Patent ID: 8273584

Claim:
A method of making a light emitting diode, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor wafer having a top major surface and a bottom surface opposite the top major surface, wherein the semiconductor wafer includes a plurality of layers between the top major and bottom surfaces, including a p-layer having a plurality of first conductors spaced-apart from each other by p-type portions along a length of the semiconductor wafer, and an n-layer having a plurality of second conductors spaced-apart by n-type portions and spaced-apart and staggered apart from the plurality of first conductors along the length of the semiconductor wafer; forming a translucent layer on the top major surface of the semiconductor wafer; forming the semiconductor wafer to include a plurality of troughs along the length of the semiconductor wafer wherein the troughs extend from the bottom surface into the translucent layer and through the first and second conductors, the troughs defining side surfaces of the semiconductor structure along the length of the semiconductor wafer; filling the troughs with an electrically conducting material coupled to the side surfaces; and cutting through each of the filled troughs to form electrodes out of the electrically conducting materials.