Embodiments include determining whether defects exist in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light mask blank. Incident EUV light scattered or diffused by abnormalities in the layers of the mask blank may be measured, normalized, and compared to threshold values to determine if and where a defect exists. Normalizing may be performed by dividing a light intensity value for a pixel by the average of light intensity values for one or more rings of surrounding pixels. A defect may be determined by considering whether the normalized intensity value for a pixel is greater than a pixel threshold to identify the pixel is a candidate for a location with a defect; and by determining whether the sum of normalized light intensity values for a block of pixels including the pixel satisfies a pixel block threshold to determine whether the block scatters or diffuses a critical amount of light to identify a defect.