Electromagnetic diffraction of a light wave by a single aperture of subwavelength width and subsequent propagation in a lossy medium are numerically investigated. This diffraction problem simulates exposure of a resist with an amplitude mask. It is found that there is the possibility of fabricating a lambda /2 structure on a resist of lambda /4 thickness, where lambda is the wavelength of the exposing light in vacuum, by conventional contact or by proximity lithography. It is also found that an air gap between a mask and a resist of up to lambda /2 does not have a significant effect on resolution. This approach permits easy and cost-effective fabrication of subwavelength structures and leads to wide availability of diffractive optical elements in the nonscalar domain. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.