Patent ID: 7800748

Claim:
An edge inspection apparatus comprising: a first illumination unit that illuminates an inclined portion of an edge of a flat subject with one of diffused light and illuminating light of a high directivity from a position other than directly above or directly below a surface or a reverse surface of the subject, with the inclined portion being inclined with respect to the surface or the reverse surface of the subject; a second illumination unit that epi-illuminates a parallel portion of the edge from a position in a direction perpendicular to a plane parallel with the surface or the reverse surface of the subject, with the parallel portion being parallel to the surface or the reverse surface of the subject; an imaging unit that takes an image of the edge from a position in a direction perpendicular to a plane parallel to the surface or the reverse surface of the subject at the same time; and an inspection unit that inspects conditions of the inclined portion of the edge, using the image obtained by the imaging unit.