  The R&D activity presented is focused on the development of new modules for
the upgrade of the ATLAS pixel system at the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). The
performance after irradiation of n-in-p pixel sensors of different active
thicknesses is studied, together with an investigation of a novel
interconnection technique offered by the Fraunhofer Institute EMFT in Munich,
the Solid-Liquid-InterDiffusion (SLID), which is an alternative to the standard
solder bump-bonding. The pixel modules are based on thin n-in-p sensors, with
an active thickness of 75 um or 150 um, produced at the MPI Semiconductor
Laboratory (MPI HLL) and on 100 um thick sensors with active edges, fabricated
at VTT, Finland. Hit efficiencies are derived from beam test data for thin
devices irradiated up to a fluence of 4e15 neq/cm^2. For the active edge
devices, the charge collection properties of the edge pixels before irradiation
is discussed in detail, with respect to the inner ones, using measurements with
radioactive sources. Beyond the active edge sensors, an additional ingredient
needed to design four side buttable modules is the possibility of moving the
wire bonding area from the chip surface facing the sensor to the backside,
avoiding the implementation of the cantilever extruding beyond the sensor area.
The feasibility of this process is under investigation with the FE-I3 SLID
modules, where Inter Chip Vias are etched, employing an EMFT technology, with a
cross section of 3 um x 10 um, at the positions of the original wire bonding
pads.
