A method for producing a
single crystal using the
Czochralski method, comprising the following steps: a step of measuring a space between a melt surface and a lower end of a
seed crystal provided above the melt; a step in which the
seed crystal is lowered on the basis of the space and the
seed crystal is brought into contact with the melt; and a step of growing the
single crystal at the lower end of the seed
crystal by pulling the seed
crystal while maintaining a state of contact with the melt, wherein, in the step of measuring the space between the melt surface and the lower end of the seed
crystal, an image of the seed crystal and the melt surface is taken using a camera installed obliquely above the melt surface, an approximate circle of the edge of a
real image is generated by approximating a circle from an approximately arcuate edge pattern at a lower end part of a
real image of the seed crystal shown in the image taken by the camera, and similarly an approximate circle of the edge of a
mirror image is generated by approximating a circle from an approximately arcuate edge pattern at an upper end part of a
mirror image of the seed crystal reflected at the melt surface, and the space between the melt surface and the lower end of the seed crystal is calculated based on the distance from the center coordinates of the approximation circle of the edge of the
real image to the center coordinates of the approximation circle of the edge of the
mirror image, and wherein in the step of measuring the space between the melt surface and the lower end of the seed crystal, the approximate circle of the edge of the real image positioned above the approximate circle of the edge of the mirror image is obtained after the approximate circle of the edge of the mirror image is obtained from the captured image, and wherein a step in which the approximation circle of the edge of the mirror image is obtained comprises the following steps: a step of determining an upper end position of the mirror image of the seed crystal from a brightness distribution in a first region defined in advance in the captured image; a step of defining a second region including the upper end position of the mirror image of the seed crystal, and detecting an edge pattern of a part of the straight body from the mirror image of the seed crystal by performing a binarization process of the second region; and a step in which a circle is approximated from the edge pattern of the part of the straight body of the mirror image, where a step in which the approximation circle of the edge of the real image is obtained comprises the following steps: a step of setting a position where a difference value of brightness exceeds a predetermined threshold as a lower end position of the real image of the seed crystal when the first area is scanned upward from the center coordinates of the approximation circle of the edge of the mirror image; a step of defining a third region including the lower end position of the real image of the seed crystal, and detecting the edge pattern of the part of the straight body from the real image of the seed crystal by performing the binarization process of the third region; and a step in which a circle is approximated from the edge pattern of the part of the straight body of the real image.