Patent ID: 7626210

Claim:
A light emitting device comprising: a side-emitting, non-lasing, light emitting diode (LED), the LED comprising: a first semiconductor layer of a first type; a second semiconductor layer of a second type; and active layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the active layer having a major surface; a first electrode in contact with the first semiconductor layer; a second electrode in contact with the second semiconductor layer, the first electrode and the second electrode being on a first side of the LED for being directly connected to electrodes on a submount, the LED being a flip chip; a first layer having sides, substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the active layer, through which a majority of light generated in the active layer is emitted, the first layer being thicker than the combination of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, and the active layer; a reflector over the first layer, and not part of the first layer, such that substantially all light impinging on the reflector is redirected back into the LED, the reflector comprising a reflective layer substantially completely overlying a top surface of the first layer substantially parallel to the major surface of the active layer, the LED emitting light from all sides of the LED that are substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the active layer; a submount, containing electrodes, on which the side-emitting LED is mounted; and a backlight, comprising a rectangular backlight waveguide having top and bottom surfaces, into which the LED is mounted such that at least the first layer is between the top and bottom surfaces for coupling side emission from the LED into the backlight waveguide, at least a portion of a thickness of the submount extending below the bottom surface of the backlight waveguide.