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The etching of different polymers versus the dose of neutral oxygen atoms was measured in an oxygen plasma post-glow reactor. The source of neutral oxygen atoms was an inductively coupled RF oxygen plasma with an electron temperature of 5eV and a density of about 10 16 m -3 . The density of oxygen atoms in the post-glow reactor was measured with a catalytic probe. The density was adjusted either by adjustment of discharge parameters or by changing the position of a movable recombinator placed in the post-glow reactor. The O density was up to 4x10 21 m -3 . It was found that the activation of a polymer was completed after the O dose of 6x10 21 m -3 . Further exposure to O atoms caused continuous etching of polymers. The etching rate depended on the type of polymer and was of the order of 1nm/10 20 cm -2 .