Patent ID: 8062916

Claim:
A method for fabricating a light emitting diode (LED) structure comprising: forming LED layers by epitaxially growing an N-type layer over a growth substrate, epitaxially growing an active layer over the N-type layer, and epitaxially growing a P-type layer over the active layer; electrically isolating areas of the LED layers to create substantially electrically isolated LEDs by forming isolation regions between individual LEDs; mounting the LEDs on a submount, the LEDs being mechanically coupled together by the isolation regions, wherein the submount includes a metal pattern for interconnecting groups of individual LEDs to form at least a plurality of LEDs in series, while the LEDs are mechanically coupled together by the isolation regions; and removing the growth substrate wherein electrically isolating areas of the LED layers to create substantially electrically isolated LEDs by forming isolation regions between individual LEDs comprises: growing a semi-insulating epitaxial layer over the growth substrate prior to growing the N-layer; and forming trenches through the P-layer, active layer, and N-layer down to the semi-insulating epitaxial layer to create the individual LEDs, such that the semi-insulating epitaxial layer continues to mechanically couple together the individual LEDs.