We report a new mechanism that limits the rate of electron beam induced etching (EBIE). Typically, the etch rate is assumed to scale directly with the precursor adsorbate dissociation rate. Here, we show that this is a special case, and that the rate can instead be limited by the concentration of active sites at the surface. Novel etch kinetics are expected if surface sites are activated during EBIE, and observed experimentally using the electron sensitive material ultra nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD). In practice, etch kinetics are of interest because they affect resolution, throughput, proximity effects, and the topography of nanostructures and nanostructured devices fabricated by EBIE.