The present disclosure describes methods and systems for radical-activated etching of a metal oxide. The system includes a chamber, a wafer holder configured to hold a wafer with a metal oxide disposed thereon, a first gas line fluidly connected to the chamber and configured to deliver a gas to the chamber, a plasma generator configured to generate a plasma from the gas, a grid system between the plasma generator and the wafer holder and configured to increase a kinetic energy of ions from the plasma, a neutralizer between the grid system and the wafer holder and configured to generate electrons and neutralize the ions to generate radicals, and a second gas line fluidly connected to the chamber and configured to deliver a precursor across the wafer. The radicals facilitate etching of the metal oxide by the precursor.