Method for manufacturing metal-coated optical fiber

A method for manufacturing a bare-fiber-metal-coated optical fiber having a bare fiber and a resin cover with which the peripheral surface of the bare fiber is covered except for part of the fiber-end side of the bare fiber;

• the bare fiber being exposed by removing the resin cover at the part of the fiber-end side thereof and being provided with a metallic coating on its peripheral surface excluding an end face portion of the bare fiber;
• the method comprising:
• a subbing-layer formation step of forming, on the peripheral surface of the bare fiber having been exposed by removing the resin cover and on which the metallic coating has not been provided, a metallic subbing layer consisting of an electroless plating layer with a thickness necessary for electrolytic plating and an electrolytic plating layer, followed by;
• an end face treatment step of subjecting the bare fiber on which the subbing layer has been formed, to end face treatment by means of an optical-fiber cleaver to expose an end face portion of the bare fiber;
• and followed by
• a surface layer formation step of subjecting the bare fiber on which the end face treatment has been carried out, to electrolytic plating to form the metallic coating as a surface layer.