A method comprising: forming a light emitting structure on a substrate, the light emitting structure including a plurality of light emitting elements (310A - 310L) connected in series, each light emitting element (310A - 310L) including an active region sandwiched between an N-region and a P-region, a contact (310A(n) - 310L(n)) to the N-region , a contact (310A(p) - 310L(p)) to the P-region , and a non-conductive region between these contacts, forming a first metal segment that is coupled to the contact (310A(n)) to the N- region at the beginning of the series connection, a second metal segment that is coupled to the contact (310L(p)) to the P-region at the end of the series connection, and contact-coupling segments (355A - 355K) that couple the N and P contacts of adjacent elements (310A - 310L); forming inactive metal segments in the non-conducting regions, wherein said inactive metal segments are not coupled to the light emitting elements (310A-310L); forming a plurality of metal pillars , said plurality of metal pillars comprising a first active pillar being coupled to the first metal segment , a second active pillar being coupled to the second metal segment , and inactive pillars formed on the inactive metal segments , wherein said inactive pillars are not coupled to any of the light emitting elements (310A-310L) ; forming a filler material that occupies spaces between the metal pillars (360A; 360B, 365), and forming a first metal pad that is coupled to the first active pillar and a second metal pad that is coupled to the second active pillar , the first and second metal pads being situated to provide external connection to the N-region at the beginning of the series connection and P-region at the end of the series connection via the first and second active pillars . forming a light emitting structure on a substrate, the light emitting structure including a plurality of light emitting elements (310A - 310L) connected in series, each light emitting element (310A - 310L) including an active region sandwiched between an N-region and a P-region, a contact (310A(n) - 310L(n)) to the N-region , a contact (310A(p) - 310L(p)) to the P-region , and a non-conductive region between these contacts, forming a first metal segment that is coupled to the contact (310A(n)) to the N- region at the beginning of the series connection, a second metal segment that is coupled to the contact (310L(p)) to the P-region at the end of the series connection, and contact-coupling segments (355A - 355K) that couple the N and P contacts of adjacent elements (310A - 310L); forming inactive metal segments in the non-conducting regions, wherein said inactive metal segments are not coupled to the light emitting elements (310A-310L); forming a plurality of metal pillars , said plurality of metal pillars comprising a first active pillar being coupled to the first metal segment , a second active pillar being coupled to the second metal segment , and inactive pillars formed on the inactive metal segments , wherein said inactive pillars are not coupled to any of the light emitting elements (310A-310L) ; forming a filler material that occupies spaces between the metal pillars (360A; 360B, 365), and forming a first metal pad that is coupled to the first active pillar and a second metal pad that is coupled to the second active pillar , the first and second metal pads being situated to provide external connection to the N-region at the beginning of the series connection and P-region at the end of the series connection via the first and second active pillars . <EOS>