Semiconductor light source having a layer stack, consisting of layers (11, 12, 13) of semiconductor material that are epitaxially grown one on the other, for producing and emitting photons as the optical performance of the light source, wherein - the layer stack has layers of semiconductor material of mutually different conductivity type (p, n), between which is formed an optically active transition from a first conductivity type (p; n) to a second conductivity type (n; p) for producing the photons, - the layer stack has, in a surface that is substantially parallel to a plane of the layers (11, 12, 13), a depression that extends from this surface in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers (11, 12, 13) through a transition of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type (p, n) to semiconductor material of the second conductivity type (n, p) of the layer stack, - a semiconductor contact for the first conductivity type (p, n) and another contact for the second conductivity type (n, p) are arranged on the surface of the layer stack, in which the depression is formed, and - a further semiconductor contact is arranged in the depression, which directly makes contact with the semiconductor material of the second conductivity type (n, p) and is electrically connected to the other contact of the layer stack, characterized in that - the layer stack is free from a growth substrate and has a total thickness (d) of at most 50 μm, - the layer stack is arranged on a separate carrier body and is connected to the carrier body by way of a separate connection means, - the carrier body has one electrical contact and another electrical contact, which is electrically isolated from said one contact, - the semiconductor contact is connected to the one electrical contact of the carrier body, and the other contact of the layer stack is connected to the other electrical contact of the carrier body, and - the layer stack has end faces that face away from one another, are at an angle with respect to the plane of the layers (11, 12, 13) and delimit the surface of the layer stack, in which the depression is formed, on mutually opposite sides, and the depression in this surface extends from one end face to the other end face. - the layer stack has layers of semiconductor material of mutually different conductivity type (p, n), between which is formed an optically active transition from a first conductivity type (p; n) to a second conductivity type (n; p) for producing the photons, - the layer stack has, in a surface that is substantially parallel to a plane of the layers (11, 12, 13), a depression that extends from this surface in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers (11, 12, 13) through a transition of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type (p, n) to semiconductor material of the second conductivity type (n, p) of the layer stack, - a semiconductor contact for the first conductivity type (p, n) and another contact for the second conductivity type (n, p) are arranged on the surface of the layer stack, in which the depression is formed, and - a further semiconductor contact is arranged in the depression, which directly makes contact with the semiconductor material of the second conductivity type (n, p) and is electrically connected to the other contact of the layer stack, characterized in that - the layer stack is free from a growth substrate and has a total thickness (d) of at most 50 μm, - the layer stack is arranged on a separate carrier body and is connected to the carrier body by way of a separate connection means, - the carrier body has one electrical contact and another electrical contact, which is electrically isolated from said one contact, - the semiconductor contact is connected to the one electrical contact of the carrier body, and the other contact of the layer stack is connected to the other electrical contact of the carrier body, and - the layer stack has end faces that face away from one another, are at an angle with respect to the plane of the layers (11, 12, 13) and delimit the surface of the layer stack, in which the depression is formed, on mutually opposite sides, and the depression in this surface extends from one end face to the other end face.