A method is provided which includes pulsing power applied to a microelectronic topography between a high level and a low level during a plasma etch process. In particular, the high level may be sufficient to form etch byproducts at a faster rate than a rate of removal of the etch byproducts from the reaction chamber at the high level. In contrast, the low level may be sufficient to form etch byproducts at a rate that is less than a rate of removal of the etch byproducts at the low level. In this manner, an etched topography may be formed without an accumulation of residue upon its periphery. Such a method may be particularly beneficial in an embodiment in which the etch byproducts include a plurality of nonvolatile compounds, such as in the fabrication of a magnetic junction of an MRAM device, for example.