ASSEMBLIES, OPTICAL CONNECTORS AND METHODS OF BONDING OPTICAL FIBERS TO SUBSTRATES USING A LASER BEAM AND ELECTROPLATING

Assemblies and optical connectors including one or more optical fibers laser-bonded to a substrate, as well as methods for fabricating the same, are disclosed. In one embodiment, an assembly includes a substrate having a surface, an optical element bonded to the surface of the substrate, a bond area between the optical fiber and the surface of the substrate, wherein the bond area includes laser-melted material of the substrate that bonds the optical fiber to the substrate, and a metal buttress structure adjacent to the bond area.