Patent ID: 8395176

Claim:
A top-emitting nitride-based light-emitting device with an active layer between n- and p-type cladding layers, the device comprising: a grid cell layer formed on the p-type cladding layer, the grid cell layer comprising a grid array of separated cells formed from a conducting material, each of the cells having a width of less than 30 micrometers; a metallic surface protective layer that is formed directly on the p-type cladding layer and the grid cell layer and covers at least all upper regions of the p-type cladding layer between the cells to provide protection to a surface of the p-cladding layer; a transparent conducting layer formed on the surface protective layer and the grid cell layer using a transparent conducting material, wherein the metallic surface protective layer is formed in multiple layers of different material, wherein at least one layer comprises silver and at least one layer comprises nickel; wherein the grid cell layer is formed in multiple layers of different materials; where the conducting material is annealed at a temperature from 100 to 800° C. and wherein the nitride-based light-emitting device shows a percentage transmittance of greater than 80% for light having wavelengths of 400 to 800 nanometers; wherein the transparent conducting layer is made from one of a transparent conducting oxide and a transparent conducting nitride; and wherein the transparent conducting nitride contains titanium nitride containing nitrogen and titanium.