A new method is presented for fabricating micron‐order, relief‐patterned silica glass using a sol‐gel process. The relief pattern is clearly replicated from a master pattern onto the silica glass surface. Gel shrinkage during fabrication makes it possible to obtain a reduced pattern in comparison with the master. The reduction ratio is in the range between 1/2 and 1/3. Using this method, an echelette grating with a period of 9.55 &mgr;m was successfully fabricated from the master grating, having a period of 20 &mgr;m.