Methods, devices and systems are described for enabling a series-connected, single chip vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array. In one aspect, the single chip includes one or more non-conductive regions one the conductive layer to produce a plurality of electrically separate conductive regions. Each electrically separate region may have a plurality of VCSEL elements, including an anode region and a cathode region connected in series. The chip is connected to a sub-mount with a metallization pattern, which connects each electrically separate region on the conductive layer in series. In one aspect, the metallization pattern connects the anode region of a first electrically separate region to the cathode region of a second electrically separate region. The metallization pattern may also comprise cuts that maintain electrical separation between the anode and cathode regions on each conductive layer region, and that align with the etched regions.