A method of high-throughput dry etching of a film by proton-mediated catalyst formation. The method includes providing a substrate having a film thereon containing silicon-oxygen components, silicon-nitrogen components, or both, introducing an etching gas in the process chamber, plasma-exciting the etching gas, and exposing the film to the plasma-excited etching gas to etch the film. In one example, the etching gas contains at least three different gases that include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, and a nitrogen-containing gas, plasma-exciting the etching gas. In another example, the etching gas contains at least four different gases that include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and a silicon-containing gas.