The investigations of etch characteristics and mechanisms for both In2O3 and SnO2 thin films in the HBr-based inductively coupled plasmas were carried out. The etch rates were measured as functions of gas mixing ratio (0%-100% Ar), input power (400-700 W), and gas pressure (4-10 mTorr) at fixed bias power (200 W) and gas flow rate [40 SCCM (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP)]. Plasma parameters and composition were determined using a combination of plasma diagnostics by double Langmuir probe and global (zero-dimensional) plasma model. The correlations between the behaviors of etch rates and fluxes of plasma active species allow one to infer both In2O3 and SnO2 etch mechanisms as the transitional regime of ion-assisted chemical reaction, which is controlled by neutral and charged fluxes together. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3294712]