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 neighboring elongate regions such that it perturbs light generated in the light emitting region independently of the neighboring regions.