Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for fabricating optical devices. One embodiment of the method includes disposing a structure material layer on a surface of a substrate and disposing a patterned photoresist over the structure material layer. The patterned photoresist has at least one device portion and at least one auxiliary portion. Each device portion and each auxiliary portion exposes unmasked portions of the structure material layer. The unmasked portions of structure material layer corresponding to each device portion and each auxiliary portion are etched. The etching the unmasked portions forms at least one optical device having device structures corresponding to the unmasked portions of at least one device portion and at least one auxiliary region having auxiliary structures corresponding to the unmasked portions of at least one auxiliary portion.