An extreme ultraviolet lithography system (10) that creates a pattern (230) having a plurality of densely packed parallel lines (232) on a workpiece (22) includes a patterning element (16); an EUV illumination system (12) that directs an extreme ultraviolet beam (13A) at the patterning element (16); a projection optical assembly (18) that directs the extreme ultraviolet beam diffracted off of the patterning element (16) at the workpiece (22); and a pattern blind assembly (26) positioned in a beam path (55) of the extreme ultraviolet beam (13A). The pattern blind assembly (26) shapes the extreme ultraviolet beam (13A) so that an exposure field (28) on the workpiece (22) has a polygonal shape.