CRYSTAL DEFECT DETECTING EQUIPMENT

PURPOSE: To provide crystal defect detecting equipment which can simply detect crystal defects on the surface of a specimen, in a short time. CONSTITUTION: The surface of a specimen 10 mounted on an XY stage 5 is irradiated with a laser beam from the vertical direction. The diffraction light from the specimen 10 surface is detected with a plurality of photodetectors 3a, 3b, 3c, from a plurality of directions which are rectangular or not rectangular to the crystal defect existing direction determined by the crystal orientation of the specimen 10 surface. In the part position where crystal defect exists, the diffraction light from the direction rectangular to the crystal defect is intensively detected. When crystal defect does not exist, diffraction light due to dust or the like on the specimen surface is almost uniformly detected from all directions. The output signal of diffraction light detected in each direction is operated, and it is decided whether the diffraction light from the laser beam irradiated point is caused by crystal defect. Hence the existence of crystal defect of the specimen surface can be detected by scanning the specimen surface with a laser beam.