The invention aims at providing a pattern forming material which little suffers from area defects, fog caused by a color developer, and break of unexposed film and exhibits high resolution, high tent film strength, and excellent removability after pattern formation and which can form finer patterns; a pattern forming apparatus provided with the material; and a pattern forming process by use of the material. The invention provides a pattern forming material having a photosensitive layer which comprises a binder, a polymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, a fused heterocyclic compound, a polymerization inhibitor, a color developer and an organic solvent, wherein the binder has an acid value of 50 to 400mgKOH/g and a mass-average molecular weight of 10,000 to 100,000; the polymerizable compound is a compound having a urethane group and/or a compound having an aryl group; and the organic solvent is at least one member selected from among ketones, alcohols and ethers with the content thereof being 0.5% by mass or below.