Disclosed is a method for removing poly-para-xylylene, its derivatives, and copolymers (collectively called parylene ) from bodies, including relatively large bodies such as printed circuit (PC) boards, that is capable of yielding relatively high removal rates. A body such as a PC board coated with parylene is placed into a reaction chamber downstream from a microwave plasma such that plasma discharge products generated by the microwave plasma react with the parylene, etching the parylene without exposing the body to bombardment by energetic ions and/or electrons. The plasma is generated from a gas mixture containing oxygen, a second gas, and optional additives such as N2 O, He,or Ar. The second gas is selected from the group consisting of fluorocarbons, fluorosulfides, and chlorofluorocarbons. A currently preferred second gas is CFR4. The inventive method is also applicable for fabricating articles such as integrated circuits and semiconductor devices that comprise a parylene layer
