LHCb–VELO module production with n-side read-out on n- and p-type silicon substrates

The modules for the Vertex Locator detector of the LHCb experiment represent a technical challenge for their complexity. The design of the sensors uses a complex double metal routing of the connection to the read-out strips and a high density of metal lines has to be accommodated in the module. The detectors are n-side read-out to be able to survive the highest radiation damage of any micro-strip sensor used in LHC experiments. The present choice is n-strips on n-type substrates (n-in-n geometry). Double-sided lithography is required, which impact on the cost of the devices and on the module construction. Moreover, the compact size of the hybrid imposes sophisticated technical solutions for cooling the electronics and the detector. The module construction and the possible benefits offered by the choice of p-type substrate detectors compared to the present n-in-n devices are here discussed in details.