Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic patterning methods are provided which implement directional deposition on the EUV resist mask to improve selectivity and critical dimension control during the patterning of features in multiple layers. A hard mask material is deposited on a substrate structure using directional deposition. The hard mask material forms a hard mask layer that covers patterning features of an EUV resist mask of the substrate structure. The hard mask material is etched selective to a layer underlying the EUV resist mask to remove portions of the hard mask material that were deposited on the underlying layer during the directional deposition without uncovering the patterning features of the EUV resist mask. At least one layer of the substrate structure is patterned based on the EUV resist mask and the hard mask layer.