A vertically conducting semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a topside surface and a backside surface. The semiconductor substrate serves as a terminal of the vertically conducting device for biasing the vertically conducting device during operation. An epitaxial layer extends over the topside surface of the semiconductor substrate but terminates prior to reaching an edge of the semiconductor substrate so as to form a recessed region along a periphery of the semiconductor substrate. An interconnect layer extends into the recessed region but terminates prior to reaching an edge of the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect layer electrically contacts the topside surface of the semiconductor substrate in the recessed region to thereby provide a topside contact to the semiconductor substrate.