METHOD OF ERASING REPEATED PATTERNS AND PATTERN DEFECT INSPECTION DEVICE

An image of a subject of inspection is picked up, and this image is demarcated into a plurality of areas. Density differences are found between reference pixels and a plurality of comparison pixels in the demarcated areas, and a density difference that is closest to 0 is determined as a specific density difference. The specific density difference is then applied to the reference density in the image of the subject, whereby repeated patterns in the image are erased.