YMnO$_3$ films are excellent gate dielectric materials of ferroelectric random access memories (FRAMs) with MFSFET (metal -ferroelectric-semiconductor field effect transistor) structure because YMnO$_3$ films can be deposited directly on Si substrate and have a relatively low permittivity. Although the patterning of YMnO$_3$ thin films is the requisite for the fabrication of FRAMs, the etch mechanism of YMnO$_3$ thin films has not been reported. In this study, YMnO$_3$thin films were etched with Cl$_2$/Ar gas chemistries in inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The maximum etch rate of YMnO$_3$ film is 285$AA$/min under Cl$_2$/(Cl$_2$+Ar) of 1.0, RF power of 600 W, dc-bias voltage of -200V, chamber pressure of 15 mTorr and substrate temperature of $25^{circ}C$. The selectivities of YMnO$_3$ over CeO$_2$ and $Y_2$O$_3$ are 2.85, 1.72, respectively. The selectivities of YMnO$_3$ over PR and Pt are quite low. Chemical reaction in surface of the etched YMnO$_3$ thin films was investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) surface of the selected YMnO$_3$ thin films was investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The etch profile was also investigated by scaning electron microscopy(SEM)