A light emitting diode (LED) includes an elastomeric material that facilitates adhesive attachment with a pick-up head for pick and place manufacturing operations. The LED includes an epitaxial layer defining a mesa structure and a light emitting surface. The mesa structure includes an active layer to emit light, and the emitted light is reflected at the mesa structure toward a light emitting region of the light emitting surface and transmitted at the light emitting region. An elastomeric material is on a portion of the light emitting surface, such as the light emitting region or a passive region. At the light emitting region, the elastomeric material may be shaped as a lens that collimates light transmitted from the light emitting region, and also facilitates adhesion to the pick-up head. At the passive region, the elastomeric material facilitates adhesion to the pick-up head without interfering with light emitted from the light emitting region.