A highly sensitive process for measuring fine deformation comprises a stage of illumination with beam to on a periodic structure having diffractive function as well as lacking in diffractive function, a stage of selecting wave of diffraction order having conjugate or nearly conjugate relation among diffracted wave fronts projected from the periodic structure by means of said illumination with beam so as to cause mutual interference, thus, the amount of deformation is measured by the interference fringe formed by said mutual interference when the basic period of periodic structure is displaced or periodic structure is deformed.