The selective dry etching of GaAs to AlulcornerGaulcornerAs using $BCI_3/SF_6$ gas mixture in electron cyclotron resonance(ECR) plasma is investigated. A selectivity of GaAs to AlGaAs of more than 100 and maximum etch rate of GaAs are obtained at a gas ratio $SF_6/BCI_3+SF_6$ of 25%. We verified the formation of $AlF_3$ on $Al_{0.25}Ga_{0.75}As$from the Auger spectra which enhanced the etch selectivity. In order to investigate surface damage of AlGaAs caused by ECR plasma, we performed a low temperature photoluminescence(PL) measurement as a function of RF power. As the RF power. As the RF power increases, the PL intensity decreases monotonically from 50 to 100 Wand then repidly decreases until 250 W. This behavior is due to surface damage by plasma treatment. This dry etching technique using $BCI_3/SF_6$ gas mixture in ECR plasma is suitable for gate recess formation on the GaAs based pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor(PHEMT)