An LED with improved current spreading structures that provide enhanced current
injection into the LED's active layer, improving its power and luminous flux. The
current spreading structures can be used in LEDs larger than conventional LEDs
while maintaining the enhanced current injection. The invention is particularly
applicable to LEDs having insulating substrates but can also reduce the series
resistance of LEDs having conductive substrates. The improved structures comprise
conductive fingers that form cooperating conductive paths that ensure that current
spreads from the p-type and n-type contacts into the fingers and uniformly spreads
though the oppositely doped layers. The current then spreads to the active layer
to uniformly inject electrons and holes throughout the active layer, which recombine
to emit light.
