Patent ID: 7923738

Claim:
A light-emitting semiconductor device comprising: (a) a substrate made from a semiconductor having a first conductivity type, the substrate having a pair of opposite sides; (b) a plurality of row-connecting strips formed in, and constituting integral parts of, the substrate and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; (c) a plurality of LEDs formed on the row-connecting conductor strips in the substrate and arranged in rows and columns, each row of LEDs being electrically interconnected by one of the row-connecting conductor strips, each LED having a light-emitting surface facing away from the substrate; (d) a plurality of column-connecting conductor strips each extending over the light-emitting surfaces of one column of LEDs for electrically interconnecting them; and (e) a plurality of row terminals formed on the row-connecting conductor strips for connection to external circuitry, the row terminals being arranged alternately along the pair of opposite sides of the substrate, whereby the LEDs are lit up individually by voltage application between one of the row-connecting conductor strips and one of the column-connecting conductor strips.