Abstract: A reflective mask blank has a substrate (11) on which a reflective layer (12) for reflecting exposure light in a short-wavelength region including an extreme ultraviolet region and an absorber layer (16) for absorbing the exposure light are successively formed. The absorber layer (16) has an at least two-layer structure including as a lower layer an exposure light absorbing layer (14) formed by an absorber for the exposure light in the short-wavelength region including the extreme ultraviolet region and as an upper layer a low-reflectivity layer (15) formed by an absorber for inspection light used in inspection of a mask pattern. The upper layer is made of a material containing tantalum (Ta), boron (B), and nitrogen (N). The content of B is 5 at % to 30 at %. The ratio of Ta and N (Ta:N) falls within a range of 8:1 to 2:7. Alternatively, the reflective mask blank has a substrate on which a multilayer reflective film and an absorber layer are successively formed.

Abstract: A multilayer reflective film coated substrate includes a multilayer under film comprised of Mo/Si alternately-layered films, an intermediate layer in the form of a Si film, and a multilayer reflective film comprised of Mo/Si alternately-layered films for reflecting exposure light. The multilayer under film, the intermediate layer, and the multilayer reflective film are formed on a substrate in this order. Given that a cycle length of the multilayer under film is d bottom (unit:nm), a thickness of the intermediate layer is d Si (unit:nm), and a cycle length of the multilayer reflective film is d top (unit:nm), relationships of a formula (1) and a formula (2) are satisfied, the formula (1) given by n×d top?0.05?d bottom?n×d top+0.05 where n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1, and the formula (2) given by m×d top?1.2?d Si??m×d top+1.2 where m is an integer equal to or greater than 0.