Embodiments of the present disclosure provide etch-variation tolerant optical coupling components and processes for making the same. An etch-variation tolerant geometry is determined for at least one waveguide of an optical coupling component (e.g., a directional coupler). The geometry is optimized such that each fabricated instance of an optical component design with the etch-variation tolerant geometry has substantially the same coupling ratio at any etch depth between a shallow etch depth and a deep etch depth.