Pattern forming method and substance adherence pattern material

A pattern forming method, comprising image-wise forming, on a surface of a substrate, a region where an initiator having an ability to initiate polymerization is image-wise fixed over the whole area of the substrate and then image-wise exposing to light to inactivate the polymerization-initiating ability of the initiator in the region exposed to light so that the initiator fixed on the region not exposed to light maintains its activity, forming a graft polymer on the region by atom transfer radical polymerization to form a hydrophilic/hydrophobic pattern which includes regions having a graft polymer formed and regions having no graft polymer formed, and applying a substance to the hydrophilic or hydrophobic region of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic pattern,

• wherein the atom transfer radical polymerization is conducted in the presence of a transition metal complex as a catalyst.