Dichromated poly(acrylic acid) films with dimethyl formamide have been investigated as UV photosensitive recording medium for the fabrication of diffractive optical elements. Surface relief structures with large depth modulation have ben formed on these films. Relief depth of surface gratings as a function of exposure time and the spatial frequency of the gratings are presented. Atomic force microscopy 3D views of surface relief gratings are also presented. ©2004 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.