The invention is generally concerned with vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. In one example, the vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes, among other things, an upper mirror structure having a metal contact, a top mirror above the metal contact, and a semiconductive top DBR having an insulation region, wherein the top DBR is no more than 3.5 microns thick and is disposed below the metal contact. Thus, the top DBR is sufficiently thick as to enable adequate current spreading, but thin enough to enable fabrication of an isolation region using relatively low energy ion implantation or relatively shallow etching.