A method of fabricating a MTJ element having essentially vertical sidewalls and with a top surface having an area determined by a first dimension along a first axis and a second dimension along a second axis, said MTJ element has a stack of layers comprised of a seed layer, AFM layer, pinned layer, tunnel barrier, free layer, hard mask spacer layer, and composite hard mask layer with a lower layer of NiCr or one or more of Ni, Co, and Fe doped with Mo or Cr, and an upper Ta layer formed in order from bottom to top on a substrate, comprising: (a) forming the MTJ stack of layers on said substrate; (b) patterning a first photoresist layer on the composite hard mask layer to form a first parallel line pattern wherein each line has a width that is the first dimension along the first axis; (c) transferring said first parallel line pattern through the composite hard mask layer with a first etch sequence comprising: performing a first fluorocarbon plasma etch step to form a parallel line pattern in the upper hard mask layer; removing the first photoresist layer with an oxygen plasma; performing a first CH 3 OH plasma etch to transfer the parallel line pattern in the upper hard mask layer through the lower hard mask layer; and performing an oxygen plasma to treat exposed surfaces following the first CH 3 OH plasma etch, (d) patterning a second photoresist layer on the parallel line pattern and hard mask spacer layer to form a second parallel line pattern wherein each line in the second parallel line pattern intersects the hard mask parallel lines and has a width that is the second dimension along the second axis; (e) transferring said second parallel line pattern through the composite hard mask layer by a second etch sequence to form a post pattern wherein each post has an area determined by the first dimension and second dimension, said second etch sequences comprises; performing a second fluorocarbon plasma etch step to form a post pattern in the upper hard mask layer; removing the second photoresist layer with an oxygen plasma; and performing a second CH 3 OH plasma etch to transfer the post pattern in the upper hard mask layer through the lower hard mask layer; and (f) continuing the second CH 3 OH step to transfer the post pattern through the remaining layers in the MTJ stack of layers to form a plurality of MTJ elements. (a) forming the MTJ stack of layers on said substrate; (b) patterning a first photoresist layer on the composite hard mask layer to form a first parallel line pattern wherein each line has a width that is the first dimension along the first axis; (c) transferring said first parallel line pattern through the composite hard mask layer with a first etch sequence comprising: performing a first fluorocarbon plasma etch step to form a parallel line pattern in the upper hard mask layer; removing the first photoresist layer with an oxygen plasma; performing a first CH 3 OH plasma etch to transfer the parallel line pattern in the upper hard mask layer through the lower hard mask layer; and performing an oxygen plasma to treat exposed surfaces following the first CH 3 OH plasma etch, performing a first fluorocarbon plasma etch step to form a parallel line pattern in the upper hard mask layer; removing the first photoresist layer with an oxygen plasma; performing a first CH 3 OH plasma etch to transfer the parallel line pattern in the upper hard mask layer through the lower hard mask layer; and performing an oxygen plasma to treat exposed surfaces following the first CH 3 OH plasma etch, (d) patterning a second photoresist layer on the parallel line pattern and hard mask spacer layer to form a second parallel line pattern wherein each line in the second parallel line pattern intersects the hard mask parallel lines and has a width that is the second dimension along the second axis; (e) transferring said second parallel line pattern through the composite hard mask layer by a second etch sequence to form a post pattern wherein each post has an area determined by the first dimension and second dimension, said second etch sequences comprises; performing a second fluorocarbon plasma etch step to form a post pattern in the upper hard mask layer; removing the second photoresist layer with an oxygen plasma; and performing a second CH 3 OH plasma etch to transfer the post pattern in the upper hard mask layer through the lower hard mask layer; and performing a second fluorocarbon plasma etch step to form a post pattern in the upper hard mask layer; removing the second photoresist layer with an oxygen plasma; and performing a second CH 3 OH plasma etch to transfer the post pattern in the upper hard mask layer through the lower hard mask layer; and (f) continuing the second CH 3 OH step to transfer the post pattern through the remaining layers in the MTJ stack of layers to form a plurality of MTJ elements.