Patent ID: 8064122

Claim:
A system for reducing excess light in a lithography system, comprising: a patterning device having a substrate and an active area attached to the substrate, the active area comprising a plurality of patterning elements; a first dark border region located on the substrate of the patterning device and surrounding the active area, wherein the first dark border region is located substantially on a same plane as the active area; and a second dark border region offset from the substrate of the patterning device and surrounding the active area, wherein light exposed on the active area passes through an aperture in the second dark border region, wherein excess light exposed outside the active area is reduced using at least one of the first dark border region and the second dark border region and wherein an inner perimeter of the second dark border region is greater than an outer perimeter of the active area and less than an outer perimeter of the active area plus the first dark border region such that the second dark border region overlaps the first dark border region.