JP2020158826A - Vapor deposition mask - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a stable connection structure between a thin film and a holding frame holding the thin film for a vapor deposition mask having a vapor deposition mask formed of the thin film.SOLUTION: A vapor deposition mask has: a thin film type mask foil which is provided with a plurality of openings; a holding frame which has a lamination structure having a first layer and a second layer laminated across an adhesion layer, and is provided at a circumference of the mask foil; and a connection member which is provided between the mask foil and the holding frame. The holding frame has a plurality of fixation parts which suppress the first layer and second layer from shifting from each other when shearing force is applied between the first layer and the second layer, and the plurality of fixation parts are provided along the holding frame respectively more closely nearby a center part than nearby end parts of sides of the holding frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

One of the embodiments of the present invention relates to a vapor deposition mask. In particular, one of the embodiments of the present invention relates to a thin-film mask with a thin-film mask foil.

Examples of the flat panel type display device include a liquid crystal display device and an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device. These display devices are structures in which thin films containing various materials such as insulators, semiconductors, and conductors are laminated on a substrate. By appropriately patterning and connecting these thin films, the function as a display device is realized.

The methods for forming a thin film are roughly classified into a gas phase method, a liquid phase method, and a solid phase method. The gas phase method is classified into a physical gas phase method and a chemical gas phase method. The thin-film deposition method is known as a typical example of the physical vapor phase method. The simplest vapor deposition method is the vacuum vapor deposition method. In the vacuum vapor deposition method, the material is heated under a high vacuum to sublimate or evaporate the material to generate vapor of the material (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as vaporization). In the region for depositing this material (hereinafter referred to as the vapor deposition region), the vaporized material is solidified and deposited to obtain a thin film of the material. A thin film is selectively formed with respect to the vapor deposition region, and vacuum deposition is performed using a mask (deposited mask) in order to prevent the material from accumulating in the other regions (hereinafter, non-deposited regions) (hereinafter, non-deposited regions). See Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-2009-87840 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-209710

Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a vapor deposition mask in which the vapor deposition region is formed of a thin film. However, in order to improve the accuracy of the shape and position of the thin film in the vapor deposition region, the thin film is stably placed in a holding frame. A structure that connects and accurately retains its shape is required. One of the embodiments of the present invention is a thin-film deposition mask in which a thin-film deposition region is formed of a thin film, which provides a stable connection structure between the thin film and a holding frame for holding the thin film and has high position accuracy. Is one of the issues to be provided.

The vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention has a laminated structure in which a thin film mask foil provided with a plurality of openings and a first layer and a second layer are laminated via an adhesive layer. It has a holding frame provided so as to surround the mask foil and a connecting member provided between the mask foil and the holding frame, and the holding frame has the first layer and the second layer. It has a plurality of fixing portions for preventing the first layer and the second layer from shifting from each other when a shearing force is applied between the first layer and the second layer, and the plurality of fixing portions are respectively along the holding frame. They are arranged and arranged closer to the center than to the edges of the sides of the holding frame.

The vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention has a laminated structure in which a thin film mask foil provided with a plurality of openings and a first layer and a second layer are laminated via an adhesive layer and a fixing portion. It has a holding frame provided around the mask foil and a connecting member provided between the mask foil and the holding frame, and has adhesive strength between the fixing portion and the first layer. Is stronger than the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer and the first layer, and the adhesive strength between the fixing portion and the second layer is stronger than the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer and the second layer, and the fixing The portion is provided along the holding frame, and is provided more densely in the vicinity of the central portion than in the vicinity of the end portion of the side of the holding frame.

It is a front view of the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the vapor deposition apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the vapor deposition source which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged sectional view of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the direction of distortion of a thin-film deposition mask. It is an enlarged sectional view of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the display device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the problem which was confirmed in the process leading to this invention. It is a top view of the vapor deposition mask of the comparative example.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the present invention can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist thereof, and is not construed as being limited to the description contents of the embodiments illustrated below.

In order to clarify the description, the drawings may be schematically represented by the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part as compared with the actual aspect. However, the example shown in the drawings is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In the present specification and each figure, in the same configuration as described above with respect to the above-mentioned figures, an alphabet may be added after the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted as appropriate.

In the present invention, when a plurality of films are formed by etching or irradiating a certain film with light, the plurality of films may have different functions and roles. However, these plurality of films are derived from films formed as the same layer in the same process, and have the same layer structure and the same material. Therefore, these multiple films are defined as existing in the same layer.

In the present specification and claims, when expressing an embodiment in which another structure is arranged on one structure, when the term "above" is simply used, the structure is specified unless otherwise specified. There are cases where another structure is placed directly above the structure so as to be in contact with the body, and cases where another structure is placed above one structure via yet another structure. Defined to include both. In the following description, the direction from the mask foil 310 to the connecting member 350 is referred to as "up" or "upward", and the opposite direction is referred to as "down" or "downward".

<First Embodiment>
A vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and a vapor deposition apparatus using the vapor deposition mask will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17.

[Structure of thin-film deposition apparatus 10]
The configuration of the vapor deposition apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The vapor deposition apparatus 10 includes a plurality of chambers having various functions. The example shown below is an example showing one vapor deposition chamber 100 out of a plurality of chambers. FIG. 1 is a front view of a thin-film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the vapor deposition apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The front view is a view of the following thin-film deposition substrate 104 as seen in the vapor deposition chamber 100 in the normal direction of the main surface thereof. The side view is a view of the thin-film deposition chamber 100 in the traveling direction of the substrate to be vapor-deposited 104.

As shown in FIG. 1, the thin-film deposition chamber 100 is partitioned from an adjacent chamber by a load lock door 102. The vapor deposition chamber 100 can maintain the inside of the vapor deposition chamber 100 in a high vacuum reduced pressure state or in a state of being filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Therefore, a decompression device (not shown), a gas intake / exhaust mechanism, and the like are connected to the vapor deposition chamber 100.

The thin-film deposition chamber 100 has a structure capable of accommodating an object on which a thin-film deposition film is formed. Hereinafter, an example in which a plate-shaped substrate to be vapor-deposited 104 is used as the object will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vapor deposition source 112 is arranged at a position facing the main surface of the substrate to be vapor-deposited 104. The thin-film deposition source 112 has a substantially rectangular shape and is arranged along one side of the thin-film deposition substrate 104 (the short side of the thin-film deposition substrate 104 in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2). Such a vapor deposition source 112 is called a linear source type. When a linear source type thin-film deposition source 112 is used, the thin-film deposition chamber 100 has a configuration in which the substrate to be deposited 104 and the thin-film deposition source 112 move relatively. FIG. 1 shows an example in which a thin-film deposition source 112 is fixed and a substrate 104 to be vapor-deposited moves on it. The substrate 104 to be vapor-deposited is moved by the moving mechanism 110.

The vapor deposition source 112 is filled with a material to be deposited. The thin-film deposition source 112 has a heating unit 122 (see FIG. 3 described later) for heating the material. When the material is heated by the heating unit 122 of the thin-film deposition source 112, the heated material vaporizes and becomes steam, which goes from the thin-film deposition source 112 to the substrate 104 to be vapor-deposited. When the vapor of the material reaches the surface of the film-deposited substrate 104, the vapor is cooled and solidified, and the material is deposited on the surface of the film-deposited substrate 104. In this way, a thin film of the material is formed on the film-deposited substrate 104 (in FIG. 2, on the surface of the film-deposited substrate 104 on the side facing the vapor deposition source 112).

As shown in FIG. 2, the thin-film deposition chamber 100 further includes a holder 108 for holding the thin-film deposition substrate 104 and the thin-film deposition mask 300, a moving mechanism 110 for moving the holder 108, a shutter 114, and the like. The holder 108 maintains the positional relationship between the substrate to be deposited 104 and the vapor deposition mask 300. The moving mechanism 110 moves the film-deposited substrate 104 and the thin-film mask 300 with respect to the thin-film deposition source 112. The shutter 114 is movably provided so as to cover or expose the opening 130 at a position facing the opening 130 (see FIG. 3) of the vapor deposition source 112. As the shutter 114 moves over the deposition source 112, the shutter 114 shields the vapor of the material heated by the deposition source 112. By moving the shutter 114 to a position where it does not overlap with the vapor deposition source 112, the vapor of the material is not shielded by the shutter 114 and can reach the vapor deposition substrate 104. The opening and closing of the shutter 114 is controlled by a control device (not shown).

In the example shown in FIG. 1, a linear source type vapor deposition source 112 is shown, but the vapor deposition source 112 is not limited to the above shape and can have any shape. For example, the shape of the vapor deposition source 112 may be a so-called point source type in which the material used for vapor deposition is selectively arranged at or near the center of gravity of the substrate 104 to be deposited. In the case of the point source type, the relative positions of the vapor deposition substrate 104 and the vapor deposition source 112 are fixed, and a mechanism for rotating the vapor deposition substrate 104 may be provided in the vapor deposition chamber 100. Further, in the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a vertical vapor deposition apparatus is shown in which the substrate and the vapor deposition mask 300 are arranged upright so that the main surface of the substrate is vertical or nearly vertical. It can also be used in a horizontal thin-film deposition apparatus in which the substrate is arranged so that the main surface of the substrate is parallel to the horizontal direction.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a vapor deposition source according to an embodiment of the present invention. The thin-film deposition source 112 includes a storage container 120, a heating unit 122, a thin-film deposition holder 124, a mesh-shaped metal plate 128, and a pair of guide plates 132.

The storage container 120 is a member that holds the material to be deposited. As the storage container 120, a member such as a crucible can be used. The storage container 120 is removably held inside the heating unit 122. The storage container 120 can contain a metal such as tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, titanium, nickel, or an alloy thereof. Alternatively, the storage container 120 may contain an inorganic insulating material such as alumina, boron nitride, or dilyconium oxide.

The heating unit 122 is removably held inside the vapor deposition holder 124. The heating unit 122 has a configuration in which the storage container 120 is heated by a resistance heating method. Specifically, the heating unit 122 has a heater 126. By energizing the heater 126, the heating unit 122 is heated, and the material in the storage container 120 is heated and vaporized. The vaporized material is emitted from the opening 130 of the storage container 120 to the outside of the storage container 120. The mesh-shaped metal plate 128 arranged so as to cover the opening 130 prevents the suddenly boiled material from being discharged to the outside of the storage container 120. The heating unit 122 and the vapor deposition holder 124 can contain the same material as the storage container 120.

The pair of guide plates 132 are provided above the vapor deposition source 112. At least a part of the guide plate 132 is tilted with respect to the side surface or the vertical direction of the storage container 120. The angle at which the vapor of the material spreads (hereinafter, the injection angle) is controlled by the inclination of the guide plate 132, and the directivity can be given to the flight direction of the vapor. The injection angle is determined by the angle θe (unit: °) formed by the two guide plates 132. The angle θe is appropriately adjusted depending on the size of the film-deposited substrate 104 and the distance between the vapor deposition source 112 and the film-deposited substrate 104. The angle θe is, for example, 40 ° or more and 80 ° or less, 50 ° or more and 70 ° or less, typically 60 °. The surfaces formed by the inclined surface of the guide plate 132 are the critical surfaces 160a and 160b. The vapor of the material flies in a space sandwiched between the critical surfaces 160a and 160b. Although not shown, when the deposition source 112 is a point source, the guide plate 132 may be part of the surface of the cone.

The material to be deposited can be selected from various materials and may be either an organic compound or an inorganic compound. As the organic compound, for example, a luminescent material or a carrier-transporting organic compound can be used. As the inorganic compound, a metal, an alloy thereof, a metal oxide, or the like can be used. A plurality of materials may be filled in one storage container 120 to form a film. Although not shown, the vapor deposition chamber 100 may be configured so that different materials can be heated simultaneously using a plurality of thin film deposition sources.

[Structure of thin-film mask 300]
The configuration of the vapor deposition mask 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a top view of the vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention. The thin-film mask 300 has a thin-film mask foil 310, a holding frame 330, and a connecting member 350. The mask foil 310 is provided with a plurality of openings 311 penetrating the mask foil 310. The region of the mask foil 310 other than the opening 311 is called a non-opening. The non-opening surrounds each opening 311. As shown in the partially enlarged view of the round frame of FIG. 4, the opening 311 includes a plurality of openings 311p. The plurality of openings 311p are arranged according to the pixel pitch of the display device.

A plurality of fixing portions 390 are provided in the peripheral region of the holding frame 330. The fixing portion 390 is provided along each side of the holding frame 330. In the example of FIG. 4, the fixing portion 390 is not provided at the corner portion of the holding frame 330. In other words, the fixed portion 390 is provided closer to the central portion than to the vicinity of the end portion of each side of the holding frame 330. Although the details will be described later, the holding frame 330 has a laminated structure in which the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 are laminated via the adhesive layer 500 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The fixing portion 390 connects the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, and when a shearing force is applied between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 Suppress each other.

At the time of vapor deposition, the vapor deposition mask 300 and the vapor deposition substrate 104 are aligned so that the vapor deposition region and the opening 311 of the vapor deposition target substrate 104 overlap, and the non-evaporated region and the non-open portion of the vapor deposition substrate 104 overlap. .. When the vapor of the material passes through the opening 311 and reaches the film-deposited substrate 104, the material is deposited in the vapor deposition region of the film-deposited substrate 104.

The holding frame 330 is provided around the mask foil 310. The connecting member 350 is provided between the mask foil 310 and the holding frame 330, and connects the mask foil 310 and the holding frame 330. The first outer edge 353 of the connecting member 350 in the region in contact with the holding frame 330 is outside the second outer edge 313 of the mask foil 310 in contact with the connecting member 350. That is, in a plan view, the mask foil 310 and the holding frame 330 do not overlap. In other words, the first outer edge 353 surrounds the second outer edge 313. However, the mask foil 310 may overlap the holding frame 330 in a plan view.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA'of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the connecting member 350 is provided on the mask foil 310 along the end portion of the mask foil 310. The connecting member 350 projects from the end of the mask foil 310 toward the outside of the mask foil 310. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 311 includes a plurality of openings 311p, but for convenience of explanation, the openings 311 are shown as one continuous opening in FIG.

The holding frame 330 is provided further above the upper surface of the mask foil 310. That is, in the vertical direction, the lower end (first surface 331) of the holding frame 330 is provided above the upper end of the mask foil 310. Further, the holding frame 330 is provided further outside the second outer edge 313 of the mask foil 310. That is, in the horizontal direction, the holding frame 330 is provided outside the mask foil 310. The vertical direction described above is a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the mask foil 310. The horizontal direction is a direction parallel to the main surface of the mask foil 310.

The holding frame 330 has a laminated structure in which the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 are laminated. The first layer 360 and the second layer 370 are bonded by the adhesive layer 500. In the following description, when it is not necessary to particularly distinguish between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, these are collectively referred to as a holding frame 330.

The connecting member 350 is in contact with the first surface 331 and the third surface 335 of the holding frame 330. On the other hand, the connecting member 350 is not provided on the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330. The connecting member 350 is in contact with a part of the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 on the mask foil 310 side. Similarly, the connecting member 350 is in contact with the holding frame 330 from the lower end to the upper end of the third surface 335.

The connecting member 350 does not have to be in contact with the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330. That is, the connecting member 350 may be in contact with only the third surface 335 of the holding frame 330. Further, the connecting member 350 does not have to reach the upper end of the third surface 335 of the holding frame 330. The connecting member 350 is preferably in contact with both the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, but may be in contact with only the first layer 360.

An enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, a fixing portion 390 is provided between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 in addition to the adhesive layer 500. The fixing portion 390 connects the first layer 360 and the second layer 370. In addition, "bonded" means that the positional relationship between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 in a plan view does not deviate from the bonding by the adhesive layer 500. Alternatively, "bonded" means that the positional relationship between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 in a plan view is less likely to be displaced as compared with the adhesive layer 500.

Specifically, the fixing portion 390 is a portion where the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 are welded together. That is, the fixed portion 390 is a region in which a part of the first layer 360 and a part of the second layer 370 are mixed. The adhesive strength (or adhesive strength) between the fixed portion 390 and the first layer 360 and the adhesive strength (or adhesive strength) between the fixed portion 390 and the second layer 370 are the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 500 and the first layer 360 and the adhesive strength. It is stronger than the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 500 and the second layer 370. That is, in the effect of suppressing the displacement of the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 when a shearing force is applied between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, the fixed portion is more than the adhesive layer 500. The effect is greater with 390.

The fixing portion 390 illustrates a configuration in which the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 are welded to each other, but the fixing portion 390 is not limited to this configuration. The fixing portion 390 may have a structure in which the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 are connected by a method other than welding. Although details will be described later, each of the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 is provided with through holes that overlap in a plan view, and by inserting a fixing member such as a pin or a rivet into the through holes, the first layer 360 And the second layer 370 may be fixed. In this case, the above-mentioned through hole and the fixing member can be collectively referred to as a fixing portion.

As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting member 350 is in contact with the holding frame 330 from the lower end of the third surface 335 of the holding frame 330 to the first outer edge 353. In other words, a space is formed between the upper surface of the connecting member 350 located vertically below the holding frame 330 (the region below the holding frame 330 that overlaps the holding frame 330 in a plan view) and the lower surface of the holding frame 330. Absent. The first outer edge 353 refers to a position corresponding to the outer edge of the connecting member 350 in the area where the connecting member 350 is in contact with the holding frame 330. In FIG. 6, the first outer edge 353 is an end portion of the vapor deposition mask 300 in the outward direction in a region where the connecting member 350 is in contact with the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330. Further, the second outer edge 313 is a region corresponding to the outer edge of the mask foil 310 in the region where the mask foil 310 is in contact with the connecting member 350. In FIG. 6, a plurality of openings 315 are provided near the outer edge of the mask foil 310, and the connecting member 350 is inserted inside the plurality of openings 315.

In cross-sectional view, the lower surface shape of the connecting member 350 is a step shape from the first outer edge 353 to the second outer edge 313. That is, when starting from the first outer edge 353 and moving on the surface of the connecting member 350 toward the second outer edge 313, the moving point gradually reaches the second outer edge 313 without moving away from the second outer edge 313 in a straight line distance. Get closer. In other words, between the first outer edge 353 and the second outer edge 313, the surface of the connecting member 350 gradually approaches the second outer edge 313. In other words, between the first outer edge 353 and the second outer edge 313, the surface of the connecting member 350 does not project from the second outer edge 313 side toward the first outer edge 353 side. In other words, the surface of the connecting member 350 from the first outer edge 353 to the second outer edge 313 faces outward and downward of the vapor deposition mask 300, and there is no portion facing upward.

In the above configuration, the thickness d1 of the mask foil 310 is 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less. The thickness d2 from the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 to the lower end of the connecting member 350 located vertically below the holding frame 330 is 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. The width w1 at which the connecting member 350 contacts the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 is 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the thickness d1 is displayed in the same size as the thickness d2 and the width w1, but as described above, the thickness d1 is about 1 as compared with the thickness d2 and the width w1. An order of magnitude smaller.

When vapor deposition is performed using the mask foil 310, when the plane size of the opening 311 becomes smaller, the thickness of the material vapor-deposited on the substrate 104 to be vapor-deposited corresponds to the peripheral portion of the pattern of the opening 311 due to the thickness of the mask foil 310 itself. May be thinner than the thickness of the material vapor-deposited on the vapor-deposited substrate 104 corresponding to the central portion of the pattern, or the material may not be vapor-deposited on the vapor-deposited substrate 104 corresponding to the peripheral portion of the pattern.

For example, when such a phenomenon occurs when a light emitting material is vapor-deposited in the pixel region of the substrate 104 to be vapor-deposited using the thin-film mask 300, the light emission intensity in the peripheral portion of the pixel region corresponding to the peripheral portion of the opening 311 decreases. , A phenomenon called "kerare" may occur. That is, the material may not adhere uniformly to the entire target vapor deposition region, resulting in poor vapor deposition.

Therefore, when producing a high-definition display device, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the mask foil 310 itself. The mask foil 310 may be produced, for example, by etching a metal film to form openings, or by forming a metal film on the surface of a base material on which a mask pattern corresponding to the pattern of openings 311 is formed. May be done. In the latter case, it is possible to form a metal film by, for example, an electroforming plating method. By forming the mask foil 310 by the electroforming plating method, the thickness d1 of the mask foil 310 can be made 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

Further, as the holding frame 330, for example, a metal frame can be used. In this case, in order to increase the rigidity of the holding frame 330, it is preferable to increase the plate thickness of the holding frame 330. However, since the weight of the entire vapor deposition mask 300 increases, the thickness of the holding frame 330 is preferably about 1 mm to several mm. Since a plate material having such a thickness is supplied in the form of a rolling roll, an arc-shaped roll strain often remains in the cut plate material. Since the vapor deposition mask 300 is required to have flatness, it is necessary to remove roll strain. Here, as the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, the cut out plate materials are stacked upside down, and these plate materials are bonded together via the adhesive layer 500 to cancel the roll strain and ensure flatness. ing.

Further, in the above configuration, when the holding frame 330 and the mask foil 310 are to be fixed by a method such as spot welding, riveting, or adhesion, if the tensile stress of the mask foil 310 is large, the joint portion is used. Defects such as distortion may occur with a portion other than the above, or the thin film portion may be damaged due to the distortion. Further, when the mask foil 310 is a thin film, its own heat capacity is small and it is immediately melted by the heat generated by welding, so that it is difficult to obtain a good bond between the holding frame 330 and the mask foil 310. According to this embodiment, the holding frame 330 and the mask foil 310 can be uniformly joined by using the connecting member 350.

[Problems confirmed in the process leading to the present invention]
Here, with reference to FIG. 25, the problems confirmed in the process leading to the present invention will be described. The problems shown below are problems newly discovered by the inventor's diligent research in the process leading to the present invention, and are not problems generally known as problems of the vapor deposition mask. In the following description, the description may be omitted for the same configuration and manufacturing method as those in the above embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating problems identified in the process leading to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 25, in the vapor deposition mask 300Z before the present invention, the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z included in the holding frame 330Z are adhered by the adhesive layer 500Z, as shown in FIG. The fixing portion 390 was not provided. Since the main material of the adhesive layer 500Z is resin, the adhesive layer 500Z has elasticity. Further, the plate thickness of the holding frame 330Z of about 1 mm to several mm is necessary and sufficient to support the stress of the mask foil 310Z. However, when the plate thickness is realized by the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z bonded by the adhesive layer 500Z, the stress of the mask foil 310Z acts on the adhesive layer 500Z. As a result, in the vapor deposition mask 300Z, a shearing force is applied between the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z, and as shown in FIG. 25, the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z may be displaced from each other. ..

As described above, when a deviation occurs in the shear direction between the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z, the mask foil 310Z is substantially only about 1/2 the thickness of the holding frame 330Z (first layer 360Z). Does not contribute to the action of supporting the stress of. As a result, the holding frame 330Z cannot withstand the stress of the mask foil 310, and the holding frame 330Z is distorted in a plan view (see FIG. 22).

The above-mentioned problems have been found by the inventors in the process leading to the present invention.

In order to solve such a problem, the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 of the holding frame 330 are connected by the fixing portion 390 as in the vapor deposition mask 300 according to the present embodiment, so that the first layer 360 When a shearing force is applied between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, it is possible to prevent the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 from shifting from each other.

Further, since the connecting member 350 is in contact with the first surface 331 and the third surface 335 of the holding frame 330, the adhesive strength between the connecting member 350 and the holding frame 330 can be improved. Further, since the connecting member 350 is inserted into the opening 315 of the mask foil 310, the adhesive strength between the connecting member 350 and the mask foil 310 can be improved.

In the thin-film mask 300, in order to suppress distortion of the mask foil 310, the mask foil 310 is attached to the holding frame 330 in a strongly pulled state. As a result, strong stress is applied between the mask foil 310 and the connecting member 350, and between the holding frame 330 and the connecting member 350. However, since the adhesive strength between the connecting member 350 and the holding frame 330 and the adhesive strength between the connecting member 350 and the mask foil 310 are improved as described above, it is possible to prevent them from peeling off.

[Manufacturing method of thin-film mask 300]
A method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 17. 7 to 17 are cross-sectional views showing a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, openings 411 are provided on the first surface 331 and the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330 including the first layer 360 and the second layer 370 bonded via the adhesive layer 500. A resist mask 410 is formed. The opening 411 is provided only on the first surface 331 side of the holding frame 330, and is not provided on the second surface 333 side. Then, the release layer 420 is formed on the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 exposed by the opening 411. The release layer 420 is a layer for peeling the adhesive layer 460 and the support substrate 470 (see FIG. 14) formed on the release layer 420 in a later step. The release layer 420 may be referred to as a "first release layer". A plating layer can be used as the release layer 420. For example, when the release layer 420 is selectively formed on the holding frame 330 exposed by the opening 411 as shown in FIG. 7, the release layer 420 can be formed by an electrolytic plating method in which the holding frame 330 is energized. ..

As the holding frame 330, a rigid substrate such as a metal substrate such as stainless steel, a silicon substrate, a glass substrate, or a quartz substrate is used. For example, the plate thickness of the holding frame 330 is 300 μm or more and 3 mm or less, preferably 500 μm or more and 2 mm or less.

A plating layer can be used as the release layer 420. The material used as the plating layer is not particularly limited, but nickel (Ni) can be used, for example. The release layer 420 can be formed by using an electrolytic plating method or an electroless plating method.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, by peeling off the resist mask 410, a structure in which the peeling layer 420 is selectively formed on the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 is obtained. In other words, the release layer 420 is formed by the above step so as to expose a part of the first surface 331.

In the step of FIG. 7, a plating layer is formed inside the opening 411 and on the resist mask 410 by the electrolytic plating method, and the plating layer formed on the resist mask 410 is removed by peeling the resist mask 410 ( By lifting off), the release layer 420 shown in FIG. 8 may be formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a resist mask 430 is formed on the first surface 331 and the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330. Each of the resist masks 430 provided on the first surface 331 and the second surface 333 is formed in substantially the same region in a plan view. The resist mask 430 is formed in a region overlapping the holding frames 330 of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a plan view. The resist mask 430 covers the release layer 420. In other words, in a plan view, the end portion of the release layer 420 exists in the region inside the resist mask 430 with respect to the end portion of the resist mask 430. In other words, in plan view, the release layer 420 is inside the resist mask 430. In other words, the resist mask 430 is patterned so that the release layer 420 is not exposed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, using the resist mask 430 as a mask, the holding frame 330 is etched from the first surface 331 side and the second surface 333 side to remove the resist mask 430. In FIG. 10, only a part of the holding frame 330 is displayed, but this etching forms the holding frame 330 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. That is, in FIG. 10, the end portion 405 corresponds to the inner edge of the holding frame 330, and the end portion 407 corresponds to the outer edge of the holding frame 330.

In this step, the etching of the holding frame 330 is performed by wet etching. However, the etching may be performed by dry etching. When the holding frame 330 is etched by dry etching, the resist mask 430 may be formed on only one of the first surface 331 and the second surface 333. Alternatively, the method for forming the holding frame 330 is not limited to the above etching, and may be performed by a mechanical method such as dicing.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the processed holding frame 330 is attached to the support substrate 450 using the adhesive layer 440. The adhesive layer 440 and the support substrate 450 are attached to the second surface 333 side of the holding frame 330. The adhesive layer 440 is attached to the support substrate 450 in a pulled state, and the holding frame 330 is attached to the adhesive layer 440 in that state. In other words, the holding frame 330 is attached to the adhesive layer 440 having tensile stress. The support substrate 450 is a substrate having rigidity.

As the adhesive layer 440, a resin layer such as a polyimide resin, an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, a silicone resin, a fluororesin, or a siloxane resin is used. When a resin layer is used as the adhesive layer 440, the support substrate 450 and the adhesive layer 440 can be separated by, for example, irradiating the adhesive layer 440 with a laser. As the adhesive layer 440, an inorganic layer such as a metal layer, a metal oxide layer, or an inorganic insulating layer may be used in addition to the resin layer.

In the state shown in FIG. 11, the adhesive layer 440 is etched using the holding frame 330 as a mask. Etching of the adhesive layer 440 is performed by wet etching. However, the etching may be performed by dry etching. By peeling the support substrate 450 from the adhesive layer 440 after etching the adhesive layer 440, the configuration as shown in FIG. 12 can be obtained. The adhesive layer 440 covers the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330. In a plan view, the holding frame 330 and the adhesive layer 440 have substantially the same pattern. However, the end portion of the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330 may be exposed from the adhesive layer 440 by the etching of the adhesive layer 440.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the support substrate 470 is attached to the first surface 331 side of the holding frame 330 using the adhesive layer 460. Here, since the adhesive layer 460 has elasticity, as shown in FIG. 13, the adhesive layer 460 is attached so as to be in contact with not only the lower surface 421 of the release layer 420 but also the side surface 423 of the release layer 420. In FIG. 13, the adhesive layer 460 is also attached to the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 exposed from the release layer 420. The adhesive layer 460 may have conductivity, but may also be insulating.

Note that FIG. 13 illustrates a configuration in which the adhesive layer 460 is attached to a part of the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, even when the adhesive layer 460 and the support substrate 470 are attached to the holding frame 330 with a gap between the adhesive layer 460 and the holding frame 330, there is a gap between the holding frame 330 and the adhesive layer 460. It is sufficient that the distance between the two is smaller than the thickness of the release layer 420. In other words, the adhesive layer 460 may be in contact with a part of the side surface 423 of the release layer 420 in a state where the adhesive layer 460 and the support substrate 470 are attached to the holding frame 330. In particular, in this state, the adhesive layer 460 may be in contact with the region of the side surface 423 of the release layer 420 on the lower surface 421 side.

Next, by etching the adhesive layer 460 in the state shown in FIG. 13, the state shown in FIG. 14 can be obtained. Etching of the adhesive layer 460 is performed by wet etching. When the adhesive layer 460 is wet-etched in the state shown in FIG. 13, the etching of the adhesive layer 460 is started from the end portion 461 where the adhesive layer 460 and the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 are in contact with each other. The etching of the adhesive layer 460 proceeds from the end portion 461 in the film thickness direction of the adhesive layer 460 and in the direction parallel to the first surface 331. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14, a stepped structure is formed by the adhesive layer 460 and the release layer 420. That is, a configuration is obtained in which a part of the upper surface 465 of the adhesive layer 460 is exposed from the release layer 420. The adhesive layer 460 is a layer for adhering the holding frame 330 and the support substrate 470, but is a layer for peeling the support substrate 470 from the holding frame 330 in a later step. The adhesive layer 460 may be referred to as a "second release layer".

Here, when the adhesive layer 460 is etched by wet etching, it is necessary to devise so that the adhesive layer 440 provided on the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330 is not etched. For example, the adhesive layer 440 may be cured before etching the adhesive layer 460. Alternatively, as the adhesive layer 440, a material having high etching resistance to the etchant of the adhesive layer 460 may be used. By using different materials for each of the adhesive layer 440 and the adhesive layer 460, for example, the adhesive layer 440 and the adhesive layer 460 can be cured by one curing treatment (for example, heat treatment).

Next, by peeling the support substrate 470 from the adhesive layer 460, the configuration shown in FIG. 15 can be obtained. In the state of FIG. 15, the distance (for example, d4, d5) from each end of the adhesive layer 460 and the peeling layer 420 to the virtual end 409 of the holding frame 330 is from the lower surface 463 of the adhesive layer 460 toward the holding frame 330. Is gradually getting bigger. In the state of FIG. 15, the distance d4 between the side surface of the adhesive layer 460 and the virtual end portion 409 is constant in the thickness direction of the adhesive layer 460, and the distance d5 between the side surface of the release layer 420 and the virtual end portion 409 is the release layer. Although the configuration which is constant in the thickness direction of 420 is illustrated, the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, when the distance d4 between the side surface of the adhesive layer 460 and the virtual end portion 409 is not constant in the thickness direction of the adhesive layer 460, the side surface of the adhesive layer 460 is directed from the lower surface 463 of the adhesive layer 460 toward the holding frame 330. It suffices if the distance d4 between and the virtual end portion 409 gradually increases. Similarly, when the distance d5 between the side surface of the release layer 420 and the virtual end portion 409 is not constant in the thickness direction of the release layer 420, the side surface of the release layer 420 and the virtual end portion 409 are virtual from the adhesive layer 460 toward the holding frame 330. It suffices if the distance d5 from the end portion 409 gradually increases.

After forming the state shown in FIG. 15, the mask foil 310 provided with the openings 311 and 315 is attached to the adhesive layer 460 (see FIG. 16). Although not shown, the mask foil 310 is attached to the adhesive layer 460 in a state of being attached to the support substrate in this step. The mask foil 310 may have conductivity, but if there is a means for energizing the connecting member 510 to grow the connecting member 510 without passing through the mask foil 310 during the above-mentioned plating step, the mask foil 310 can be used. It may be insulating. The mask foil 310 is attached to the support substrate in a pulled state. That is, the mask foil 310 is attached to the support substrate in a state where tensile stress is generated in the mask foil 310. A resist mask 480 is formed on the surface of the mask foil 310 on the holding frame 330 side. The resist mask 480 is provided in the inner region of the mask foil 310. The resist mask 480 is also formed in the region where the opening 311 is provided. On the other hand, the resist mask 480 exposes the region where the opening 315 is formed. The resist mask 480 is provided to protect a region other than the region where the connecting member 350 is formed in the subsequent step.

In the state shown in FIG. 16, the connecting member 350 can be formed as shown in FIG. 17 by at least the electrolytic plating method (or electroforming plating method) in which the mask foil 310 is energized. That is, the connecting member 350 is a plating layer. The connecting member 350 includes a part of the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 exposed from the release layer 420, a side surface 423 of the release layer 420, a part of the upper surface 465 of the adhesive layer 460 exposed from the release layer 420, and an adhesive layer. It is in contact with the side surface 467 of the 460, the third surface 335 of the holding frame 330, and the surface of the mask foil 310. In this state, the release layer 420 and the adhesive layer 460 are not provided between the connecting member 350 and the holding frame 330. In other words, in the state of FIG. 17, vertically below the holding frame 330, between the connecting member 350 and the holding frame 330, members that are peeled off in a subsequent step (in this example, the peeling layer 420 and the adhesive layer 460). ) Is not provided. That is, the upper surface 357 of the connecting member 350 is in contact with the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330.

The connecting member 350 does not necessarily have to be in contact with the holding frame 330, and a member that does not need to be peeled from the holding frame 330 is held between the connecting member 350 and the holding frame 330 in the manufacturing process of the vapor deposition mask 300. It may be provided on the first surface 331 of the frame 330.

When the connecting member 350 is formed by the electrolytic plating method, the connecting member 350 is not formed on the second surface 333 side of the holding frame 330 because the adhesive layer 440 is provided on the second surface 333 of the holding frame 330.

The connecting member 350 may be formed by an electroless plating method. Further, the connecting member 350 may be other than the plating layer. For example, the connecting member 350 may contain solder, resin, or the like.

From the state shown in FIG. 17, the outer regions of the release layer 420, the adhesive layer 460, and the mask foil 310 are peeled downward, and the adhesive layer 440 is peeled upward to form the vapor deposition mask 300 shown in FIG. it can. In other words, by removing the release layer 420 and the adhesive layer 460, the first surface 331 of the holding frame 330 is exposed, and the surface of the connecting member 350 formed in contact with the release layer 420 and the adhesive layer 460 is exposed. , The vapor deposition mask 300 can be formed. By having the above configuration, in the state of FIG. 17, when the outer regions of the release layer 420, the adhesive layer 460, and the mask foil 310 are peeled downward, these members are lowered without being caught by the connecting member 350. It will be peeled off. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of burrs on the connecting member 350. As a result, it is possible to suppress color mixing and light emission blurring between adjacent pixels due to wraparound of the vapor-deposited substance.

<Second Embodiment>
A vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. FIG. 18 is a top view of the vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB'of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, in the vapor deposition mask 300A, a connecting member 350A and a mask foil 310A are provided on each window portion of the lattice-shaped holding frame 330A. Each mask foil 310A is provided with an opening 311A. In each opening 311A, similarly to the opening 311p described with reference to FIG. 4, a plurality of openings are arranged according to the pixel pitch of the display device. In FIGS. 4 and 5, one opening is provided in one holding frame 330, and the connecting member 350 and the mask foil 310 are provided inside the opening. However, FIGS. 18 and 19 show. A plurality of openings are provided in one holding frame 330A, and a connecting member 350A and a mask foil 310A are provided inside each opening.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the grid-shaped holding frame 330A has a crosspiece 337A and a frame 339A. The crosspiece 337A is provided so as to connect the sides of the holding frame 330A (or the frame portion 339A) facing each other. The frame portion 339A surrounds the outer circumference of the crosspiece 337A. In the example shown in FIG. 18, five crosspieces 337A parallel to the short side of the holding frame 330A are provided at equal intervals along the long side of the holding frame 330A, and the crosspieces 337A parallel to the long side are provided. One is provided near the center of the short side.

The fixing portion 390A is provided at an intersection portion between the crosspiece portion 337A and the frame portion 339A. Similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, the fixing portion 390A is provided along each side of the holding frame 330A. In the examples of FIGS. 18 and 19, the fixing portion 390A is not provided at the corner portion of the holding frame 330A. In other words, the fixed portion 390A is provided closer to the central portion than to the vicinity of the end portion of each side of the holding frame 330A.

18 and 19 illustrate a configuration in which one opening 311A is provided in a region surrounded by the connecting member 350A, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of openings 311A may be provided in the area surrounded by the connecting member 350A.

<Third Embodiment>
The thin-film deposition mask 300B according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The vapor deposition mask 300B shown in FIG. 20 is similar to the vapor deposition mask 300A shown in FIG. 18, but the position where the fixing portion 390B is provided is different from the vapor deposition mask 300A. As shown in FIG. 20, in the vapor deposition mask 300B, in addition to the fixed portion 390A of the vapor deposition mask 300A of FIG. 18, the intersection portion between the crosspiece portion 337B and the frame portion 339B and the frame portion 339B on the short side of the holding frame 330B. A fixing portion 390B is also provided between the corner portion and the corner portion.

<Fourth Embodiment>
The thin-film deposition mask 300C according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The vapor deposition mask 300C shown in FIG. 21 is similar to the vapor deposition mask 300B shown in FIG. 20, but the position where the fixing portion 390C is provided is different from the vapor deposition mask 300B. As shown in FIG. 21, in the vapor deposition mask 300C, in addition to the fixed portion 390B of the vapor deposition mask 300B of FIG. 20, the intersection portion of the crosspiece portion 337C extending vertically and horizontally near the corner portion of the frame portion 339C and the central portion of the holding frame 330C. A fixed portion 390C is also provided between the intersections of the crosspiece 337C and the frame portion 339C and the adjacent intersections near the center of the long side of the holding frame 330C.

In FIG. 21, the long side of the holding frame 330C on which many fixing portions 390C are provided (the lower long side of FIG. 21) is the lower side of the holding frame 330C (moving mechanism 110) during vapor deposition. Is located on the side where In other words, when the vapor deposition mask 300C is arranged so that its main surface is parallel to the direction of gravity, the number of fixed portions 390C on the lower side of the holding frame 330C is larger than the number of fixed portions 390C on the upper side of the holding frame 330C. There are also many.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Regarding the vapor deposition masks 300A to 300C according to the second to fourth embodiments, the vapor deposition masks 300Z (see FIG. 26) in which the fixing portion 390Z is not provided between the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z. The results of evaluating each strain amount will be described in comparison. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish the members of each embodiment, the alphabet after the reference numeral is omitted.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the direction of distortion of the vapor deposition mask. When the amount of strain was calculated for the thin-film deposition mask 300, as shown in FIG. 22, displacement occurs inside the thin-film deposition mask 300 due to the stress of the mask foil 310 on both the short side 301 side and the long side 303 side of each vapor deposition mask 300. The calculation result was obtained. The amount of this displacement is the largest near the center of each of the short side 301 and the long side 303. That is, in the vapor deposition mask 300, bow-shaped distortion occurs on both the short side 301 and the long side 303. In the following description, the displacement of the short side 301 in the direction orthogonal to the short side 301 is referred to as a short side bow strain 305, and the displacement of the long side 303 in the direction orthogonal to the long side 303 is referred to as a short side bow distortion 305. It is called long side bow type distortion 307. The dotted lines shown in FIG. 22 are the short side (short side reference line 308) and the long side (long side reference line 309) when no distortion occurs.

In the actual manufacturing process, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thin-film deposition mask 300 is arranged so as to be in close contact with the surface to be vapor-deposited of the substrate 104 to be vapor-deposited, and these are held upright or almost vertically. .. The amount of strain was calculated assuming that the vapor deposition mask 300 was erected vertically. The calculation result of the strain amount is shown in Table 1.

[Table 1]

In Table 1, a comparative example is a calculation result for a vapor deposition mask 300Z (see FIGS. 25 and 26) in which a fixing portion is not provided between the first layer 360Z and the second layer 370Z as shown in FIG. .. In the comparative example, the maximum values of the short-side bow strain and the long-side bow strain appear at the center of each side, and the amount of these strains is 9 μm from the long-side reference line 309 toward the inside of the vapor deposition mask 300. It was 18 μm from the short side reference line 308 toward the inside. When the mask foil 310 is uniformly stressed in the contraction direction in the plane, the displacement in the direction parallel to the long side 303 becomes large, so that the amount of the short side bow strain is the amount of the long side bow strain as described above. Greater than quantity.

The second embodiment is a calculation result for a thin-film deposition mask 300A in which a fixing portion 390A is provided between the first layer 360A and the second layer 370A, as shown in FIG. Also in the second embodiment, the maximum values of the short-sided bow-shaped strain and the long-sided bow-shaped strain appear in the central portion of each side, and the amount of these strains is directed from the long-side reference line 309 to the inside of the vapor deposition mask 300. It was 5.3 μm, and 11.9 μm from the short side reference line 308 toward the inside. In Example 2, the strain amount was reduced by about 34% on the short side and the strain amount was reduced by about 41% on the long side as compared with the comparative example.

Example 3 is a calculation result for a vapor deposition mask 300B in which a fixing portion 390B is provided between the first layer 360B and the second layer 370B, as shown in FIG. Also in the third embodiment, the maximum values of the short-sided bow-shaped strain and the long-sided bow-shaped strain appear at the center of each side, and the amount of these strains is directed from the long-side reference line 309 to the inside of the vapor deposition mask 300. It was 5.4 μm, and 10.83 μm from the short side reference line 308 toward the inside. In Example 3, the amount of strain is reduced by about 9% on the short side and there is no significant difference on the long side as compared with Example 2.

As shown in FIG. 21, Example 4 is a calculation result for a vapor deposition mask 300C in which a fixing portion 390C is provided between the first layer 360C and the second layer 370C. Also in the fourth embodiment, the maximum values of the short-sided bow-shaped strain and the long-sided bow-shaped strain appear in the central portion of each side, and the amount of these strains is directed from the long-side reference line 309 to the inside of the vapor deposition mask 300. It was 4.99 μm, and 10.85 μm from the short side reference line 308 toward the inside. In Example 4, there was no significant difference between Example 3 and the short side, and the amount of strain on the long side was reduced by about 8%.

Compared to the comparative example, in Example 2, Example 3, and Example 4, the points of the fixed portion 390 increased in this order, and the suppression of the displacement amount naturally increased the effect accordingly. From the calculation results, it is considered that there are the following tendencies regarding the position of the fixed point and the effect of suppressing the displacement amount.

From the comparison between Example 3 and Example 4, the fixed portion 390 arranged at the corner of the holding frame 330 did not have the effect of suppressing at least the amount of displacement on the short side. Since the corner portion is a portion where the holding frames 330 extending continuously in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction intersect, it is considered that the distortion tends to be suppressed regardless of the presence or absence of the fixed portion 390.

From the comparison between the comparative example and the first embodiment, it is considered that the fixed portion 390 arranged at the intersection of the frame portion 339 and the crosspiece 337 has a good effect of suppressing the displacement amount on both the short side side and the long side side. Be done.

From the comparison between Example 2 and Example 3 and the comparison between Example 3 and Example 4, the fixed portions 390 arranged other than the intersection portion between the frame portion 339 and the crosspiece 337 are each of the frame portions 339. It is considered that the arrangement in the region near the center of the side has a good effect of suppressing the displacement amount. This is based on the fixed portion 390B arranged along the left and right short sides of the holding frame 330B in the third embodiment and the fixed portion 390C arranged along the long side below the holding frame 330C in the fourth embodiment. It is said.

As described above, by providing the fixing portion 390 between the first layer 360 and the second layer 370, distortion can be suppressed on both the short side and the long side. Further, it was found that the effect of suppressing distortion is greater when the fixing portion 390 is provided near the central portion than near the end portion of the side of the holding frame 330.

<Sixth Embodiment>
The thin-film deposition mask 300D according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 23. The vapor deposition mask 300D shown in FIG. 23 is similar to the vapor deposition mask 300 shown in FIG. 6, but the structure of the fixed portion 420D of the vapor deposition mask 300D is different from the structure of the fixed portion 390 of the vapor deposition mask 300.

As shown in FIG. 23, each of the first layer 360D, the second layer 370D, and the adhesive layer 500D is provided with a through hole 342D penetrating each layer. Then, the pin 344D is inserted into the through hole 342D. The pin 344D is a rigid member. In the structure of FIG. 23, the first layer 360D and the second layer 370D are coupled by inserting the pin 344D into the through hole 342D. The through hole 342D is provided in a circular shape in a plan view, and the insertion portion of the pin 344D inserted into the through hole 342D has the same shape as the through hole 342D in a plan view. With the pin 344D inserted into the through hole 342D, the pin 344D is adhered to at least one of the first layer 360D, the second layer 370D, and the adhesive layer 500D. The through hole 342D and the pin 344D can be collectively referred to as the fixing portion 420D.

As described above, since the pin 344D is inserted into the through hole 342D, when a shearing force is applied between the first layer 360D and the second layer 370D, the first layer is similar to the above embodiment. It is possible to prevent the layer 360D and the second layer 370D from being displaced from each other.

In FIG. 23, the pin 344D is illustrated as a member to be inserted into the through hole 342D, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a rivet may be inserted into the through hole 342D instead of the pin. Further, in FIG. 23, a configuration in which through holes penetrating each of the first layer 360D and the second layer 370D are provided is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, one of the first layer 360D and the second layer 370D may be provided with a through hole, and the other may be provided with a recess (or a bottomed hole). In this case, the pin 344D is provided so as to penetrate the through hole and reach the inside of the recess. The shape of the through hole 342D in a plan view is not limited to a circular shape, and various shapes can be adopted.

<7th Embodiment>
The vapor deposition mask 300 according to the first to fourth embodiments can be used for manufacturing the display device 200. As the display device 200 according to the seventh embodiment, a method of manufacturing an organic EL display device in which a plurality of pixels each having an organic light emitting element (hereinafter referred to as a light emitting element) are formed on the insulating substrate 202 will be described. The contents described in the above embodiment may be omitted.

[Array board configuration]
FIG. 24 is a top view of the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The display device 200 has an insulating substrate 202, on which a drive circuit 206 (gate side drive circuit 206a, source side drive circuit 206b) for driving a plurality of pixels 204 and pixels 204 is provided. The insulating substrate 202 is, for example, a glass substrate or a resin substrate. The plurality of pixels 204 are periodically arranged, and these define the display area 205. A light emitting element is formed on each pixel 204 by vapor deposition.

The drive circuit 206 is arranged in a peripheral region around the display region 205. Various wirings (not shown) formed of the patterned conductive film extend from the display area 205 and the drive circuit 206 to one side of the insulating substrate 202 and are exposed to the surface near the end of the insulating substrate 202. Terminal 207 is formed. These terminals 207 are electrically connected to a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) (not shown). Various signals for driving the display device 200 are input to the drive circuit 206 and the pixel 204 via the terminal 207. Although not shown, a drive IC having an integrated circuit may be further mounted together with the drive circuit 206 or in place of a part thereof.

The vapor deposition masks 300 according to the first to fourth embodiments are used when a light emitting element is vapor-deposited on each of the above pixels 204. For example, the opening 311 of the vapor deposition mask 300 shown in FIG. 4 is provided at a position where it overlaps with each pixel 204 when the insulating substrate 202 and the vapor deposition mask 300 are overlapped in the vapor deposition step. By performing the vapor deposition in that state, the material contained in the light emitting element can be deposited only on each pixel 204.

Each of the above-described embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately combined and implemented as long as they do not contradict each other. Further, based on the display device of each embodiment, those skilled in the art have appropriately added, deleted or changed the design of components, or added, omitted or changed the conditions of the process of the present invention. As long as it has a gist, it is included in the scope of the present invention.

In this specification, the case of an EL display device is mainly illustrated as a disclosure example, but as another application example, an electronic paper type display having another self-luminous display device, a liquid crystal display device, an electrophoresis element, or the like. All flat panel type display devices such as devices can be mentioned. In addition, it can be applied from small to medium size to large size without any particular limitation.

Of course, other actions and effects that are different from the actions and effects brought about by the embodiments of the above-described embodiments that are clear from the description of the present specification or that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art are of course. It is understood that it is brought about by the present invention.

10: thin-film deposition equipment, 100: thin-film deposition chamber, 102: load lock door, 104: substrate to be vapor-deposited, 108: holder, 110: moving mechanism, 112: thin-film deposition source, 114: shutter, 120: storage container, 122: heating unit, 124: Vapor deposition holder, 126: Heater, 128: Metal plate, 130: Opening, 132: Guide plate, 160: Critical plane, 200: Display device, 202: Insulated substrate, 204: Pixel, 205: Display area, 206: Drive circuit, 207: Terminal, 260: Light emitting element, 300: Thin film deposition mask, 301: Short side, 303: Long side, 308: Short side reference line, 309: Long side reference line, 310: Mask foil, 311, 315: Opening, 313: 2nd outer edge, 330: Holding frame, 331: 1st surface, 333: 2nd surface, 335: 3rd surface, 337A: Crosspiece, 339A: Frame part, 350: Connecting member, 353: 1st Outer edge, 357: top surface, 360: first layer, 370: second layer, 390: fixed part, 405, 407: end part, 409: virtual end part, 410: resist mask, 411: opening, 420: peeling layer, 421: Bottom surface, 423: Side surface, 430: Resist mask, 440: Adhesive layer, 450: Support substrate, 460: Adhesive layer, 461: End, 463: Bottom surface, 465: Top surface, 467: Side surface, 470: Support substrate, 480: Resist mask, 500: Adhesive layer, 510: Connecting member

Claims (6)

A thin-film mask foil with multiple openings,
It has a laminated structure in which the first layer and the second layer are laminated via an adhesive layer, and a holding frame provided around the mask foil and a holding frame.
It has a connecting member provided between the mask foil and the holding frame.
The holding frame has a plurality of fixing portions that prevent the first layer and the second layer from shifting from each other when a shearing force is applied between the first layer and the second layer.
A vapor deposition mask, wherein each of the fixing portions is provided along the holding frame, and is provided closer to the central portion than to the vicinity of the edge portion of the side of the holding frame. A thin-film mask foil with multiple openings,
A holding frame having a laminated structure including a first layer and a second layer bonded by an adhesive layer and provided around the mask foil, and
It has a connecting member provided between the mask foil and the holding frame.
The first layer and the second layer are connected by a fixing portion.
The vapor deposition mask is provided along the holding frame, and the fixing portion is provided closer to the center portion than to the vicinity of the edge portion of the side of the holding frame. 1. The number of the fixed portions on the lower side of the holding frame is larger than the number of the fixed portions on the upper side of the holding frame when the vapor deposition mask is placed upright. 2. The vapor deposition mask according to 2. The holding frame further includes a crosspiece provided so as to connect the sides facing each other and a frame portion surrounding the crosspiece.
The vapor deposition mask according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a part of the plurality of fixing portions is arranged at an intersection portion between the crosspiece portion and the frame portion. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing portion is a portion where a portion between the first layer and the second layer is welded. The vapor deposition according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion includes a through hole that penetrates both the first layer and the second layer, and a pin or a rivet provided in the through hole. mask.

Images