The use of single mode optical fibers in telecommunications is widespread. However, current laser pig-tailing methods employing either glue or weld to secure the fibers in place are costly and there are inherent problems such as initial fiber mis-alignment and movement during bonding. An innovative mechanical solution using silicon or silicon nitride clips has recently been proposed to address the issue. The fabrication process is simple, with one or two lithographic steps required on a thin film deposited on a silicon substrate. Single mode optical fibers are inserted and held in position in V-shaped grooves etched in silicon substrates by the cantilever clips protruding from the edges of the V-grooves. As the fiber core is in general either level with or above the silicon surface, the clips are deflected by the fiber and act as springs holding the fiber kinematically in place. However, the design of the microclips is faced with apparent contradicting constraints: on the one hand, they need to be sufficiently flexible for fiber connections and disconnections; one the other hand, they need to be sufficiently stiff so that the clamping force exerted on the fibers is reliable. Additional problems that must be addressed in designing the clips include substrate spalling and interfacial debonding due to stress concentrations at the clip/substrate joint. In this work, the optimal thickness, mass and shape of clips are first studied with an effective optimization procedure, Metamorphic Development (MD). This procedure aims at finding structural shapes and topologies of the clips that minimize their structural compliance and weight subject to stress and deflection constraints. The paper then analyzes the mechanical properties of such clips, with special focus placed on crack initiation and propagation due to excessive loading. The orientation of the initial crack as well as crack growth processes are discussed.