CMOS Pixel Sensors tend to become relevant for a growing spectrum of charged particle detection instruments. This comes mainly from their high granularity and low material budget. However, several potential applications require a higher read-out spee
d and radiation tolerance than those achieved with available devices based on a 0.35 micrometers feature size technology. This paper shows preliminary test results of new prototype sensors manufactured in a 0.18 micrometers process based on a high resistivity epitaxial layer of sizeable thickness. Grounded on these observed performances, we discuss a development strategy over the coming years to reach a full scale sensor matching the specifications of the upgraded version of the Inner Tracking System (ITS) of the ALICE experiment at CERN, for which a sensitive area of up to about 10 square meters may be equipped with pixel sensors.
CMOS Pixel Sensors are making steady progress towards the specifications of the ILD vertex detector. Recent developments are summarised, which show that these devices are close to comply with all major requirements, in particular the read-out speed n
eeded to cope with the beam related background. This achievement is grounded on the double- sided ladder concept, which allows combining signals generated by a single particle in two different sensors, one devoted to spatial resolution and the other to time stamp, both assembled on the same mechanical support. The status of the development is overviewed as well as the plans to finalise it using an advanced CMOS process.
We discuss two projects exploring the integration of thin CMOS pixel sensors in order to prototype ladders matching the geometry needed for the ILD vertex detector. The PLUME project has designed and fabricated full-size and fully functional double-
sided layers which currently reach 0.6 % X0 and aim for 0.3 % X0 in mid-2012. Another approach, SERNWIETE, consists in wrapping the sensors in a polyimide-based micro-cable to obtain a supportless single-sided ladder with a material budget around 0.15 % X0. First promising samples have been produced and the full-size prototype is expected in spring 2012.
