Patent ID: 8879593

Claim:
A light-emitting apparatus mounted epitaxial-side-down on a mounting surface, comprising: a semiconductor light-emitting structure formed on a substrate; and a plurality of spaced semiconductor posts situated on the substrate along each side of the semiconductor light-emitting structure, the plurality of posts on each side of the semiconductor light-emitting structure being separated from the semiconductor light-emitting structure by a corresponding first channel between the semiconductor light-emitting structure and the plurality of posts, and further being separated from one another by a plurality of corresponding second channels between the posts, an insulating film being deposited on the posts and on side surfaces of the semiconductor light-emitting structure, and a top metal contact layer being deposited on top of the insulating film and on the top surface of the semiconductor light-emitting structure to form coated posts and a coated semiconductor light-emitting structure, the posts, the insulating film, and the top metal contact layer being configured so that the coated posts have a maximum height with respect to the substrate approximately equal to a maximum height of the coated semiconductor light-emitting structure; wherein the light-emitting apparatus is mounted epitaxial-side-down on the mounting surface by means of solder applied to the plurality of coated posts and the coated semiconductor light-emitting structure; and wherein the first and second channels provide an adequate empty volume for a volume of solder displaced by the coated semiconductor light-emitting structure and the coated posts to occupy and flow through without the solder contacting a sidewall of the substrate or end facet of the semiconductor light-emitting structure.