a light emitting device having a plurality of light extracting elements defined on an upper surface of a semiconductor layer of the device , wherein the light extracting elements are adapted to couple light out of the device and to modify the far field emission profile of the device . each element comprises an elongate region having a length at least twice its width and also greater than the effective dominant wavelength of light generated in the device . the elongate region extends orthogonal to the upper surface but not into the light emitting region of the device and may be oriented at an angle of less than 45 ° relative to one of a pair of basis axis defining a plane parallel to the semiconductor layer . each elongate region is spatially separated from neighbouring elongate regions such that it perturbs light generated in the light emitting region independently of the neighbouring regions .