A light emitting diode includes a thermal conductive substrate having at least one electrical isolation layer configured to provide vertical electrical isolation and a heat transfer path through the substrate from a front side (first side) to a back side (second side) thereof. The light emitting diode includes an anode having a through interconnect, and a cathode having a through interconnect, which are arranged side by side on the substrate. The light emitting diode also includes a LED chip mounted to the substrate between the anode and the cathode. A method for fabricating the light emitting diode includes the steps of providing a thermal conductive substrate having an electrical isolation layer, forming an anode via and a cathode via side by side on a first side of the substrate part way through the substrate, forming an anode through interconnect in the anode via and a cathode through interconnect in the cathode via, thinning the substrate from a second side of the substrate to the anode through interconnect and the cathode through interconnect, and mounting a LED chip to the first side in electrical communication with the cathode through interconnect and the anode through interconnect.