S-polarized component image and a polarization direction is determined as a ratio of them. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are determined from images obtained by imaging of the light scattering entities in a state where stress is applied to the object to be inspected and in a state where stress is not applied thereto. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are compared with predetermined threshold values.

Abstract: Light from a light source device is polarized through a polarizer and is caused to impinge obliquely onto an object to be inspected. The resulting scattered light is received by a CCD imaging device having an element for separating scattered polarized light disposed in a dark field. Component light intensities are worked out for an obtained P-polarized component image and an obtained S-polarized component image and a polarization direction is determined as a ratio of them. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are determined from images obtained by imaging of the light scattering entities in a state where static stress is not applied to the object to the inspected and in a state where static load is applied thereto so as to generate tensional stress on the side irradiated by light. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are compared with predetermined threshold values.

Abstract: Light from a light source device (4) is polarized through a polarizer (5) and is caused to impinge obliquely on an object (W) to be inspected. The resulting scattered light (SB) is received by a CCD imaging device (7) having an element (9) for separating scattered light disposed in a dark field. Component light intensities are worked out for an obtained P-polarized component image and an obtained S-polarized component image and a polarization direction is determined as a ratio of them. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are determined from images obtained by imaging of the light scattering entities in a state where stress is applied to the object to be inspected and in a state where stress is not applied thereto. The component light intensities and the polarization directions are compared with predetermined threshold values.