CN114438442A - Mask supporting sheet, mask supporting sheet assembly, fine metal mask assembly and manufacturing method - Google Patents

Mask supporting sheet, mask supporting sheet assembly, fine metal mask assembly and manufacturing method Download PDF

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Publication number
CN114438442A
CN114438442A CN202110410312.XA CN202110410312A CN114438442A CN 114438442 A CN114438442 A CN 114438442A CN 202110410312 A CN202110410312 A CN 202110410312A CN 114438442 A CN114438442 A CN 114438442A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
mask
sheet
support sheet
fine metal
assembly
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
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CN202110410312.XA
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
庾弘宇
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Pimes Co ltd
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Pimes Co ltd
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Publication of CN114438442A publication Critical patent/CN114438442A/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K71/00—Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/04—Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
    • C23C14/042—Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks using masks
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/06—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the coating material
    • C23C14/12—Organic material
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/04—Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
    • C23C16/042—Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks using masks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
    • H01L21/306—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching
    • H01L21/308—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching using masks
    • H01L21/3083—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching using masks characterised by their size, orientation, disposition, behaviour, shape, in horizontal or vertical plane
    • H01L21/3086—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching using masks characterised by their size, orientation, disposition, behaviour, shape, in horizontal or vertical plane characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks, sidewalls, or to modify the mask, e.g. pre-treatment, post-treatment
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K71/00—Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
    • H10K71/10—Deposition of organic active material
    • H10K71/16—Deposition of organic active material using physical vapour deposition [PVD], e.g. vacuum deposition or sputtering
    • H10K71/166—Deposition of organic active material using physical vapour deposition [PVD], e.g. vacuum deposition or sputtering using selective deposition, e.g. using a mask

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mask supporting sheet for a thin film process, a mask supporting sheet assembly, a fine metal mask assembly, and methods for manufacturing the same, which are used in the manufacture of a display device. The disclosed embodiment relates to a mask support sheet for a thin film process used in manufacturing a display device, the mask support sheet being a one-piece metal sheet, the mask support sheet including: a plurality of display openings corresponding to display regions per unit display device; and a plurality of protruding ends protruding from the edges in an outer contour direction, the Mask supporting sheet being configured to support a Fine metal Mask stripe including a plurality of Fine opening portions corresponding to the detailed pattern in the display area, the display opening portions respectively including basin-shaped recesses in a form of a depression at a side adjacent to the Fine metal Mask stripe.

Description

Mask supporting sheet, mask supporting sheet assembly, fine metal mask assembly and manufacturing method
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a mask supporting sheet for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device, a mask supporting sheet assembly including the mask supporting sheet, and a fine metal mask assembly including the mask supporting sheet assembly.
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fine metal mask assembly for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device.
Background
Organic Light-Emitting display devices (OLEDs), which have been widely manufactured in recent years, are widely used as display devices provided in televisions, PCs, tablet PCs, smart phones, smart watches, vehicle instrument panels, and the like. An OLED is a thin film light emitting diode in which a layer emitting light is composed of an organic compound. In the manufacture of OLEDs, a thin film process of laminating and patterning a plurality of thin film layers such as an electrode layer, an organic light emitting layer, and an insulating film is required. The thin film process utilizes a mask assembly having a corresponding pattern, and examples of the thin film process include Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), sputtering, ion plating, and vacuum evaporation.
For example, fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a thin film layer on a display panel of an organic light emitting display device. Specifically, fig. 1 is a view in which a portion of a display panel of an OLED is enlarged to show thin films stacked on the corresponding portion. Referring to fig. 1, a second channel (2) is formed in a display panel of the OLEDndPASS), Organic layer (Organic), first channel (1)stPASS), Capping layer (Capping), cathode (Catho de), EIL (electron injection layer), ETL (electron transport layer), EML (light emitting layer), R ', G', HIL (hole injection layer)/HTL (hole transport layer), Anode (Anode), and the like.
A mask assembly used in a thin film process for forming such a thin film layer has the following structure: thinner mask sheets, support strips (strips) and/or rods (stick) and the like are bonded to a mask frame of a stronger construction. The mask frame is a frame structure having a window frame or door frame shape with a thickness of 5-80 mm, and functions to stably maintain a pattern of the mask assembly. The mask sheet or mask tape is formed by forming a specific pattern to be used in vapor deposition on a thin film metal sheet or tape having a thickness of 0.01 to 5.00 mm.
Types of the Mask assembly include an Open Metal Mask (OMM) assembly, a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) assembly, and the like.
The OMM module is a mask module used for laminating thin films of the same material per unit display area of the display device. The OMM module has a structure in which an opening mask sheet is joined to a mask frame. The aperture mask includes unit aperture portions having shapes and numbers corresponding to the shapes and numbers of displays on the substrate, respectively. For example, referring to fig. 1, thin film layers formed over the entire display panel, such as a Capping layer (Capping), a Cathode (Cathode), an EIL, an ETL, and an HIL/HTL, are formed by a thin film process using an OMM assembly.
The FMM module is a mask containing fine patterns for laminating thin film layers corresponding to detailed regions within a display area per unit display device. The FMM module has a structure in which one or more thin Fine Metal Mask (FMM) bars are bonded to a mask frame. The FMM strip is formed by forming a fine pattern to be used in vapor deposition on a metal strip or a metal bar of a thin film. The fine patterns of the FMM bar include unit patterns corresponding to the shape and the number of fine patterns to be formed in a display of each unit display device on the substrate. For example, referring to fig. 1, thin film layers of color pixels such as EML, R ', G' are formed by a thin film process using an FMM assembly. For example, EML corresponds to a red, green, blue layer, R 'corresponds to another red layer, and G' corresponds to another green layer. The structure of the thin film layer described above is only one example, and the thin film layer may include other structures.
Generally, a thin film process using a mask assembly is performed at a high temperature. According to the OLED manufacturing process in recent years, a thin film process of several tens to several hundreds or more substrates is continuously and repeatedly performed for one mask assembly in general. According to the thin film process, the mask assembly is continuously exposed at a high temperature, and thus the pattern of the mask assembly is gradually deformed due to heat. This is one of the main causes of the Shadow (Shadow) phenomenon that adversely affects the yield of the overall process. In addition, in the OLED manufacturing process, tens of various mask assemblies respectively corresponding to substrates used for manufacturing the OLED are used, and thus a shadow phenomenon due to thermal deformation of each mask assembly is superimposed tens of times, thereby further reducing the yield.
In recent years, the demand for display devices in portable devices has increased from conventional SD (Standard Definition), HD (High Definition), to High-quality resolutions such as FHD (Full HD) and UHD (Ultra HD). Therefore, the demand for a mask assembly with higher precision is gradually increasing as compared to the conventional mask assembly, so that it is urgently required to reduce the thermal deformation of the mask assembly and improve the precision of the mask assembly. In particular, very high levels of precision are required for FMM assemblies.
Fig. 2a and 2b are a stack view and a top view of an FMM module according to the related art.
Referring to fig. 2a and 2b, the FMM module is formed by bonding support bars, such as alignment bars 10, long-side bars 20, and slit bars 30, to one or more FMM bars 300 on a mask frame 200. The support bars such as the alignment bars 10, the long bars 20, and the slit bars 30 are stretched and coupled to the mask frame 200, and function to support and couple the FMM bars 300 thereto.
However, in the structure in which the alignment bar 10, the long side bar 20, the slit bar 30, and the like are coupled to the mask frame 200, there is a problem in that the manufacturing process becomes complicated and the process of stretching them becomes complicated. Further, it is technically difficult to apply a uniform tensile force to all the supporting bars.
Fig. 2c is a sectional view showing a plane cut along line a-a' of fig. 2 b.
Referring to fig. 2c, in the structure of the FMM assembly, the supporting bars (the slit bars 30 in fig. 2c) are in direct contact with the FMM bars. In the OLED thin film process, one FMM assembly continuously and repeatedly performs a thin film process of an infinite number of substrates, and in this process, foreign materials D are generally present between the support bars and the FMM bars. In this case, damage to the thin FMM strip may occur during repeated loading and unloading of the FMM assembly and substrate. FMM strips are expensive products and if such damage occurs, the loss in manufacturing costs will be significant.
Disclosure of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention solve the problems of the prior art described above.
One embodiment of the present invention provides an example of a mask support sheet for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device. The mask support sheet according to an exemplary embodiment is a metal sheet of a single body type, and includes: a plurality of display openings corresponding to display regions per unit display device; and a plurality of protruding ends protruding from the edge in an outer contour direction, the Mask supporting sheet being configured to support a Fine Metal Mask (Fine Metal Mask) bar including a plurality of Fine opening portions corresponding to the detailed patterns in the display area, the display opening portions respectively including basin-shaped recesses in a form of a depression at a side adjacent to the Fine Metal Mask bar.
In one embodiment, the pot-shaped recess has a shape in which one side adjacent to the fine metal mask bar is wider and the opposite side is narrower in a cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet.
In an embodiment, the depth of the basin-shaped recess is above 5% and below 70% of the thickness of the metal sheet.
In one embodiment, the width of one side of the basin-shaped recess outside the region penetrated from top to bottom is 30 μm or more and 5mm or less in a cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet.
In one embodiment, in a cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet, the uppermost width of the tub-shaped recess is wider than the width of the fine metal mask bar.
In one embodiment, in the metal sheet, a region between adjacent display opening portions includes: a 1 st region formed to be thinner in thickness than other portions of the metal sheet; and a 2 nd region formed in an island state within the 1 st region and formed to be thicker than the 1 st region.
In one embodiment, the mask support sheet is used in the fabrication of Organic Light-emitting display devices (OLEDs).
In one embodiment, the detail pattern is an EML, R ', or G' pattern within the display area.
In an embodiment, the mask supporting sheet has a plurality of dummy lines defined thereon, the dummy lines extending in two directions crossing each other along a region where the display opening is not formed, the protruding ends protruding from both ends of the dummy lines, and the mask supporting sheet further includes a guard band connected to ends of the protruding ends and surrounding the mask supporting sheet.
In one embodiment, a cutting line having a thickness thinner than other portions of the metal sheet is formed at a portion where the protruding end and the guard band are coupled.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an example of a mask support sheet assembly for a thin film process used in manufacturing a display device, and an exemplary embodiment relates to a mask support sheet assembly including: a mask frame; and a mask support sheet according to the above embodiments bonded to the mask frame.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an example of a Fine Metal Mask (Fine Metal Mask) assembly for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device. A representative embodiment relates to a fine metal mask assembly, including: the mask support sheet assembly according to the above embodiments; and fine metal mask stripes bonded to the mask support sheet assembly.
Still another embodiment of the present invention provides an example of a Fine Metal Mask (Fine Metal Mask) device manufacturing method for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device. A fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment includes a mask supporting sheet manufacturing step for supporting fine metal mask stripes, the mask supporting sheet manufacturing step including: a 1 st pattern forming step of forming a 1 st protective film on the integrated metal sheet in a 1 st pattern for forming a plurality of basin-shaped recesses; a 1 st etching step of etching the metal sheet on which the 1 st protective film is formed, thereby forming a plurality of basin-shaped recesses on the metal sheet; a 2 nd pattern forming step of forming a 2 nd protective film on the metal sheet in a 2 nd pattern for forming a plurality of display opening portions having widths smaller than respective maximum widths of the basin-type recesses; and a 2 nd etching step of etching the metal sheet on which the 2 nd protective film is formed, thereby forming a plurality of display opening portions in the metal sheet.
In an embodiment, regions respectively corresponding to the display opening parts in the 2 nd pattern are included within regions respectively corresponding to the basin-type recesses in the 1 st pattern.
In an embodiment, the 1 st etching step includes the step of adjusting a depth of the basin-type recess according to an etching time.
In one embodiment, the fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method further includes a mask support sheet assembly manufacturing step of defining a plurality of dummy lines on the mask support sheet, the plurality of dummy lines extending in two directions crossing each other along a region where the display opening is not formed, the mask support sheet including: a plurality of protruding ends protruding from both ends of the virtual line in an outer contour direction; and a guard band connected to an end of the protrusion end and in a shape surrounding the mask support sheet, the mask support sheet assembly manufacturing step including: a stretching step of stretching the mask supporting sheet through the protective tape; a bonding step of bonding the protruded ends of the stretched mask supporting sheet to grooves of a mask frame; and a guard band separating step of cutting the guard band to separate it.
In one embodiment, a cutting line having a thickness thinner than other portions of the mask supporting sheet is formed at a portion where the protruding end and the protective band are connected, and the protective band is cut along the cutting line in the protective band separating step.
In one embodiment, the fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method further comprises the step of engaging fine metal mask stripes at the mask support sheet assembly.
Effects of the invention
According to an embodiment of the present invention, for use in supporting a Fine Metal Mask (Fine Metal Mask) strip, a Mask supporting sheet is formed of a single-body type Metal sheet, and a plurality of protruding ends and/or guard bands are formed at the edge thereof, so that it is easier to stretch the Mask supporting sheet and bond to a Mask frame than using a single supporting strip, and stretching force can be uniformly distributed at the Mask supporting sheet, thereby enabling minimization of thermal deformation during a thin film process with less stretching force than ever before.
Further, according to the embodiments of the present invention, a basin-type recess (access) is formed in a recessed form in an edge region of an opening portion of such a mask support sheet, so that damage of a fine metal mask bar by foreign substances, which may occur during repeated attachment and detachment of the substrate during a thin film process, can be prevented.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a thin film layer on a display panel of an organic light emitting display device (OLED).
Fig. 2a and 2b are a stack diagram and a top view of a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) module according to the related art.
Fig. 2c is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the line a-a' of fig. 2 b.
Fig. 3a and 3b are top views of a mask support sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4a and 4b are a stack view and a top view of a mask support sheet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5a and 5b are a stack diagram and a top view of a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5c is an enlarged view of the area 100A of fig. 5 b.
Fig. 5d is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the line a-a' of fig. 5 c.
Fig. 6a, 6b, and 6c are diagrams illustrating the depth of the basin-shaped recess formed in the opening of the mask support piece according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 7a, 7b, and 7c are diagrams illustrating widths of basin-shaped recesses formed in the openings of the mask support sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 8a is a plan view showing a form of an opening of a mask support sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 8b is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the line a-a' of fig. 8 a.
Fig. 9a is a plan view showing a form of an opening of a mask support sheet according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 9B is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the lines a-a 'and B-B' of fig. 9 a.
Fig. 10a, 10b and 10c are flowcharts illustrating a method of manufacturing a fine metal mask FMM assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 11a, 11b and 11c are diagrams illustrating a process according to the steps of fig. 10 c.
Reference numerals
1: fine metal mask FMM component
2: mask supporting sheet assembly
10: alignment bar/20: long edge strip/30: gap strip
100. 100': mask supporting sheet
110: metal sheet
111: overhang/112: guard band/113: cutting line
120: display opening part
121: basin type notch
200: mask frame
300: fine metal mask FMM strip
310: metal sheet
320: fine opening part
Detailed Description
The embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate the technical idea of the present invention. The scope of rights to which the invention relates is not limited to the embodiments presented below or the specific description of these embodiments.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All terms used in the present invention have been selected for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the right to which the present invention relates.
Expressions such as "comprising", "having", and the like, as used herein, are to be understood as open-ended terms that encompass the possibility of including other embodiments unless otherwise indicated in a sentence or article that includes the relevant expression.
Unless otherwise indicated, the singular form of expression recited in the present invention may include the plural form of expression, and the same applies to the singular form of expression recited in the claims.
Expressions such as "first", "second", and the like are used in the present invention to distinguish a plurality of constituent elements, and the expressions do not limit the order or the degree of importance of the respective constituent elements.
In the present invention, when one constituent element is "connected" or "connected" to another constituent element, it should be understood that the constituent element may be directly connected or connected to another constituent element or connected through the intermediary of other constituent elements.
The dimensions and values recited in the present invention are not limited to the dimensions and values recited. Unless otherwise indicated, the dimensions and values should be understood to represent the recited values and the equivalent ranges including the values. For example, the dimensions of "× mm" recited in the present invention may be understood to include "about × mm".
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding constituent elements are given the same reference numerals. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments, a repetitive description of the same or corresponding constituent elements may be omitted. However, even if the description about the constituent element is omitted, it does not mean that the constituent element is not included in a certain embodiment.
Fig. 3a and 3b are top views of a mask support sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to fig. 3a, a mask supporting sheet 100 for a thin film process used in manufacturing a display device is formed of an integrated metal sheet 110. For example, the metal sheet 110 may be an invar (invar) alloy material. For example, the thickness of the metal sheet 110 may be 100 μm or more and 200 μm or less. Referring to fig. 5a, etc., as will be described later, the Mask support sheet 100 functions to support Fine Metal Mask (FMM) bars in a FMM assembly.
The mask supporting sheet 100 includes a plurality of display opening parts 120. That is, the metal sheet 110 has a plurality of display openings 120. The display openings 120 correspond to display areas per unit display device, respectively. For example, referring to fig. 1, the display openings 120 can correspond to the entire display area of the smartphone. Although not shown, the form of the display opening 120 is configured in various ways according to the form of the display area of the display device. For example, the display opening 120 may have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or any other various shapes.
The mask support sheet 100 includes a plurality of protruding ends 111. That is, a plurality of protruding ends 111 are formed on the metal sheet 110. The protruding ends 111 protrude from the edge of the mask support sheet 100 in the direction of the outer contour. For example, if a plurality of virtual lines extending in two directions intersecting each other along a region where the display opening 120 is not formed are defined on the mask support sheet 100, the protruding ends 111 can protrude in the outer contour direction of the mask support sheet 100 at both ends of the virtual lines.
In this way, the mask supporting sheet is formed of an integrated metal sheet and a plurality of protruding ends are formed at the edge thereof for the purpose of supporting fine metal mask stripes, so that the mask supporting sheet is more easily stretched and bonded to the mask frame than by using a single supporting stripe, and the stretching force can be uniformly distributed at the mask supporting sheet, thereby enabling the minimization of thermal deformation during the thin film process with a stretching force smaller than before.
Referring to fig. 3b, other embodiments of the present invention may further include a guard band 112 connected to an end of the protrusion 111 and formed to surround the mask support sheet. At a portion where the protruding end 111 and the guard band 112 are connected, a cutting line 113 having a thickness thinner than other portions can be formed. Referring to fig. 10c and 11 a-11 c, the mask support sheet 100' is stretched by the guard bands 112 so that it can be bonded to the mask frame, as will be described later.
In this way, by further forming the guard band connected to the end of the protruding end in a form surrounding the mask support sheet, the process of stretching the mask support sheet becomes easier.
Fig. 4a and 4b are a stack view and a top view of a mask support sheet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to fig. 4a and 4b, the mask support sheet assembly 2 for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device includes a mask support sheet 100 and a mask frame 200. The mask support sheet assembly 2 is formed by bonding the mask support sheet 100 to the mask frame 200. The process of stretching the mask support sheet 100 to bond it to the mask frame 200 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 10c and fig. 11a to 11 c.
Fig. 5a and 5b are a stack diagram and a top view of a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to fig. 5a and 5b, the fine metal mask assembly 1 for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device includes a mask support sheet 100, a mask frame 200, and one or more fine metal mask stripes 300. That is, the fine metal mask assembly 1 includes a mask support sheet assembly 2 and one or more fine metal mask stripes 300. The fine metal mask assembly 1 is formed by joining one or more fine metal mask stripes 300 to the mask holder assembly 2. The mask support sheet 100 is used to support more than one fine metal mask stripe 300. The fine metal mask assembly 1 can be used in the fabrication of Organic Light-Emitting display devices (OLEDs). The fine metal mask assembly 1 can be used for a thin film process in a display device manufacturing process. In particular, the fine metal mask assembly 1 can be used for a thin film process for forming a detailed pattern per display area of a unit display device.
In fig. 5b, for convenience of illustration, the fine metal mask stripes 300 are not shown in a portion on the mask support sheet 100, but in the general fine metal mask assembly 1, the fine metal mask stripes 300 are formed in most of the area on the mask support sheet 100.
Fig. 5c is an enlarged view of the area 100A of fig. 5 b.
Referring to fig. 5b and 5c, the fine metal mask stripe 300 includes a plurality of fine opening portions 320 formed on the metal sheet 310 of the thin film. The fine opening 320 corresponds to a detailed pattern in the display area of each unit display device. For example, referring to fig. 1, the fine aperture 320 may correspond to an EML, R ', G' pattern or other various detailed patterns in the display area of the smartphone.
Fig. 5d is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the line a-a' of fig. 5 c.
Referring to fig. 5c and 5d, each display opening 120 of the mask supporting sheet 100 includes a basin-shaped recess (receive) 121. The basin-type recesses 121 are in the form of depressions on the side adjacent to the fine metal mask stripes 300. That is, in the cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet (fig. 5d), the basin-shaped recess 121 has a shape in which one side adjacent to the fine metal mask stripes 300 is wide and the opposite side is narrow. In the region where the basin-shaped recess 121 is formed, the thickness of the metal sheet 110 may become narrower as it approaches the center portion of the display opening portion 120. The area of contact between the fine metal mask stripes 300 and the metal sheet 110 is smaller than in the case where the basin-type recesses 121 are not present (fig. 2 c). For example, as will be described later with reference to fig. 7a to 7c, according to the width of the basin-type recess 121, in the sectional view (fig. 7b) of the mask supporting sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention, the uppermost width of the basin-type recess 121 is narrower than the width of the fine metal mask stripes 300 so that the metal sheet 110 can be configured to be in contact with the fine metal mask stripes 300, and in the sectional view (fig. 7c) of the mask supporting sheet according to another embodiment of the present invention, the uppermost width of the basin-type recess 121 is wider than the width of the fine metal mask stripes 300 so that the metal sheet 110 can be out of contact with the fine metal mask stripes 300.
Thus, the basin-shaped notch in a concave shape is formed in the edge area of the opening of the mask support sheet, so that the damage of the fine metal mask stripes caused by the foreign matters possibly inserted between the mask support sheet and the fine metal mask stripes can be prevented in the process of repeatedly contacting the substrate during the thin film process. Specifically, in fig. 5d, even if foreign matter is generated in the region of the basin-type recess 121, the fine metal mask stripes are not damaged thereby, when compared with fig. 2c, which is a prior art.
Fig. 6a to 6c are diagrams illustrating the depth of the basin-type recess formed in the opening of the mask support piece according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to fig. 6a to 6c, the depth of the basin-type recess 121 can be achieved in various ways. For example, the depth of the basin-type recess 121 may be 5% or more and 70% or less of the thickness of the metal sheet 110.For example, the depth t of the basin-shaped recess 1211Which may be about 5% of the thickness T of the metal sheet 110 (fig. 6 a). For example, the depth t of the basin-shaped recess 1212May be about 50% of the thickness T of the metal sheet 110 (fig. 6 b). For example, the depth t of the basin-shaped recess 1213May be about 70% of the thickness T of the metal sheet 110 (fig. 6 a).
Fig. 7a to 7c are diagrams showing the widths of basin-shaped recesses formed in the openings of the mask support sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to fig. 7a, the width of the basin-type recess 121. Specifically, in the sectional view of the mask supporting piece, the width W of one side of the basin-type recess 121 outside the region penetrated up and down can be implemented in various ways. For example, in the cross-sectional view of the mask support piece, the width W of one side of the basin-shaped recess 121 outside the region penetrated vertically may be 30 μm or more and 5mm or less.
Referring to fig. 7b, a width of one side of the basin-shaped recess 121 outside the region penetrated up and down according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a 1 st width W1. In this case, the uppermost width of the basin-type recess 121 on the cross-sectional view of the mask supporting sheet may be narrower than the width of the fine metal mask stripes 300.
Referring to fig. 7c, a width of one side of the basin-shaped recess 121 outside the region penetrated up and down according to another embodiment of the present invention may be a 2 nd width W2. Width 2W2May be wider than the 1 st width W1Is wider. In this case, the uppermost width of the basin-shaped recess 121 on a cross-sectional view (fig. 7c) of the mask supporting sheet may be wider than the width of the fine metal mask bar 300. In this case, the fine metal mask stripes 300 can be out of contact with the metal sheet 110 on a cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet (fig. 7 c).
Fig. 8a is a plan view showing a form of an opening of a mask support sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8b is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the line a-a' of fig. 8 a. Fig. 9a is a plan view showing a form of an opening of a mask support sheet according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9B is a sectional view showing a plane cut along the lines a-a 'and B-B' of fig. 9 a.
Referring to fig. 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b, the basin-shaped recess 121 can take various forms.
Referring to fig. 8a and 8b, the basin-shaped recess 121 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be recessed in a side adjacent to the fine metal mask stripes 300 over the entire edge region of the display opening 120.
Referring to fig. 9a and 9b, the basin-shaped recess 121 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be formed in the 1 st region R in the edge region of the display opening 1201The middle metal sheet 110 is thin and has a 2 nd region R2The thickness of the middle metal sheet 110 is larger than that of the 1 st region R1Is thicker. Region 2R2In the 1 st region R1Can be in an island form.
By such a structure, it is possible to minimize the contact area of the mask support sheet and the fine metal mask stripes, thereby minimizing the deformation of the mask support sheet and the damage of the fine metal mask stripes.
Fig. 10a to 10c are flowcharts illustrating a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) device manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11a to 11c are diagrams illustrating a process according to the steps of fig. 10 c.
Referring to fig. 10a, the fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method for a thin film process used in the display device manufacturing includes a mask support sheet manufacturing step S100, a mask support sheet assembly manufacturing step S200, and a fine metal mask strip bonding step S300. The fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include various steps in addition to the above-described steps.
Referring to fig. 10b, the mask supporting sheet manufacturing step S100 includes a 1 st pattern forming step S110, a 1 st etching step S120, a 2 nd pattern forming step S130, and a 2 nd etching step S140 as a step of manufacturing a mask supporting sheet for supporting fine metal mask stripes. The mask supporting sheet manufacturing step S100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include various steps in addition to the above-described steps.
In the 1 st pattern forming step S110, a 1 st protective film is formed in the 1 st pattern on the integrated metal sheet. The 1 st pattern is a pattern for forming a plurality of basin-type recesses. For example, the 1 st pattern may include unit patterns respectively corresponding to the basin-type recesses to be formed.
In the 1 st etching step S120, the metal sheet on which the 1 st protective film is formed is etched, thereby forming a plurality of basin-shaped recesses on the metal sheet. In the 1 st etching step S120, the depth of the basin-type recess may be adjusted according to the etching time. For example, if the etching time is set to 1 st time, the depth of the basin-shaped recess can be set to about 5% of the thickness of the metal piece, if the etching time is set to 2 nd time longer than the 1 st time, the depth of the basin-shaped recess can be set to about 50% of the thickness of the metal piece, and if the etching time is set to 3 rd time longer than the 2 nd time, the depth of the basin-shaped recess can be set to about 70% of the thickness of the metal piece.
In the 2 nd pattern forming step S130, a 2 nd protective film is formed in the 2 nd pattern on the metal sheet. Before the 2 nd patterning step S130, a step of removing the 1 st protective film formed through the 1 st patterning step S110 may be included. The 2 nd pattern is a pattern for forming a plurality of display opening portions. Specifically, the 2 nd pattern is a pattern for forming a through hole of the display opening portion. In the cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet, the through-hole of the display opening may be a region having the narrowest width in the display opening. For example, the 2 nd pattern may include unit patterns respectively corresponding to the display opening parts to be formed. The width of the region corresponding to each display opening in the 2 nd pattern is narrower than the width of the region corresponding to each basin-shaped recess in the 1 st pattern. Regions of the 2 nd pattern corresponding to the display opening parts, respectively, may be included within regions of the 1 st pattern corresponding to the basin-type recesses, respectively.
In the 2 nd etching step S140, the metal sheet on which the 2 nd protective film is formed is etched, thereby forming a plurality of display opening portions in the metal sheet. The mask support sheet may be completed by the 2 nd etching step S140.
Referring to fig. 10c, the mask support sheet assembly manufacturing step S200 includes a stretching step S210, a bonding step S220, and a guard band separating step S230. The mask support sheet assembly manufacturing step S200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include various steps in addition to the above-described steps.
Here, referring to fig. 11a to 11c, an embodiment in which the mask supporting sheet 100' includes a plurality of protruding ends 111 and a guard band 112 is described. Specifically, if a plurality of virtual lines extending in two directions crossing each other along a region where no display opening is formed are defined on the mask supporting sheet 100', the protruding ends 111 protrude in the outer contour direction at both ends of the virtual lines. The guard band 112 is connected to the end of the protrusion 111 and is formed to surround the mask supporting sheet 100'.
Referring to fig. 10c and 11a, the mask supporting sheet 100' is stretched by the guard band 112 in the stretching step S210. Although not shown, in embodiments where the guard bands 112 are not provided, the mask support sheet 100' may be stretched by the respective ends of the protruding ends 111.
In this manner, in order to achieve the effect of supporting the fine metal mask stripes, the mask supporting sheet is formed of a single-piece type metal sheet, and a plurality of protruding ends and/or guard bands are formed at the edges thereof, so that the mask supporting sheet is more easily stretched and bonded to the mask frame than by using a single supporting stripe, and the stretching force can be uniformly distributed at the mask supporting sheet, thereby enabling the minimization of thermal deformation during the thin film process with a smaller stretching force than ever.
Referring to fig. 10c and 11b, in the bonding step S220, the mask support sheet 100' stretched in the stretching step S210 is bonded to the mask frame 200. Specifically, in the bonding step S220, the protrusion ends 111 of the mask support sheet 100' stretched in the stretching step S210 may be bonded to the grooves of the mask frame 200. A groove may be recessed in the mask frame 200 to engage with the protruding ends 111 of the mask support sheet 100'. The mask support sheet 100' may be bonded to the mask frame 200 by a welding process P.
Referring to fig. 10c and 11c, in the guard band separating step S230, the guard band 112 is cut and separated in a state where the mask support sheet 100' is bonded to the mask frame 200 through the bonding step S220. Referring to fig. 3b, in a portion where the protruding end 111 and the guard band 112 are connected, a cutting line 113 having a thickness thinner than other portions of the mask supporting sheet 100' may be formed, and in the guard band separating step S230, the guard band 112 may be cut along the cutting line 113 and separated. The cutting lines may be formed in the mask supporting sheet manufacturing step S100. For example, the dicing lines may be formed in the 1 st pattern forming step S110 in the mask supporting sheet manufacturing step S100. The mask support sheet assembly may be completed by the guard band separating step S230.
In this way, the cutting line having a thickness thinner than the other portion of the mask supporting sheet is formed at the portion where the protruding end and the protective band are connected, so that the protective band can be cut and separated with a small force.
Referring again to fig. 10a, in the fine metal mask stripe bonding step S300, the fine metal mask stripes are bonded to the mask support sheet assembly. In the fine metal mask strip bonding step S300, the fine metal mask strips are stretched to be bonded to the mask support sheet assembly. For example, in the fine metal mask bar bonding step S300, the fine metal mask bars may be bonded to the mask support plate assembly by welding.
Although the process steps, method steps, algorithms or the like have been described in a sequential order in the flowcharts shown in fig. 10 a-10 c, these processes, methods and algorithms may be configured to operate in any suitable order. In other words, the steps of processes, methods, and algorithms described in various embodiments of the present invention may be performed out of order as described in the present invention. Further, although some steps are illustrated as being performed asynchronously, in other embodiments, the steps can be performed simultaneously. Furthermore, the example of processing described by the figures does not imply that the example of processing precludes other changes and modifications thereto, and that the example of processing or any of its steps is essential to more than one of the various embodiments of the invention, nor that the illustrated processing is preferred.
Although the technical idea of the present invention has been described by the above embodiments and examples shown in the drawings, it should be understood that various substitutions, modifications and changes may be made without departing from the technical idea and scope of the present invention which can be understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Further, such alternatives, modifications, and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (18)

1. A mask support sheet for use in a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device,
the mask supporting sheet is a one-piece metal sheet,
the mask support sheet includes: a plurality of display openings corresponding to display regions per unit display device; and a plurality of projecting ends projecting from the edge in a direction of the outer contour,
the mask support sheet is configured to support fine metal mask stripes including a plurality of fine opening portions corresponding to a detailed pattern in the display area,
the display opening parts respectively comprise basin-shaped notches, and the basin-shaped notches are in a sunken shape at one side adjacent to the fine metal mask strips.
2. The mask support sheet of claim 1,
in a cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet, the pot-shaped recess has a shape in which one side adjacent to the fine metal mask bar is wide and the opposite side is narrow.
3. The mask support sheet of claim 1,
the depth of the basin-shaped recess is 5% or more and 70% or less of the thickness of the metal sheet.
4. A mask support sheet according to claim 1,
the width of one side of the basin-shaped notch outside the region penetrated vertically is 30 [ mu ] m or more and 5mm or less in a cross-sectional view of the mask support sheet.
5. The mask support sheet of claim 1,
the uppermost width of the tub-shaped recess is wider than the width of the fine metal mask bar in a sectional view of the mask support sheet.
6. The mask support sheet of claim 1,
in the metal sheet, a region between adjacent display opening portions includes:
a 1 st region formed to be thinner in thickness than other portions of the metal sheet; and
a 2 nd region formed in an island state within the 1 st region and formed to be thicker than the 1 st region.
7. The mask support sheet of claim 1,
the mask support sheet is used in the manufacture of an organic light emitting display device.
8. A mask support sheet according to claim 7,
the detail pattern is a light emitting layer, an R 'or a G' pattern within the display area.
9. The mask support sheet of claim 1,
a plurality of virtual lines are defined on the mask supporting sheet, the virtual lines extend along the region where the display opening part is not formed in two directions intersecting with each other,
the protruding ends protrude from both ends of the virtual line,
the mask supporting sheet further comprises a guard band connected to an end of the protruding end and in a shape surrounding the mask supporting sheet.
10. A mask support sheet according to claim 9,
a cutting line having a thickness thinner than other portions of the metal sheet is formed at a portion where the protruding end and the protection band are coupled.
11. A mask support sheet assembly as a mask support sheet assembly for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device, comprising:
a mask frame; and
the mask support sheet of any one of claims 1 to 8, bonded to the mask frame.
12. A fine metal mask assembly as a fine metal mask assembly for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device, comprising:
the mask support sheet assembly of claim 11; and
fine metal mask stripes bonded to the mask support sheet assembly.
13. A method of manufacturing a fine metal mask assembly for a thin film process used in the manufacture of a display device, characterized in that,
comprising a mask support sheet manufacturing step for supporting fine metal mask stripes,
the mask support sheet manufacturing step includes:
a 1 st pattern forming step of forming a 1 st protective film on the integrated metal sheet in a 1 st pattern for forming a plurality of basin-shaped recesses;
a 1 st etching step of etching the metal sheet on which the 1 st protective film is formed, thereby forming a plurality of basin-shaped recesses on the metal sheet;
a 2 nd pattern forming step of forming a 2 nd protective film in a 2 nd pattern for forming a plurality of display opening portions on the metal sheet, the plurality of display opening portions having widths smaller than respective maximum widths of the basin-shaped recesses; and
and a 2 nd etching step of etching the metal sheet on which the 2 nd protective film is formed, thereby forming a plurality of display opening portions in the metal sheet.
14. The fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method according to claim 13,
regions respectively corresponding to the display opening parts in the 2 nd pattern are included within regions respectively corresponding to the basin-type recesses in the 1 st pattern.
15. The fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method according to claim 13,
the 1 st etching step includes a step of adjusting a depth of the basin-type recess according to an etching time.
16. The fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method according to claim 13,
further comprising a step of manufacturing the mask support wafer assembly,
defining a plurality of virtual lines on a mask support sheet, the virtual lines extending in two mutually intersecting directions along a region where the display opening is not formed, the mask support sheet including: a plurality of protruding ends protruding from both ends of the virtual line in an outer contour direction; and a guard band connected to the end of the protruding end and in a shape surrounding the mask support piece,
the mask support wafer assembly manufacturing step comprises:
a stretching step of stretching the mask supporting sheet through the protective tape;
a bonding step of bonding the protruded ends of the stretched mask supporting sheet to grooves of a mask frame; and
and a protective strip separating step of cutting the protective strip to separate the protective strip.
17. The fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method of claim 16,
a cutting line having a thickness thinner than other portions of the mask supporting sheet is formed at a portion where the protruding end and the guard band are connected,
in the protective tape separating step, the protective tape is cut along the cutting line.
18. The fine metal mask assembly manufacturing method of claim 16,
further comprising the step of engaging fine metal mask stripes on said mask support sheet assembly.
CN202110410312.XA 2020-10-30 2021-04-16 Mask supporting sheet, mask supporting sheet assembly, fine metal mask assembly and manufacturing method Pending CN114438442A (en)

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KR1020200143023A KR20220057908A (en) 2020-10-30 2020-10-30 Mask support sheet, mask support sheet assembly and fine metal mask assembly used in thin film process for manufacturing display device, and method of manufacturing the same
KR10-2020-0143023 2020-10-30

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