Characterization of the prototype pixel chip for the ALICE ITS upgrade

The ALICE Collaboration is preparing a major upgrade of the experimental apparatus, planned for installation in the second long LHC shutdown in the years 2018–2019. The key element of the ALICE upgrade is the construction of the new high resolution Inner Tracking System (ITS). It will be made of seven concentric detector layers based on a 50μm thick CMOS pixel sensor with a pixel pitch of about 30 × 30 μm 2 . A comprehensive program of lab and test beam measurements is carried out, including tests with irradiated chips and chips thinned to 50 μm. In this paper, we present recent results on the characterization of the prototype pixel chips performed in the INFN laboratory in Bari.