A light emitting device (20, 30, 40, 52, 62) comprising: a package support (21, 42) comprising a floor (23, 65); a semiconductor light emitting diode chip (24, 31, 41, 46) on said floor (23, 65) of said package support (21, 42), said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) including an active region that emits radiation in the visible or UV portion of the spectrum; metal contacts (25, 26, 30, 33, 47, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73) in electrical communication with said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) on said package support (21, 42), said metal contacts (25, 26, 30, 33, 47, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73) comprising a mount surface that is orthogonal to said floor (23, 65) such that said package support (21, 42) is mountable to a surface; a substantially transparent encapsulant (35, 43) covering said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) in said package (21, 42); and a phosphor (36, 45, 54) in said encapsulant (35, 43) that emits radiation in the visible spectrum different from the radiation emitted by said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) and in response to the wavelength emitted by said chip (24, 31, 41, 46), wherein said semiconductor chip (24, 31, 41, 46) is disposed to emit light in a direction that is parallel to said mount surface, characterized in that more than 50 percent of the phosphor (36, 45, 54) is positioned in the lower 25 percent of the encapsulant (35,43), and said encapsulant (35,43) defines a negative meniscus with respect to said package support (21, 42), the meniscus having a depth in the range 280 to 320 microns, and said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) that provides a viewing angle for said light emitting device (20, 30, 40, 52, 62) that is in a range from 90 degrees to 110 degrees. a package support (21, 42) comprising a floor (23, 65); a semiconductor light emitting diode chip (24, 31, 41, 46) on said floor (23, 65) of said package support (21, 42), said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) including an active region that emits radiation in the visible or UV portion of the spectrum; metal contacts (25, 26, 30, 33, 47, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73) in electrical communication with said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) on said package support (21, 42), said metal contacts (25, 26, 30, 33, 47, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73) comprising a mount surface that is orthogonal to said floor (23, 65) such that said package support (21, 42) is mountable to a surface; a substantially transparent encapsulant (35, 43) covering said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) in said package (21, 42); and a phosphor (36, 45, 54) in said encapsulant (35, 43) that emits radiation in the visible spectrum different from the radiation emitted by said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) and in response to the wavelength emitted by said chip (24, 31, 41, 46), wherein said semiconductor chip (24, 31, 41, 46) is disposed to emit light in a direction that is parallel to said mount surface, characterized in that more than 50 percent of the phosphor (36, 45, 54) is positioned in the lower 25 percent of the encapsulant (35,43), and said encapsulant (35,43) defines a negative meniscus with respect to said package support (21, 42), the meniscus having a depth in the range 280 to 320 microns, and said chip (24, 31, 41, 46) that provides a viewing angle for said light emitting device (20, 30, 40, 52, 62) that is in a range from 90 degrees to 110 degrees.