First order distributed feedback laser with periods down to 94 nm based on ZnSe have been realized by electron beam lithography and wet chemical etching. Distributed feedback operation was demonstrated by optical excitation using a pulsed N2laser. A threshold density of 80 kW/cm2was found at room temperature for a resonator length of 225 &mgr;m. From the stop band width, a coupling coefficient of 120 cm−1can be estimated. By varying the grating period the emission wavelength can be tuned over a wide spectral range of more than 130 meV. Measurements in the range between 20 and 300 K show that the shift of the emission wavelength with temperature is reduced by more than a factor of four as compared to the temperature shift of the spontaneous emission. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.