  The ATLAS experiment will undergo around the year 2025 a replacement of the
tracker system in view of the high luminosity phase of the LHC (HL-LHC) with a
new 5-layer pixel system. Thin planar pixel sensors are promising candidates to
instrument the innermost region of the new pixel system, thanks to the reduced
contribution to the material budget and their high charge collection efficiency
after irradiation. The sensors of 50-150 $\mu$m thickness, interconnected to
FE-I4 read-out chips, have been characterized with radioactive sources and beam
tests. In particular active edge sensors have been investigated. The
performance of two different versions of edge designs are compared: the first
with a bias ring, and the second one where only a floating guard ring has been
implemented. The hit efficiency at the edge has also been studied after
irradiation at a fluence of $10^{15}$ \neqcm. Highly segmented sensors will
represent a challenge for the tracking in the forward region of the pixel
system at HL-LHC. In order to reproduce the performance of 50x50 $\mu$m$^2$
pixels at high pseudo-rapidity values, FE-I4 compatible planar pixel sensors
have been studied before and after irradiation in beam tests at high incidence
angles with respect to the short pixel direction. Results on the hit efficiency
in this configuration are discussed for different sensor thicknesses.
