Thin films of chalcogenide glassy photo- and electron beam resists (ChGR`s) are fabricated by vacuum evaporation and therefore can be deposited onto both planar and non-planar substrates. Due to high stability and attractive optical properties, the ChGR`s can be used not only in traditional lithographic processes as the technological means but also as the materials forming different micro- and nano-optical devices. Transition from a positive to a negative lithographic process with the same photoresist can be performed very easily by changing the composition of the developer. Physical properties of the ChGR’s are investigated and new applications are considered in this paper. New As₂S₃·As₂Se₃ resists combine high photosensitivity and a contrast characteristic with a long quasi-linear section, allowing the realization of high resolution grey scale photolithography. The possibility of use in high resolution lift-off lithography is another new application of the ChGR’s, as shown in this paper. New Ag-doped As₂S₃ resists have strongly super-linear characteristics and can be efficiently used in different types of maskless photolithography. Thin As₂S₃ and As₂Se₃ resist films with thicknesses of 20-50 nm allow realization of electron beam lithography of 50-100 nm resolution. New ChGR’s were used for the formation of several micro- and nano-optical devices: 2D and 3D photonic crystals, micro-lens-, micro-prism-, and micro-mirror-arrays.                                                 

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