A new simple and rapid room-temperature silicon masking approach based on the exposure of silicon to CHF3-based plasma is presented. This plasma treatment leads to silicon surface modifications appropriate for masking purposes during anisotropic etching in ethylenediamine-pyrocatechol-water (EPW) solutions. The resistance of the mask to EPW etching solutions is studied as a function of plasma radio frequency power and pressure, plasma duration, silicon surface preparation, and aging. Mask resistance increases with increasing power density and decreasing pressure. Plasma duration has a significant effect on the temporal and spatial pattern of defects that evolve during etching and lead eventually to mask destruction.