We have investigated the feasibility of a two‐level scheme to obtain steep profile, thick resist, and high resolution patterns over stepped and/or reflecting surfaces. The two‐level scheme provides an alternative to a recently developed three‐level approach. The negative photosensitive inorganic resist Ag2Se/GeSe is formed on top of a thick polymer layer, which is not photo‐sensitive. High resolution patterns are produced in a 0.3 μm thick, pinhole‐free, inorganic resist layer using a commercial projection printer. The pattern is transferred to the polymer layer by oxygen reactive ion etching using the inorganic resist pattern as the mask against etching. Vertical‐walled 0.8 μm lines and spaces are obtained in a 2.5‐μm‐thick polymer. The high absorbance of light by the Se–Ge layer (2.5×105cm−1 at 400 nm) eliminates standing wave effects associated with reflection from the surface.