CN113373405A

CN113373405A - Method for manufacturing evaporation mask assembly

Info

Publication number: CN113373405A
Application number: CN202110211100.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 松本优子; 西之原拓磨
Original assignee: Japan Display Inc
Current assignee: Japan Display Inc
Priority date: 2020-03-10
Filing date: 2021-02-25
Publication date: 2021-09-10
Also published as: KR20210114337A; JP2021143358A

Abstract

The invention provides a method for manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly with high efficiency, high yield and low cost. The manufacturing method of the evaporation mask assembly comprises the following steps: forming a vapor deposition mask having a plurality of 1 st openings on a support substrate; a step of forming a 1 st resist mask covering the plurality of 1 st openings; forming a 2 nd resist mask having a 2 nd opening on the 1 st resist mask such that the 1 st resist mask is exposed from the 2 nd opening; disposing a support frame having a window on the support substrate such that the window overlaps the plurality of 1 st openings; and a step of forming a connecting portion for fixing the vapor deposition mask and the holder by using a plating method.

Description

Method for manufacturing evaporation mask assembly

Technical Field

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly.

Background

Examples of flat panel display devices include liquid crystal display devices and organic electroluminescence display devices. These display devices are all structures in which thin films made of various materials such as insulators, semiconductors, and conductors are laminated on a substrate, and these thin films are appropriately patterned and connected to each other to exhibit a function as a display device.

Methods for forming a thin film are roughly classified into a gas phase method, a liquid phase method, and a solid phase method. The vapor phase method is classified into a physical vapor phase method and a chemical vapor phase method, and a vapor deposition method is known as a typical example of the former. The most convenient method of vapor deposition is vacuum vapor deposition, in which a thin film of a material is obtained by heating the material under high vacuum to sublimate or evaporate the material (hereinafter, sublimation and evaporation are collectively referred to as vaporization) to generate vapor of the material, and then solidifying and depositing the vapor in a target region (hereinafter, vapor deposition region). In this case, a mask that physically shields the non-vapor deposition region is used in order to selectively form a thin film in the vapor deposition region and not deposit a material in a region other than the region (hereinafter referred to as a non-vapor deposition region) (see patent documents 1 and 2). This mask is called a vapor deposition mask or the like.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2009-87840.

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-209710.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly. For example, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly with high efficiency, high yield, and low cost.

Means for solving the problems

One embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly. The method comprises the following steps: forming a vapor deposition mask having a plurality of 1 st openings on a support substrate; a step of forming a 1 st resist mask covering the plurality of 1 st openings; forming a 2 nd resist mask having a 2 nd opening on the 1 st resist mask such that the 1 st resist mask is exposed from the 2 nd opening; disposing a support frame having a window on the support substrate such that the window overlaps the plurality of 1 st openings; and a step of forming a connecting portion for fixing the vapor deposition mask and the holder by using a plating method.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly. The method comprises the following steps: forming a vapor deposition mask having a plurality of 1 st openings on a support substrate; a step of forming a resist mask on the evaporation mask; a step of processing the resist mask to have a thin film region overlapping with the plurality of 1 st openings and a thick film region surrounding the thin film region; disposing a support frame having a window on a support substrate such that the window overlaps the thin film region and the thick film region; and a step of forming a connecting portion for fixing the vapor deposition mask and the holder by using a plating method.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly. The method comprises the following steps: forming a plurality of vapor deposition masks each having a plurality of 1 st openings on a support substrate; forming a plurality of 1 st resist masks corresponding to the plurality of vapor deposition masks so as to cover the plurality of 1 st openings of the respective vapor deposition masks; forming a plurality of 2 nd resist masks each having a 2 nd opening, which correspond to the plurality of 1 st resist masks, on the corresponding 1 st resist masks so that the corresponding 1 st resist masks are exposed from the 2 nd openings; disposing a support frame having a plurality of windows corresponding to the plurality of 1 st resist masks and the plurality of 2 nd resist masks on the support substrate such that the 1 st resist mask and the 2 nd resist mask corresponding to each window overlap each other; and a step of forming a connecting portion for fixing the plurality of vapor deposition masks and the holder by using a plating method.

According to the present invention, a vapor deposition mask assembly can be manufactured with high efficiency, high yield, and low cost.

Drawings

Fig. 1A is a schematic plan view of a vapor deposition device to which a vapor deposition mask assembly manufactured by one method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

Fig. 1B is a schematic side view of a vapor deposition device to which a vapor deposition mask assembly manufactured by one method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of an evaporation mask assembly manufactured by one method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation mask assembly manufactured by one method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation mask assembly manufactured by one method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of an evaporation mask assembly manufactured by one method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view and a plan view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7B is a schematic plan view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly.

Fig. 18B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly.

Fig. 19A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals

100: evaporation mask assembly, 102: vapor deposition mask, 102 a: opening, 102 b: group of openings, 104-1: 1 st groove, 104-2: slot 2, 106: dummy pattern, 106-1: 1 st dummy pattern, 106-2: dummy pattern 2, 110: support frame, 110 a: window, 110 b: side surface, 112: metal plate, 120: connecting portion, 120 a: plating layer, 130: support substrate, 132: release layer, 134: resist mask, 136: 1 st resist film, 136 a: exposure portion, 136 b: unexposed portion, 138: resist film No. 2, 140: resist, 142: adhesive, 144: 1 st resist mask, 146: resist mask No. 2, 146 a: opening, 148: resist mask, 149: protective film, 150: 1 st photomask, 150 a: light shielding portion, 150 b: light-transmitting portion, 152: photomask No. 2, 152 a: light shielding portion, 152 b: light-transmitting portion, 156: photomask No. 3, 156 a: light shielding portion, 156 b: light-transmitting portion, 160: evaporation chamber, 162: load lock door, 164: evaporation source, 166: opening and closing member, 168: moving mechanism, 170: holder, 180: substrate, 190: resist film, 191: halftone mask, 191 a: opening, 191 b: light shielding portion, 191 c: halftone portion, 194: film region, 196: thick film region, 198: a resist mask.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be carried out in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention, and is not limited to the contents described in the following exemplary embodiments.

In order to more clearly explain the present invention, the drawings may schematically show the width, thickness, shape, and the like of each part as compared with the actual form, but these are merely examples and do not limit the explanation of the present invention. In the present specification and the drawings, elements having the same functions as those described in the conventional drawings are often denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

In the present specification and claims, when a configuration in which another structure is disposed on a certain structure is simply expressed as "above", unless otherwise specified, the configuration includes both a case in which another structure is disposed directly above the certain structure so as to be in contact with the certain structure and a case in which another structure is disposed above the certain structure with another structure interposed therebetween.

Hereinafter, the expression "a certain structural body is exposed from another structural body" refers to a configuration in which a part of a certain structural body is not covered with another structural body, and the part not covered with another structural body also includes a configuration covered with another structural body.

Next, a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

1. Evaporation plating device

When a film containing an organic compound, an inorganic compound, or both is formed by vapor deposition, the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 manufactured by the present manufacturing method can be used to selectively form a film in a desired vapor deposition region. Fig. 1A and 1B show schematic plan and side views of a typical vapor deposition device used for film formation by vapor deposition. The vapor deposition device is composed of a plurality of chambers having various functions. One of the chambers is a vapor deposition chamber 160 shown in fig. 1A, and the vapor deposition chamber 160 is partitioned from the adjacent chambers by a load lock gate 162, and is configured to maintain a reduced pressure state of high vacuum or a state of being filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Therefore, a decompression device, an air suction/exhaust mechanism, and the like, which are not shown, are connected to the vapor deposition chamber 160.

The evaporation chamber 160 provides a space in which an object such as a substrate to be formed into a film can be stored. In the example shown in fig. 1A and 1B, a vapor deposition source 164 is disposed below a substrate 180, and the vapor deposition source 164 is filled with a material to be vapor deposited. In the evaporation source 164, the material is heated and vaporized, and when vapor of the material reaches the surface of the substrate 180 through an opening 102a (described later) of the evaporation mask assembly 100, the material is cooled and solidified, and the material is deposited and a film of the material is provided on the substrate 180 (in fig. 1B, on the lower side surface of the substrate 180). In the example shown in fig. 1A, the vapor deposition source 164 (also referred to as a line source) having a substantially rectangular shape and arranged along one side of the substrate 180 is provided, but the vapor deposition source 164 may have any shape, and may be a so-called point source such that it overlaps the center of gravity of the substrate 180. In the case of a point source, the relative positions of the substrate 180 and the vapor deposition source 164 are fixed, and a mechanism for rotating the substrate 180 may be provided.

When the line source type vapor deposition source 164 is used, the vapor deposition chamber 160 is configured such that the substrate 180 and the vapor deposition source 164 move relative to each other. In fig. 1A, an example in which the evaporation source 164 is fixed and the substrate 180 is moved thereon is illustrated. As shown in fig. 1B, the vapor deposition chamber 160 further includes a holder 170 for holding the substrate 180 and the vapor deposition mask assembly 100, a moving mechanism 168 for moving the holder 170, a shutter 166, and the like. The holder 170 can maintain the positional relationship between the substrate 180 and the vapor deposition mask assembly 100, and the movement mechanism 168 can move the substrate 180 and the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 on the vapor deposition source 164. The shutter 166 is provided on the vapor deposition source 164 to shield or allow vapor of the material to reach the substrate 180, and is controlled to open and close by a control device, not shown. Although not shown, a sensor for monitoring the deposition rate of the material, an adhesion prevention plate for preventing contamination of the material, a pressure gauge for monitoring the pressure in the deposition chamber 160, and the like are provided in the deposition chamber 160.

2. Vapor deposition mask assembly

Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of the vapor deposition mask assembly 100, and fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the dotted line a-a' in fig. 2. The evaporation mask assembly 100 has at least one or more evaporation masks 102. In the following description, an example in which one vapor deposition mask assembly 100 includes a plurality of vapor deposition masks 102 will be described.

Each vapor deposition mask 102 includes a plurality of openings 102a penetrating the vapor deposition mask 102. The region other than the opening 102a in each vapor deposition mask 102 is referred to as a non-opening portion. The non-opening portion surrounds the opening 102 a. The vapor deposition mask assembly 100 further includes a holder 110 connected to the vapor deposition mask 102 via a connecting portion 120 at the non-opening portion. The connecting portion 120 surrounds the plurality of openings 102a, and contacts the support frame 110 and the vapor deposition mask 102 at the non-opening portion.

In the vapor deposition, the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 and the substrate 180 are arranged so that the vapor deposition region overlaps the opening 102a and the non-vapor deposition region overlaps the non-opening, and vapor of the material passes through the opening 102a to deposit the material on the vapor deposition region. The arrangement of the plurality of openings 102a is not limited, but, for example, in the case of forming a plurality of pixel films provided in a display region of a display device, the plurality of openings 102a are provided so as to overlap with a region provided with pixels on the substrate 180. Therefore, when a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, a plurality of openings 102a are also arranged in a matrix. When a plurality of display devices are manufactured using one vapor deposition mask assembly 100, display regions of the plurality of display devices are formed on a large substrate 180 called mother glass. In this case, the plurality of openings 102a are provided in such a manner that a plurality of opening groups 102b corresponding to the plurality of display regions, respectively, are formed. The distance between adjacent opening groups 102b is larger than the distance between adjacent openings 102a of each opening group 102 b.

The support shelf 110 has at least one window 110a (fig. 3). In the case where the openings 102a are provided so as to form the plurality of opening groups 102b, the at least one window 110a may include a plurality of windows 110 a. Each window 110a is provided so as to overlap with the plurality of openings 102a of the vapor deposition mask 102. That is, the plurality of openings 102a are exposed from the support frame 110 through any one of the windows 110 a. In other words, each opening group 102b is also exposed from the support frame 110 through any one of the windows 110 a. A portion of the carrier bracket 110 is in contact with the connection portion 120 between the adjacent opening groups 102 b.

Fig. 4A shows a region Ra sandwiched between adjacent windows 110a, and fig. 4B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a region Rb at an end of the vapor deposition mask assembly 100. As shown in fig. 4A, the support frame 110 is not in direct contact with the vapor deposition mask 102, and is connected to the vapor deposition mask 102 via a connecting portion 120. The support frame 110 may overlap a part of the vapor deposition mask 102, but is not illustrated here. Similarly, as shown in fig. 4B, the support frame 110 is connected to the vapor deposition mask 102 via the connecting portion 120 without directly contacting the vapor deposition mask 102. In the region Rb, the support frame 110 may overlap a part of the vapor deposition mask 102.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the connection portion 120 is preferably not in contact with the upper surface of the support frame 110. In other words, the connection portion 120 is preferably spaced apart from the upper surface of the carrier 110. As will be described later, by separating the connecting portions 120 from the upper surface of the support frame 110, the connecting portions 120 adjacent to each other through the support frame 110 are prevented from being integrated and deforming the support frame 110, and the shape of the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 can be stabilized. In fig. 4A and 4B, the uppermost layer of the connecting portion 120 is positioned on the same plane as the upper surface of the support frame 110, but the uppermost layer of the connecting portion 120 may be lower than the upper surface of the support frame 110. That is, the uppermost layer of the connecting portion 120 may be located between the upper surface of the support frame 110 and the vapor deposition mask 102.

The vapor deposition mask 102 and the connection portion 120 are made of a zero-valent metal such as nickel, copper, titanium, or chromium, and preferably contain nickel. The compositions of the materials of the vapor deposition mask 102 and the connection portion 120 may be the same as each other. The carrier 110 also contains a zero-valent metal, which can be selected from nickel, iron, cobalt, chromium, manganese, and the like. For example, the carrier 110 may be an alloy containing iron and chromium, or an alloy of iron, nickel, manganese, or containing carbon in the alloy.

3. Method for manufacturing evaporation mask assembly

An example of a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 will be described with reference to fig. 5A to 17B.

3-1 formation of vapor deposition mask

First, a resist mask 134 is formed on the support substrate 130 provided with the peeling layer 132. The support substrate 130 is a substrate having a function of holding the vapor deposition mask 102 and the holder 110 when the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 is formed, and includes glass, quartz, plastic, metal such as copper, aluminum, titanium, iron, nickel, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, and manganese, or an alloy thereof. When the vapor deposition mask 102 contains an alloy, the alloy may contain, for example, iron and chromium, iron, nickel, and manganese, or carbon. When a substrate made of glass, quartz, or plastic is used, a substrate formed with a film of the above-described metal or alloy may be used. As described later, the vapor deposition mask 102 and the connection portion 120 are formed by an electrolytic plating method or an electroless plating method (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as a plating method). When the electrolytic plating method is used, it is preferable to use a metal substrate or an alloy substrate that can function as an electrode during power supply as the support substrate 130. The peeling layer 132 is a functional layer for promoting peeling of the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 formed on the support substrate 130 from the support substrate, and for example, a metal thin film of nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, or the like can be used. The release layer 132 may be formed by a plating method, a sputtering method, or a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) method so that the thickness is 20 μm to 200 μm, or 40 μm to 150 μm, for example.

The resist mask 134 is provided in an island shape. That is, the openings 102a and dummy patterns 106 are selectively formed in the regions where the openings are formed. For example, a negative photoresist is applied to the peeling layer 132, and the region where the plurality of openings 102a and the dummy pattern 106 are formed is selectively exposed to light through a photomask. Alternatively, exposure is performed through a photomask so that a positive type photoresist is applied to the release layer 132 and the non-opening portion is selectively exposed. After that, development is performed to obtain a patterned resist mask 134 (fig. 5A). In addition, it is preferable that the resist mask 134 be formed at an outer edge of the peeling layer 132 so that the peeling layer 132 can be easily peeled from the vapor deposition mask assembly 100.

Next, a plating pattern is formed in a region not covered with the resist mask 134 by a plating method to form the vapor deposition mask 102 (fig. 5B). The plating pattern may be formed in one stage or may be formed in a plurality of stages. When the plating is performed in a plurality of stages, the plating may be performed so that different metals are formed in different stages. The plating may be performed so that the upper surface of the plating pattern is lower than the upper surface of the resist mask 134, or may be performed so that the upper surface is higher than the upper surface. In the latter case, the planarization of the upper surface of the plating pattern may also be performed by surface polishing. After that, the resist mask 134 is removed by etching and/or ashing using a stripping solution, thereby forming the vapor deposition mask 102 having the plurality of openings 102a (fig. 5C).

As shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of fig. 6A, in a region Ra between adjacent windows 110a, a dummy pattern (hereinafter referred to as a 1 st dummy pattern) 106-1 is formed on the peeling layer 132 at the same time as the vapor deposition mask 102 is formed. A groove (hereinafter, referred to as a 1 st groove) 104-1 is formed between the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the vapor deposition mask 102, and the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 is isolated from the vapor deposition mask 102 by the 1 st groove 104-1. Therefore, as shown in the schematic plan view of fig. 6B, one 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 is provided so as to surround one vapor deposition mask 102. Since the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the evaporation mask 102 are simultaneously formed, they can have the same composition and thickness as each other.

Similarly, as shown in fig. 7A, the region Rb at the end of the vapor deposition mask assembly 100 forms a dummy pattern (hereinafter referred to as "2 nd dummy pattern") 106-2 on the peeling layer 132 at the same time as the vapor deposition mask 102. A groove (hereinafter, referred to as a 2 nd groove) 104-2 is formed between the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 and the vapor deposition mask 102, and the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 is isolated from the vapor deposition mask 102 by the 2 nd groove 104-2. As shown in the schematic plan view of fig. 7B, the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 is provided so as to surround the plurality of vapor deposition masks 102. Since the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 and the evaporation mask 102 are also simultaneously formed, they can also have the same composition and thickness as each other.

3-2. protection of the opening

As described later, the support frame 110 is placed on the vapor deposition mask 102, and then the connection portion 120 is formed by a plating method, thereby fixing the vapor deposition mask 102 and the support frame 110 to each other. Therefore, in order to prevent plating of metal in the opening 102a when forming the connection portion 120, the opening 102a is protected using a plurality of resist masks.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 8, first, a film-like resist (hereinafter referred to as a 1 st resist film) 136 is disposed so as to cover the plurality of vapor deposition masks 102. The 1 st resist film 136 is disposed so as to cover all the openings 102a of the plurality of vapor deposition masks 102 and the dummy patterns 106 including the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2.

Next, the 1 st resist film 136 is exposed. Details of exposure in the area Ra will be described with reference to fig. 9A to 9C. First, the 1 st photomask 150 having the light-shielding portion 150a and the light-transmitting portion 150b is disposed on the support substrate 130 (see fig. 9A) on which the 1 st resist film 136 is disposed. The 1 st photomask 150 is configured to: the 1 st resist film 136 is exposed to light at a portion overlapping with the opening 102a of the vapor deposition mask 102 and at a portion of the vapor deposition mask 102 other than the opening, and the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and at another portion of the vapor deposition mask 102 other than the opening are not exposed to light. That is, the light-transmitting portion 150B overlaps with a part of the opening 102a and the non-opening of the vapor deposition mask 102, and the light-shielding portion 150a overlaps with the other part of the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the non-opening (fig. 9B).

The 1 st resist film 136 is a negative resist and contains a polymer or oligomer that is cured by light. The exposed portion 136a has a significantly reduced solubility in the developer, and can be left after the development described below. On the other hand, the unexposed portions 136b are removed by development. The thickness of the 1 st resist film 136 can be arbitrarily selected, and for example, may be selected from the range of 20 μm to 100 μm, 30 μm to 100 μm, and 50 μm to 70 μm.

Next, before the 1 st resist film 136 is developed, a 2 nd resist film 138 is disposed on the exposed 1 st resist film 136 (fig. 9C). Next, a 2 nd photomask 152 having a pattern different from that of the 1 st photomask 150 is disposed on the 2 nd resist film 138, and the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138 are exposed through the 2 nd photomask 152. Here, the 2 nd photomask 152 is configured such that the light transmitting portion 152b overlaps the exposed portion 136a of the 1 st resist film 136 and overlaps a part of the non-opening portion of the vapor deposition mask 102. The light-shielding portion 152a is provided so as to overlap the openings 102a of the plurality of vapor deposition masks 102, the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1, and another portion of the vapor deposition mask 102 that is not an opening. However, the light transmitting portion 152b may overlap a part of the plurality of openings 102 a. Therefore, the portion of the 2 nd resist film 138 that overlaps all or most of the openings 102a and the portion that overlaps the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 are unexposed portions, and the portion that overlaps a portion of the non-opening portions of the vapor deposition mask 102 is an exposed portion.

The 2 nd resist film 138 is also a negative resist and contains a polymer or oligomer that is cured by light. The thickness of the 2 nd resist film 138 can be arbitrarily selected, and may be selected from the range of, for example, 20 μm to 100 μm, 30 μm to 100 μm, and 50 μm to 70 μm.

After that, the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138 are developed at the same time. Thereby, the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138 form a plurality of 1 st resist masks 144 and a plurality of 2 nd resist masks 146, respectively. The plurality of 1 st resist masks 144 overlap with a corresponding one of the vapor deposition masks 102, respectively, and cover the entire openings 102a of the vapor deposition mask 102. However, none of the plurality of 1 st resist masks 144 covers the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1. That is, the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 is exposed from the 1 st resist mask 144. On the other hand, the 2 nd resist mask 146 is in contact with the 1 st resist mask 144, and is provided so as to sandwich the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 exposed between the adjacent 2 1 st resist masks 144. When the 2 nd photomask 152 is disposed so that the light-transmitting portion 152B overlaps with a part of the plurality of openings 102a, the 2 nd resist mask 146 overlaps with a part of the plurality of openings 102a (fig. 10B).

Therefore, when focusing on one vapor deposition mask 102, as shown in the schematic plan view of fig. 11, the 1 st resist mask 144 overlaps with the plurality of openings 102a or the plurality of opening groups 102 b. The 2 nd resist mask 146 has openings 146a overlapping with the plurality of openings 102a or the plurality of opening groups 102b, and the 1 st resist mask 144 is exposed in the openings 146a (see fig. 10A). The 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 surrounds the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 in a plan view, and the 1 st trench 104-1 is isolated from the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 with a gap therebetween. As shown in fig. 10A, 10B, and 11, a part of the vapor deposition mask 102 is exposed from the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146. As described later, the connection portion 120 is formed on the exposed portion, whereby the support frame 110 and the vapor deposition mask 102 are bonded to each other.

The exposure in the region Rb is described with reference to schematic cross-sectional views of fig. 12A to 12C. In this region Rb, the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 are exposed using different photomasks as in the region Ra. That is, first, the 1 st resist film 136 is exposed through the 1 st photomask 150. The 1 st photomask 150 is configured such that the light-transmitting portion 150b overlaps with a part of the openings 102A and non-openings of the vapor deposition mask 102, and the light-shielding portion 150a overlaps with the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 and another part of the non-openings of the vapor deposition mask 102 (fig. 12A).

The 2 nd photomask 152 used for exposing the 2 nd resist film 138 is configured such that the light transmitting portion 152b overlaps the exposed portion 136a of the 1 st resist film 136 and overlaps the part of the vapor deposition mask 102 other than the opening. The light shielding portion 152a is provided so as to overlap the openings 102a of the plurality of vapor deposition masks 102, the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2, and the other non-opening portion of the vapor deposition mask 102 (fig. 12B). However, the light transmitting portion 152b may overlap a part of the plurality of openings 102 a. Therefore, in the 2 nd resist film 138, a portion overlapping all or most of the openings 102a, a portion overlapping the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2, and a portion overlapping the other portion of the non-opening portion of the vapor deposition mask 102 are unexposed portions, and a portion overlapping the part of the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 is an exposed portion.

Therefore, by simultaneously developing the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138, the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 and the other portions of the vapor deposition mask 102 other than the opening portions are exposed from the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 as shown in fig. 12C. The 1 st resist mask 144 covers the opening 102a and the non-opening portion of the vapor deposition mask 102. On the other hand, the 2 nd resist mask 146 overlaps the 1 st resist mask 144 and the non-opening portions of the vapor deposition mask 102. However, the 2 nd resist mask 146 may overlap a part of the opening 102 a. As described later, the vapor deposition mask 102 and the support frame 110 are assembled by forming the connection portions 120 in the portions of the vapor deposition mask 102 exposed from the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146.

Through the steps up to this point, the 1 st resist mask 144 covering all the openings 102a and the 2 nd resist mask 146 overlapping a part of the 1 st resist mask 144 can be formed.

3-3. making of support frame

The support frame 110 can be formed by etching the metal plate 112. Specifically, a resist 140 is formed on a metal plate 112 containing a metal or an alloy such as nickel, iron, cobalt, chromium, and manganese, and exposed to light through a photomask (hereinafter referred to as "3 rd photomask") 156 (fig. 13A), followed by development to form a resist mask 148 (fig. 13B). The resist 140 may be a liquid resist or a film-like resist. In addition, the resist 140 may be either a negative type or a positive type. In the case of the negative type, as shown in fig. 13A, the 3 rd photomask 156 may be designed and arranged so that the light transmitting portion 156b overlaps the region where the support frame 110 is formed and the light shielding portion 156a overlaps the region where the window 110a is formed, which is the region removed by etching. Thereafter, a portion other than the region covered with the resist mask 148 is removed by development, whereby the carrier 110 can be obtained (fig. 13C). The resist mask 148 is then removed by a stripper and/or ashing.

3-4. configuration of the supporting frame and formation of the joint

Next, the support frame 110 is disposed on the support substrate 130. Specifically, the vapor deposition mask 102 is disposed on the support substrate 130 with the peeling layer 132 interposed therebetween so as to overlap the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 (fig. 14A and 15A). That is, the support frame 110 is disposed so that one window 110a overlaps not only the plurality of openings 102a but also one 1 st resist mask 144 and one 2 nd resist mask 146. In this case, the adhesive 142 may be provided on the carrier 110, and the carrier 110 may be adhered to the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the 2 nd dummy pattern 106-2 by the adhesive 142. The adhesive 142 may be, for example, an acrylic adhesive or an epoxy adhesive, or may be a resist film similar to the 1 st resist film 136 or the 2 nd resist film 138. In the case of using a resist film, the thickness thereof may be smaller than the thickness of the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138. Specifically, the thickness of the resist film as the adhesive 142 can be selected from the range of 1 μm to 20 μm, and 1 μm to 10 μm. In the case of using a resist film as the adhesive, the resist film may not be exposed to light in order to maintain the adhesive strength.

As an optional configuration, a protective film 149 may be formed on the upper surface of the support frame 110 (fig. 14A and 15A). As the protective film 149, the same resist film as the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138 may be used. In this case, the resist film may be exposed or not exposed. By forming the protective film 149, when the connection portion 120 is formed by plating to be performed subsequently, the connection portion 120 is not formed on the upper surface of the holder 110, and the adjacent vapor deposition masks 102 can be prevented from being directly connected to each other by the connection portion 120.

After that, the connection portion 120 is formed using a plating method. The connection portion 120 is grown mainly from the portions exposed from the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 in the non-opening portions of the support frame 110 and the vapor deposition mask 102, and as a result, the connection portion 120 is formed in contact with the upper surface of the non-opening portion of the vapor deposition mask 102 and the side surface 110B of the window 110a constituting the support frame 110, as shown in fig. 14B and 15B. This can fix the vapor deposition mask 102 and the support frame 110 together.

When plating is performed in the state of fig. 15B, a plating layer 120a is formed on the left side of the support frame 110, i.e., on the outermost periphery, simultaneously with the connection portion 120. The plating layer 120a is located outside the substrate 180 in the vapor deposition process using the vapor deposition mask assembly 100, and therefore, there is no problem, but if necessary, the outermost periphery may be covered with the 1 st resist mask 144 or the 2 nd resist mask 146 in the state of fig. 15A so that the plating layer 120a is not formed.

At this time, the connection portion 120 is formed so as not to cover the upper surface of the 2 nd resist mask 146. This is because, when the connection portion 120 covers the upper surface of the 2 nd resist mask 146, a failure may occur when the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 are subsequently removed by a stripping liquid. Specifically, when the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 swell due to the stripping liquid, the volume expands, and thus stress is generated in the connection portion 120 on the 2 nd resist mask 146, and as a result, the connection portion 120 may be broken. By forming the connection portion 120 so as not to cover the upper surface of the 2 nd resist mask 146, such a problem can be effectively suppressed.

3-5 removal of support substrate and lift-off layer

Thereafter, the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 are removed by etching using a stripping liquid (fig. 16A, 17A). At this time, the protective film 149 is also removed. Further, the peeling layer 132 and the support substrate 130 are peeled. The 1 st and 2 nd dummy patterns 106-1 and 106-2 are removed together with the adhesive 142 by removing the adhesive 142 while performing peeling of the support substrate 130 and the peeling layer 132 or removing the adhesive 142 after peeling of the support substrate 130 and the peeling layer 132 (fig. 16B, 17B).

Through the above steps, the deposition mask assembly 100 can be manufactured.

As described above, in this embodiment, the connection portion 120 is formed so as not to cover the upper surface of the 2 nd resist mask 146. Therefore, in order to secure a sufficient area for the contact of the connecting portion 120 with the holder 110 and the vapor deposition mask 102 and fix the vapor deposition mask 102 to the holder 110 with sufficient bonding strength, it is necessary to make the 1 st resist mask 144 and/or the 2 nd resist mask 146 have a sufficient thickness (for example, a total film thickness of 100 μm to 200 μm).

However, in the case of using a single resist film protection opening 102a having a large thickness, the exposure time increases, and sufficient exposure cannot be performed, with the result that pinholes may occur in the resulting resist mask. Alternatively, in the case where two resist films (for example, the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138) having a small thickness are stacked to protect the openings 102a, when these resist films are exposed using the same photomask, even if the respective resist films are individually exposed, two resist films inevitably cover all the openings 102a (fig. 18A). As a result, in the step of removing the resist film after the connection portion 120 is formed, the stripping time increases, and the life of the stripping liquid decreases. As a result, this causes an increase in the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask assembly 100.

On the other hand, in the case where a resist mask having a small film thickness is used in order to shorten the lift-off time (for example, only the 1 st resist mask 144 is used), when the connection portion 120 is attempted to be formed in order to obtain sufficient bonding strength, the contact area between the connection portion 120 and the holder 110 and the vapor deposition mask 102 can be ensured, but a part of the connection portion 120 extends to the upper surface of the 1 st resist mask 144 due to long-term plating (see the dashed-dotted oval in fig. 18B). As described above, the formation of the connection portion 120 causes a failure.

However, in one embodiment of the present invention, as described above, two resist masks (the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146) each having a small thickness are provided to protect the openings 102a of the respective vapor deposition masks 102, and they are formed using different photomasks. Specifically, the opening 102a is protected by the 1 st resist mask 144, and the connection portion 120 is prevented from growing on the 1 st resist mask 144 or the 2 nd resist mask 146 by the 2 nd resist mask 146 having a different shape from the 1 st resist mask 144. Further, the 2 nd resist mask 146 does not overlap with the opening 102a, or overlaps with only a part thereof. Therefore, since the volume of the 2 nd resist mask 146 is extremely small compared to the 1 st resist mask 144, these masks can be collectively removed in a short time, and the increase in the manufacturing time and the decrease in the life of the stripping liquid do not occur. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a vapor deposition mask assembly can be manufactured with high efficiency and high yield at low cost.

In fig. 9A to 9C, the 1 st resist mask 144 and the 2 nd resist mask 146 are formed by a two-stage exposure process using the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138 which are independent of each other, but a single resist film 190 having a large thickness may be formed by processing by exposure using a halftone mask, for example, as shown in fig. 19A. The thickness of the resist film 190 is, for example, 100 μm to 200 μm, or may be 100 μm to 150 μm.

As the resist film 190, a positive resist film is used, unlike the 1 st resist film 136 and the 2 nd resist film 138 described above. The halftone mask 191 has an opening 191a, a light shielding portion 191b, and a halftone portion 191 c. The halftone mask 191 can be formed and configured to: the halftone portion 191c overlaps the plurality of openings 102a, the opening 191a overlaps the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1, and the light shielding portion 191b overlaps the area between the opening 102a closest to the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1 and the 1 st dummy pattern 106-1. By performing exposure through the halftone mask 191, the resist film 190 is exposed from the upper surface to the lower surface in regions overlapping with the plurality of openings 191 a. On the other hand, the region overlapping with the light-shielding portion 191b remains unexposed, and only the portion on the upper surface side of the region overlapping with the halftone portion 191c is partially exposed. After that, by developing the resist film 190, as shown in fig. 19B, a resist mask 198 having a thin film region 194 overlapping with the plurality of openings 102a and a thick film region 196 surrounding the thin film region 194 can be formed. Subsequently, the steps described with reference to fig. 13A are performed.

As embodiments of the present invention, the above-described embodiments can be combined and implemented as appropriate within a range not contradictory to each other. In addition, the embodiments obtained by adding or omitting appropriate steps or changing conditions by those skilled in the art based on the manufacturing method of each embodiment are included in the scope of the present invention as long as the gist of the present invention is maintained.

Even other effects different from the effects obtained by the above-described embodiments are naturally considered to be the effects obtained by the present invention, as long as the effects are obvious from the description of the present specification or are easily predicted by a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly is characterized by comprising the following steps:

forming a vapor deposition mask having a plurality of 1 st openings on a support substrate;

a step of forming a 1 st resist mask covering the plurality of 1 st openings;

forming a 2 nd resist mask having a 2 nd opening on the 1 st resist mask such that the 1 st resist mask is exposed from the 2 nd opening;

disposing a support frame having a window on the support substrate such that the window overlaps the plurality of 1 st openings; and

and a step of forming a connecting portion for fixing the vapor deposition mask and the holder together by using a plating method.

2. The method of manufacturing of claim 1, wherein:

the 2 nd resist mask is formed to cover a part of the plurality of 1 st openings.

3. The method of manufacturing of claim 1, wherein:

the formation of the connection portion is performed in such a manner that the connection portion is spaced apart from an upper surface of the 2 nd resist mask.

4. The method of manufacturing of claim 1, wherein:

the upper surface of the support frame is covered with a 3 rd resist mask so that the connection portion is isolated from the upper surface.

5. The method of manufacturing of claim 1, wherein:

the 1 st resist mask and the 2 nd resist mask are formed using different photomasks.

6. The method of manufacturing of claim 1, wherein:

the 1 st resist mask is formed by disposing a 1 st resist film on the plurality of 1 st openings, exposing the 1 st resist film, and developing the 1 st resist film after exposure,

the 2 nd resist mask is formed by disposing a 2 nd resist film on the 1 st resist film, exposing the 2 nd resist film to light, and developing the exposed 2 nd resist film,

the development of the 1 st resist film and the 2 nd resist film is performed simultaneously.

7. The method of manufacturing of claim 1, wherein:

the method further includes forming a dummy pattern on the support substrate, the dummy pattern being spaced apart from the vapor deposition mask and surrounding the vapor deposition mask, while forming the vapor deposition mask.

8. The method of manufacturing of claim 7, wherein:

the arrangement of the support frame is performed by adhering the support frame to the dummy pattern with a 4 th resist film.

9. The method of manufacturing of claim 8, wherein:

further comprising a step of removing the 4 th resist film and the dummy pattern.

10. A method for manufacturing an evaporation mask assembly is characterized by comprising the following steps:

a step of forming a resist mask on the vapor deposition mask;

a step of processing the resist mask to have a thin film region overlapping with the plurality of 1 st openings and a thick film region surrounding the thin film region;

disposing a support frame having a window on the support substrate such that the window overlaps the thin film region and the thick film region; and

11. The method of manufacturing of claim 10, wherein:

the vapor deposition mask is exposed between the holder and the thick film region,

the connecting portion is formed so as to be in contact with the holder and the exposed vapor deposition mask.

12. The method of manufacturing of claim 10, wherein:

the connection portion is formed in such a manner that the connection portion is isolated from the upper surface of the thick film region.

13. The method of manufacturing of claim 10, wherein:

the thin film region and the thick film region are formed using a half-tone mask.

14. The method of manufacturing of claim 10, wherein:

15. The method of manufacturing of claim 14, wherein:

the arrangement of the support frame is performed by adhering the support frame to the dummy pattern with a resist film.

16. The method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein:

further comprising the step of removing the resist film and the dummy pattern.