A micro-light emitting diode includes a substrate including at least a first portion of an n-type semiconductor layer, and a mesa structure on the substrate and characterized by a linear lateral dimension equal to or less than about 3 μm. The mesa structure includes a plurality of epitaxial layers, and a conductive distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) on the plurality of epitaxial layers. The conductive DBR includes a plurality of transparent conductive oxide layers and covers between about 80% and about 100% of a full lateral area of the plurality of epitaxial layers. The micro-LED also includes a dielectric layer on sidewalls of the mesa structure, a reflective metal layer on sidewalls of the dielectric layer and electrically coupled to the first portion of the n-type semiconductor layer, and a first metal electrode in direct contact with the conductive DBR.