An automated electron‐beam‐lithographic system, Vector Scan‐I, was designed to fabricate devices beyond the optical limit. When the resolution requirement is only moderate, i.e., approximately one micron, VS‐1 can be used to fabricate chrome masks for conventional optical processing. VS‐1‐fabricated chrome masks have better pattern definition and extremely fast turnaround time. Furthermore, the VS‐1 electron‐beam system can generate pattern sizes from a given design to fit different experimental needs. The capability of accommodating many different designs on a single mask greatly reduces the device fabrication effort. Examples of chrome masks fabricated by the VS‐1 electron‐beam system will be described. These masks are routinely used for fabricating magnetic bubble devices. Large chips can be obtained by stitching several fields together.