Submicron features have been fabricated in silicon dioxide and chromium using cadmium fluoride (CdF2) in a lift‐off mask scheme. High‐resolution lines are patterned by the electron beam on PMMA on a SiO2substrate and a thin film of CdF2is then evaporated. Following a lift‐off stage in chloroform, a pattern reversal of the PMMA image is obtained in CdF2, which is then etched in the RIE mode, providing a high selectivity with SiO2(>30) and giving a highly anisotropic etch in SiO2. In this way, high‐resolution submicron features in silicon dioxide with dimensions of 0.4 μm (wide) and 1 μm (deep) have been obtained. A similar procedure was used for chromium on glass.