Cerium dioxide (CeO$_2$) was used as the intermediate layer between the ferroelectric thin film and Si substrate in a metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor field effect transistor (MFSFET), to improve the interface property by preventing the interdiffusion of the ferroelectric material and the Si substrate. In this study, CeO$_2$ thin films were etched with a CF$_4$/Ar gas combination in inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The maximum etch rate of CeO$_2$ thin films was 270$AA$/min under CF$_4$/(CF$_4$+Ar) of 0.2, 600 W/-200V, 15 mTorr, and $25^{circ}C$. The selectivities of CeO$_2$ to PR and SBT were 0.21, 0.25, respectively. The surface reaction in the etching of CeO$_2$ thin films was investigated with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). There is a chemical reaction between Ce and F. Compounds such as Ce-F$_{x}$ remains on the surface of CeO$_2$ thin films. Those products can be removed by Ar ion bombardment. The results of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) were consistent with those of XPS. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine etched profiles of CeO$_2$ thin films. The etch profile of over-etched CeO$_2$ films with the 0.5${mu}{ extrm}{m}$ line was approximately 65$^{circ}$.>.