In order to accurately measure a shape feature of a minute droplet
arranged on a substrate by a simple method, with respect to the droplet,
the substrate is perpendicularly irradiated with laser light to cause
diffracted light fluxes generated during passage of the laser light
through the droplet to interfere with each other, so that a diffraction
pattern is obtained. The diffraction pattern formed on a screen of a
detector as an image is picked up by an image pickup apparatus. The shape
feature of the droplet is measured by using the resultant diffraction
pattern and a refractive index of the droplet.