JP2022167910A - Vapor deposition mask - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vapor deposition mask that is configured to support a mask body with a frame body, suppresses deformation of the mask body even when being subjected to influence of expansion of each part due to heat, provides increase in size of the vapor deposition mask, maintains flatness of the vapor deposition mask, has excellent heat resistance and can secure preferable reproduction accuracy of a vapor deposition layer and deposition accuracy.

SOLUTION: A vapor deposition mask 1 includes: a mask body 2 including a vapor deposition pattern 6 comprising a large number of independent vapor deposition through-holes 5; and a frame body 3 for supporting the mask body 2. The mask body 2 has a multilayer structure of two or more layers comprising a glossy layer and a matte layer.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vapor deposition mask, and more particularly to a vapor deposition mask in which a mask body is supported by a frame. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied, for example, to a vapor deposition mask that is suitably used when forming a light-emitting layer of an organic EL element.

Organic EL displays, which are lighter and consume less power, have started to replace liquid crystal displays in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet terminals that have display devices, in order to reduce the weight of the devices and increase the operating time. there is An organic EL display is manufactured by forming a light-emitting layer (vapor deposition layer) of an organic EL element on a substrate (vapor deposition object) by a vapor deposition mask method. At this time, by using a large vapor deposition mask having a larger number of mask bodies to manufacture more products in one vapor deposition operation, the manufacturing cost of the organic EL display can be reduced. Therefore, manufacturers of organic EL displays are increasingly demanding larger vapor deposition masks.

A vapor deposition mask used in the vapor deposition mask method is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 discloses a metal mask (mask main body) having a plurality of mask portions (evaporation patterns), and a frame (frame body) made of an invar material that is formed in a frame shape and holds the metal mask in a taut state. constitutes an evaporation mask. The metal mask is spot-welded to the frame.

This type of vapor deposition mask has also been proposed by the present applicant, and is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. Such a vapor deposition mask is composed of a plurality of mask bodies having vapor deposition patterns and a reinforcing frame joined to the mask bodies. The frame is made of an Invar material (a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion), and the outer edges of the mask bodies are integrally joined by a metal layer formed on the frame surrounding the mask bodies.

JP-A-2004-323888 JP-A-2005-15908

As in the vapor deposition masks of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the frame for fixing and holding the metal mask and the frame for reinforcing the mask body are made of Invar material, so that the working environment during vapor deposition is a high-temperature environment. Also, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the vapor deposition mask and ensure the reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer (light emitting layer). However, although the metal mask of the vapor deposition mask of Patent Document 1 is fixed and held by the frame in a tensioned state, when the vapor deposition mask is enlarged, the area of the metal mask not supported by the frame increases, and the weight of the metal mask increases. As a result, warp deformation occurs in the metal mask. Therefore, it is inevitable that the reproducibility and the deposition accuracy are degraded.

In that regard, in the vapor deposition mask of Patent Document 2, each mask body is joined to the frame surrounding the mask body, so even if the vapor deposition mask is enlarged, warping deformation of the mask body due to its own weight is unlikely to occur, and the vapor deposition layer can ensure the reproducibility and deposition accuracy of However, even the frame made of Invar expands slightly during vapor deposition. In addition, the frame is made of an invar metal plate, but the thickness of the metal plate generally distributed varies depending on the part of the frame because there is a variation in plate thickness. Therefore, the amount of expansion differs in each part of the frame, and the difference in the amount of expansion may appear as distortion of the entire vapor deposition mask. When the vapor deposition mask is distorted in this way, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask is deteriorated, and the reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy are extremely lowered. This distortion becomes more conspicuous as the size of the frame is increased. The occurrence of distortion due to the plate thickness deviation of the base material can be suppressed by controlling the manufacturing process of the metal plate material and exclusively manufacturing and using a base material with a small plate thickness deviation. becomes expensive, which leads to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask. Here, the plate thickness deviation means the variation width of the thickness with respect to the standard dimension of the metal plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vapor deposition mask in which the mask body is supported by a frame, in which deformation of the mask body can be suppressed even under the influence of expansion of each part due to heat, and a large vapor deposition mask can be realized. To provide a vapor deposition mask capable of maintaining the flatness of the mask, having excellent heat resistance, and ensuring good reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy of a vapor deposition layer.

The vapor deposition mask of the present invention comprises a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5 and a frame 3 arranged around the mask body 2 . A support frame 46 is fixed to the lower surface of the frame 3 . A frame opening 48 corresponding to the mask opening 11 of the frame 3 is formed in the support frame 46 , and the frame opening 48 is formed in an opening shape that is one size larger than the mask opening 11 . Also, an auxiliary frame 47 is fixed to the lower surface side of the support frame 46 .

The frame body 3 includes a peripheral frame 10 , and a vertical frame 12 and a horizontal frame 13 that partition the mask opening 11 within the peripheral frame 10 . The vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 are entirely supported by the support frame 46 , the auxiliary frame 47 is shaped like a picture frame, and the periphery of the support frame 46 is supported by the auxiliary frame 47 .

The frame 3, the support frame 46, and the auxiliary frame 47 are integrated by welding, and the welding points 49 are provided at the four corners and at the peripheral portions on the extension lines of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 of the frame 3. It is characterized by being

The mask main body 2 and the frame 3 are integrally joined with the metal layer 8 interposed therebetween.

It is characterized in that a plurality of frames 3, 3 are laminated and the frames 3, 3 adjacent to each other in the lamination direction are joined with an adhesive layer 19 interposed therebetween.

A vapor deposition mask according to the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask of the present invention includes a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5 and a frame 3 arranged around the mask body 2 . In the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask, the steps of preparing the mask main body 2 and the frame 3, the steps of integrally joining the mask main body 2 and the frame 3, and the support frame 46 on the lower surface side of the frame 3 and a step of joining an auxiliary frame 47 to the lower surface side of the support frame 46 .

The steps of preparing the mask body 2 and the frame 3 include a frame forming step of forming the frame 3, and a primary pattern resist 29 having a resist 29a corresponding to the vapor deposition through holes 5 on the surface of the master mold 24. and a first electroforming step of forming a primary electroformed layer 30 by electroforming an electrodeposited metal on the surface of the master mold 24 not covered with the resist body 29a. In the step of integrally joining the main body 2 and the frame 3, the mask main body 2 and the frame 3 are integrally joined via a metal layer formed by electroforming.

A plurality of vapor deposition mask bodies 50 in which the mask main body 2 and the frame body 3 are integrally bonded via a metal layer are prepared. 1, an auxiliary frame 47 is joined to the side opposite to the side on which the vapor deposition mask body 50 is fixed.

The frame 3, the support frame 46, and the auxiliary frame 47 are integrally joined by welding, and the welding points 49 are provided at the four corners and the peripheral portions on the extension lines of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 of the frame 3. It is characterized by

According to the vapor deposition mask of the present invention, by supporting the entire frame body 3 (the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13) with the support frame 46, the structural strength and rigidity of the entire vapor deposition mask are further enhanced, and the vapor deposition mask flexural deformation can be prevented to maintain flatness, and the reproducibility and deposition accuracy of the deposited layer can be improved. Further, by supporting the support frame 46 (periphery) with the auxiliary frame 47, it is possible to further improve the reproducibility and deposition accuracy of the deposition layer.

Further, the frame body 3 is composed of an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17, and the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 are joined together via an adhesive layer 18 to form a frame body 3 having the same thickness as the conventional one. Since the frame 3 can be formed using a thinner metal plate, the thickness deviation of the entire frame 3 can be reduced. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of strain due to thermal expansion.

In addition, by forming the mask body 2 and the metal layer 8 by electroforming, the metal layer 8 is formed in a state in which tension is applied so as to apply a stress that pulls the mask body 2 toward the frame body 3 side, The mask body 2 can be held against the frame body 3 in a state in which tension is applied so that a stress in the direction of shrinking inward acts, and the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition apparatus can be performed. The tension is absorbed by the tension, and it is possible to prevent the mask main body 2 from being displaced from the frame 3 due to expansion and wrinkling. Therefore, the alignment accuracy of the mask body 2 with respect to the substrate to be vapor-deposited at room temperature can be maintained well even when the temperature inside the vapor deposition apparatus is increased, contributing to improvement in the reproducibility of the light-emitting layer (evaporation layer) with respect to the substrate to be vapor-deposited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a longitudinal front view which shows the principal part of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the whole vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the frame of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the frame formation process in the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification of the frame formation process in the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the modification of the frame of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a primary patterning step and a first electroforming step in the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an activation treatment step in the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the first embodiment of the present invention; It is explanatory drawing which shows the secondary patterning process, the frame arrangement|positioning process, the 2nd electroforming process, and the peeling process in the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical front view which shows the principal part of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the frame arrangement|positioning process of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, a 2nd electroforming process, and a peeling process. It is a longitudinal front view showing the principal part of the vapor deposition mask concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the primary patterning process and 1st electroforming process in the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the secondary patterning process, the frame arrangement|positioning process, the 2nd electroforming process, and the peeling process in the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal front view showing the principal part of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical front view which shows the vapor deposition mask which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view of a vapor deposition mask concerning a 5th embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the vapor deposition mask based on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view showing a modification of a vapor deposition mask concerning a 5th embodiment of the present invention.

(First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 10 show a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same according to a first embodiment. Note that the dimensions such as thickness and width in FIGS. 1 to 10 of the present embodiment do not show the actual state, but are shown schematically. The same applies to the drawings of the following embodiments.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vapor deposition mask 1 includes a plurality of mask bodies 2 and a reinforcing frame 3 surrounding the mask bodies 2 . The mask main body 2 is formed in a rectangular shape with rounded corners, and has a pattern forming region 4 inside. In the pattern forming region 4, a vapor deposition pattern 6 is formed which is composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through-holes 5 through which the vapor deposition material from the vapor deposition source passes. As shown in FIG. 3, the mask body 2 is provided with a large number of joining through holes 7 along the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern forming region 4. As shown in FIG.

The mask main body 2 is formed by electroforming using an electrodeposited metal made of nickel or a nickel alloy such as nickel-cobalt. The thickness of the mask body 2 is preferably in the range of 3 to 20 μm, and is set to 8 μm in this embodiment. The dimensions of the mask body 2 in plan view were set to 108 mm in the longitudinal direction and 62 mm in the lateral direction, and 30 mask bodies 2 were arranged in a matrix of 6 rows and 5 columns. When applying the vapor deposition mask 1 of the present embodiment to a vapor deposition mask for an organic EL element, the vapor deposition pattern 6 is formed so as to correspond to the light emitting layer of the organic EL element.

Note that the mask body 2 can be made of copper, other electrodeposited metals, or alloys other than nickel or nickel alloys. Moreover, the mask body 2 can also have a multi-layered structure of two or more layers, and can be formed by selecting various metals and alloys. Specifically, a two-layer structure of a bright nickel layer and a matt nickel layer is conceivable. It is hard to stick to 10, and the process of peeling off the vapor deposition mask 1 from the matrix 10 in the manufacturing process can proceed with good work efficiency. In this case, however, delamination may occur, so it is desirable to have a two-layer structure in which a bright nickel layer is formed on a matte nickel layer, contrary to the above. Here, regarding the relationship between the thickness of each layer in the two-layer structure of the matte nickel layer and the bright nickel layer, if the matte nickel layer is too thick, the mask body 2 after completion (after peeling from the master mold 10) It is preferable that the ratio of the thickness of the bright nickel layer to the matte nickel layer is about 5/7, since the generated tension may become excessively large and cause deformation of the frame 3 . In this way, by forming a two-layer structure in which the bright nickel layer is arranged on the upper side of the matte nickel layer, and by making the matte nickel layer moderately thicker than the bright nickel layer, in the completed mask body 2, the inner A vapor deposition mask 1 excellent in heat resistance can be obtained in which the tension (tensile stress) that tries to shrink can be increased, and the mask body 2 is not deformed even if it is affected by the expansion of each part due to heat.

In addition, when the mask body 2 is formed only of the matte nickel layer, the tension generated in the completed mask body 2 becomes excessively large, which may lead to deformation of the frame 3. Since the surface of the layer is a rough surface, the bonding strength of plating or the like to the surface increases, and problems such as the inability to separate the primary electrodeposition layer 30a and the metal layer 8 during the mask manufacturing process tend to occur. Such a problem can be avoided by adopting a two-layer structure in which a bright nickel layer is formed on a matte nickel layer, as shown in FIG. In the case of a two-layer structure in which a bright nickel layer is formed on the matte nickel layer, the bright nickel layer has a lower bonding force than the matte nickel layer, so the mask body 2 and the metal layer 8 are easily separated. However, sufficient bonding strength to the metal layer can be ensured by forming the through holes 7 in the mask body 2, activating treatment, or forming a thin layer of strike nickel, matte nickel, or the like (see below). .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the frame body 3 includes an outer peripheral frame 10 , and a lattice frame-like vertical frame 12 and lateral frame 13 that partition the mask opening 11 within the outer peripheral frame 10 . The vertical frame 12 is provided parallel to the long sides of the mask body 2 , and the horizontal frame 13 is provided parallel to the short sides of the mask body 2 . Various materials such as metals such as aluminum and iron and resins can be used for the frame 3, and the shapes and dimensions are various. It is made of a metal plate material with a low thermal linear expansion coefficient, and is formed sufficiently thicker than the mask body 2, and its thickness dimension is in the range of 0.5 to 5 mm. . In plan view, the dimensions of the frame 3 were set to 460×730 mm, and the dimensions of the mask opening 11 were set to 110 mm in the longitudinal direction and 64 mm in the lateral direction. The frame 3 may be made of a super-invar material that is a nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, a ceramic material, or the like. The use of Invar material, Super Invar material, or ceramic material as the material for forming the frame 3 is due to the fact that the coefficient of linear thermal expansion is extremely small, and the dimensional change of the mask body 2 due to thermal effects during the vapor deposition process can be suppressed satisfactorily. rely on.

When the width dimension of the vertical frame 12 is W1 and the width dimension of the horizontal frame 13 is W2, the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 and the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 are expressed by an inequality (W1≦W2≦W1×1. 1) is set to satisfy. In this embodiment, the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 is set to 10 mm, and the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 is set to 10.64 mm. By setting the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 appropriately larger than the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12, the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be made larger than the cross-sectional area of the vertical frame 12. Since the length is smaller than the length of the vertical frame 12, the vertical frame 12 is firmly supported by the horizontal frame 13, and the bending deformation of the long vertical frame 12 due to its own weight can be prevented. Therefore, deformation of the frame 3 due to its own weight can be prevented, and the size of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be increased. Furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be maintained, and the reproducibility of the vapor deposition pattern and the vapor deposition accuracy can be improved. . In addition, since the rigidity of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 can be made substantially uniform as a whole, when an external force that bends and deforms the vapor deposition mask 1 is applied, the external force can be evenly dispersed to eliminate local concentration. , deformation and breakage of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be effectively prevented. In addition, the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 is set to (W2≦W1×1.1). The structural strength and rigidity of the frame body 3 can be enhanced while preventing the weight of the entire mask from increasing unnecessarily.

The frame body 3 may be cut out from a single metal plate, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. It is composed of a frame 16 and a lower frame 17, and the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined together via an adhesive layer 18 to be integrated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined together so that the arcuate surfaces face each other, and the two-dimensional curved warpage is canceled out. The body 3 is flat. The two-dimensional curved warp is a slight warp derived from the metal plate, and may be a three-dimensional curved warp. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 uses a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist, and after the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined, the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 is removed. Various commercially available adhesives may be used for the adhesive layer 18 . The reason why the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the frame 3 have the same thickness is that the frame 3 is formed flat by joining them in a state in which the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface is offset. This is for simplification. The arcuate surface may be a concave arcuate surface, or may include both. Note that the thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 may be different as long as they can be flatly joined in a state in which the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface shape is offset. In this way, when the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state in which the two-dimensional curved surface-like warpage is offset, and the frame body 3 is formed in a flat shape, a slight warp due to the metal plate material can be eliminated. , the flatness can be further improved, and better reproducibility and deposition accuracy of the deposited layer can be ensured.

As described above, when the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state in which the two-dimensional curved warpages are offset to form the frame body 3 in a flat shape, a slight warp due to the metal plate material is eliminated. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the flatness, and to ensure better reproducibility and deposition accuracy of the deposited layer.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the frame body 3 is formed by laminating a pair (plurality) of frame bodies 3 formed by the above method, and adjoining the frame bodies 3 and 3 in the lamination direction with an adhesive layer 19. It can also be joined through The thickness of the upper frame 3 and the lower frame 3 may be the same or different. The thickness dimension of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the frame body 3 is set to 0.25 mm together with the thickness dimension of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the frame body 3 on the lower surface side. When the thickness of the lower frame 3 is different, for example, the thickness dimension of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the upper frame 3 is set to 0.2 mm, and the lower frame 3 is The thickness dimension of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the frame is preferably set to 0.3 mm.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 8 denotes a metal layer formed on the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern forming region 4 of the mask body 2. As shown in FIG. The metal layer 8 is formed by laminating nickel by plating (electroforming). Each mask main body 2 is arranged in the mask opening 11 of the frame 3, and the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern forming region 4 of the mask main body 2 is attached to the frame 3 by the metal layer 8 formed by plating (electroforming). are inseparably and integrally joined to each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the metal layer 8 includes the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4, the upper surface of the frame 3 and the side surface facing the pattern formation region 4, and the gap between the mask body 2 and the frame 3. It is formed in a hat-shaped cross section over the entire length of the part. Moreover, the metal layer 8 is also formed in the bonding through hole 7 , thereby improving the bonding strength between the mask body 2 and the frame 3 . As with the mask body 2, the metal layer 8 can be made of nickel, copper, other electrodeposited metals or alloys other than the nickel alloy.

FIG. 5 shows a frame body forming process for forming the frame body 3 for reinforcement. 8 to 10 show a manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask 1 according to this embodiment using the frame 3 obtained by the frame forming process.

(Frame forming step)
First, a cutting step is performed in which the metal plate is cut into the sizes of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 using, for example, a wire electric discharge machine having a small thermal effect on the metal plate. Next, the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 cut out are subjected to etching or laser processing to perform a mask opening forming step of forming a plurality of openings to be the mask openings 11, as shown in FIG. 5(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), both frames 16 and 17 are joined with an adhesive layer 18 in a state in which the protruding surfaces of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 derived from metal plates face each other. A joining step is performed to flatten the frame 3 in a state in which the warp of the dimensionally curved surface is cancelled. The adhesive layer 18 is made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(c), a fixing process is performed in which the sheet is passed between upper and lower rolling rolls 22 arranged at a predetermined distance between rolls and pressed. Furthermore, the frame 3 was obtained by removing (developing) the adhesive layer 18 of unnecessary portions (portions exposed outside the mask opening 11 and the outer peripheral frame 10). Thus, the reason why the sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist is used for the adhesive layer 18 is that the uncured photosensitive dry film resist has adhesiveness, and furthermore, the primary patterning step, etc., which will be described later. However, since it is a material to be used, there is no need to separately prepare a commercially available adhesive or the like, and the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced accordingly. In the cutting process, the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 can be cut out while cooling the metal plate using a laser cutting machine.

Here, for example, metal plates having different thicknesses are prepared, and the above steps are performed to manufacture a pair of frames 3, 3 as shown in FIG. 6(b). As shown, these frames 3 are laminated, and the frames 3 are bonded together with an adhesive layer 19 made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist, and then, as shown in FIG. 7, by performing a lamination step of passing between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22, 22 arranged with a predetermined inter-roll distance and pressing, as shown in FIG. can be obtained. At this time, as the pair of laminated frames 3, 3, frames 3, 3 having the same thickness may be laminated.

(Patterning pre-stage body forming step)
As shown in FIG. 8A, a photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface of a conductive matrix 24 made of stainless steel or brass, for example. The photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of a negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, on the photoresist layer 25, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having light-transmitting holes 26a corresponding to the vapor deposition through holes 5 and the bonding through holes 7 (primary patterning) is adhered, and a patterning pre-stage body 27 is formed. Obtained.

(Preheating process)
The pre-patterning body 27 (in particular, the master mold 24 and the pattern film 26) is preheated to the furnace temperature of the ultraviolet irradiation device (exposure device) during the exposure work using, for example, a heater plate or a preheating furnace. At this time, in parallel with the preheating of the patterning pre-stage body 27, it is preferable to preheat the interior of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device to the temperature of the interior of the furnace during the exposure work.

(Primary patterning process)
After preheating the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning body 27 is completed, the pre-patterning body 27 is housed in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in FIG. Exposure is performed by irradiating light, and each processing of development and drying is performed. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portions, a primary pattern resist 29 having resist bodies 29a corresponding to the vapor deposition through-holes 5 and the bonding through-holes 7 is formed on the master mold 24, as shown in FIG. 8(b). did. As described above, when the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning body 27 are preheated to the furnace temperature during the exposure work, the pre-patterning body 27 is heated by the ultraviolet irradiation and expands. , it is possible to eliminate the fact that the exposure work is performed while the relative positional relationship of the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted. Therefore, the primary pattern resist 29 can be provided on the master mold 24 with high positional accuracy and in the intended shape, which contributes to the improvement of the reproducibility of the vapor deposition layer and the vapor deposition accuracy.

(First electroforming step)
Next, the matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming bath, and nickel is applied to the surface of the matrix 24 not covered with the resist body 29a within the height range of the resist body 29a as shown in FIG. 8(c). was subjected to primary electroforming to form a primary electroformed layer 30 , that is, a layer that will become the mask body 2 . Next, by dissolving and removing the resist body 29a, as shown in FIG. 8(d), a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through-holes 5 and bonding through-holes 7 was obtained. In FIG. 8(d), reference numeral 30a denotes a primary electrodeposition layer formed between the mask bodies 2 and removed in a peeling process, which will be described later.

(Activation treatment step)
Here, in order to improve the bonding strength between the mask body 2 (primary electroformed layer 30) and the metal layer 8, an activation treatment process can be performed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9(a), a photoresist layer 33 is formed on the entire surfaces of the primary electroformed layers 30 and 30a, and then light-transmitting holes corresponding to peripheral portions of the bonding through holes 7 are formed. The pattern film 34 having 34a is brought into close contact with the pattern film 34 and housed in a furnace of an ultraviolet irradiation device, exposed to ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light lamp 28, and subjected to development and drying. The photoresist layer 33 here is formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding in the same manner as described above so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portion of the photoresist layer 33, a pattern resist 35 having openings 35a corresponding to the peripheral portions of the bonding through-holes 7 was obtained as shown in FIG. 9(b). In other words, the pattern resist 35 was formed so that only the peripheral portion of the bonding through hole 7 was exposed to the surface.

Next, the portions of the primary electroformed layer 30 exposed in the openings 35a of the pattern resist 35, that is, the primary electroformed layers 30 around the bonding through-holes 7 are subjected to an activation treatment such as an acid treatment or an electrolytic treatment. The pattern resist 35 was dissolved and removed as shown in (c). In FIG. 9(c), reference numeral 36 indicates a portion subjected to the activation treatment. Activation treatment was applied. When the activation treatment is performed around the bonding through-hole 7 in this way, the bonding strength between the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 formed in the second electroforming process described later is increased compared to the case of no treatment. It can be greatly improved. Instead of the activation process described above, a thin layer may be formed on the primary electroformed layer 30 around the joining through hole 7 by strike nickel plating, matte nickel plating, or the like. This also makes it possible to improve the bonding strength between the peripheral portion of the bonding through-hole 7 and the metal layer 8 .

(Secondary patterning step and frame arrangement step)
As shown in FIG. 10(a), a photoresist layer 38 is formed over the entire surface of the matrix 24 including the portions where the primary electroformed layers 30 and 30a are to be formed. This photoresist layer 38 was formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding in the same manner as described above so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, the pattern film 39 having the light-transmitting holes 39a corresponding to the pattern forming regions 4 is brought into close contact with the pattern film 39, which is housed in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiating device. each process. In this state, the portion (38a) related to the pattern forming region 4 was exposed, and the remaining portions (38b) of the photoresist layer 38 were obtained (see FIG. 10(b)).

Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the frame 3 was arranged on the matrix 24 so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 while being aligned. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the matrix 24 (primary electroformed layer 30a) by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b. Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface was removed by dissolution to form a secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4. . At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered with the frame 3 and remains on the matrix 24 without being dissolved and removed. It is also possible to prepare the frame 3 on which an adhesive layer is formed in advance, and arrange the frame 3 on the matrix 24 before and after forming the secondary pattern resist 40 .

(Second electroforming step)
The matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming tank, and as shown in FIG. An electrodeposited metal made of nickel was electroformed to form a metal layer 8 on the surface of the matrix 24 exposed to the surface between the primary electroformed layer 30 and the inside of the joining hole 7 . As a result, the primary electrodeposition layer 30 and the frame 3 can be inseparably and integrally joined with the metal layer 8 .

(Peeling process)
After peeling the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master mold 24, the primary electroformed layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled from both layers 30 and 8. As shown in FIG. Finally, the deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 3 was obtained by removing the secondary pattern resist 40 and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b.

In this embodiment, the temperature range of the electroforming liquid in the first electroforming step is set to a temperature range higher than room temperature (normal temperature) or the temperature range of the electroforming liquid in the second electroforming step. According to this, the mask main body 2 can be held against the frame 3 in a state in which tension is applied to the mask main body 2 so as to apply a stress in the direction of shrinking inward. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 due to temperature rise in the vapor deposition kiln can be absorbed by the tension, thereby preventing displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and generation of wrinkles due to the expansion. In addition, as a method of applying tension to the mask body 2 so as to apply a stress in the direction of inward contraction, the matrix 10 is made of a material with a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (Invar, 42 alloy, SUS430, etc.). After using a material, the temperature in the electroforming tank increases during the formation of the primary electrodeposited layer 15, and due to such a temperature difference, the matrix 10 and the primary electroformed layer 30 (electrodeposited metal) or to adjust the content ratio of carbon in the additive (brightening agent) added to the electroforming bath when forming the primary electrodeposition layer 30 that becomes the mask body 2. It can also be achieved by In addition, by adjusting the carbon content ratio in the additive (brightener) added to the electroforming tank in the second electroforming step, the metal layer 8 frames the mask body 2 (primary electroformed layer 30). The metal layer 8 can be formed in a state in which tension is applied so as to exert a stress that draws the metal layer 8 toward the body 3 side. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 due to temperature rise during vapor deposition can be absorbed by the tension, thereby preventing displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and generation of wrinkles due to the expansion.

(Second Embodiment) FIGS. 11 and 12 show a vapor deposition mask and a method for manufacturing the same according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in order to prevent the frame 3 from being distorted due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that joins the mask body 2 and the frame 3 inseparably and integrally, metal The stress relaxation part 42 is provided by dividing the metal layer 8 without forming the layer 8 on the upper surface of the frame 3 except on the peripheral edge of the mask opening 11, and the pair of frames 3 are laminated and bonded. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the frames 3, 3 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are joined with the layer 19 interposed therebetween.

Since the frame 3 according to the first embodiment is surrounded by the metal layer 8 on three sides, that is, the top surface and both edges of the mask opening 11 that is continuous with the top surface, the metal layer 8 is formed by electroforming. In addition, if the mask is formed with internal stress, the frame 3 may be distorted due to the internal stress, and the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1 may be adversely affected. However, by providing the stress relaxation portion 42 as in the present embodiment, the internal stress of the metal layer 8 can be relieved by the stress relaxation portion 42, thereby preventing the frame 3 from being distorted. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that the metal layer 8 should not be formed so as to be connected over the entire upper surface of the frame 3, and the aspect thereof is limited to that of the present embodiment. do not have. Since other parts are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same members, and the description thereof will be omitted. The same applies to the following embodiments.

In the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to the present embodiment, at the final stage of the frame forming step, the step of forming the resist body 42a corresponding to the stress relaxation portion 42 on the upper surface of the frame 3 is performed. A resist body 42a is provided on the upper surface. The subsequent patterning pre-stage body forming step to the secondary patterning step are shown in FIGS. 8(a) to (d), FIGS. 9(a) to (c), and FIG. Similar to the method.

(Frame arranging process)
As shown in FIG. 12(a), the frame 3 provided with the resist body 42a was placed on the master mold 24 so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 while being aligned. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the master mold 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b. Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface was removed by dissolving to form a secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4. . At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered with the frame 3 and remains on the matrix 24 without being dissolved and removed.

(Second electroforming step)
The matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming tank, and as shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the matrix 24 exposed to the surface between the frame 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30, and the inside of the joining hole 7, an electrodeposited metal made of nickel is electroformed to form a metal layer. 8 was formed. As a result, the primary electrodeposition layer 30 and the frame 3 can be inseparably and integrally joined with the metal layer 8 . In this embodiment, the temperature ranges of the electroforming liquids used in the first electroforming process and the second electroforming process are set to be approximately the same (temperature difference of ±3° C.). As a result, it is possible to prevent the primary electroformed layer 30, that is, the mask main body 2 from being thermally expanded and joined to the frame 3, thereby improving the positional accuracy of the joint position of the mask main body 2 with respect to the frame 3. It is possible to obtain a vapor deposition mask with higher reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. In both the first electroforming process and the second electroforming process, the lower the temperature of the electroforming liquid in the electroforming bath, the more thermal expansion of the primary electroforming layer 30 and the metal layer 8 can be achieved. can be effectively suppressed.

(Peeling process)
After peeling the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master mold 24, the primary electroformed layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled from both layers 30 and 8. As shown in FIG. Finally, by removing the secondary pattern resist 40, the resist body 42a, and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b, the vapor deposition mask 1 provided with the stress relief portion 42 shown in FIG. 11 was obtained.

(Third Embodiment) FIGS. 13 to 15 show a vapor deposition mask according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same. As shown in FIG. 13, the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the mask body 2 does not have the bonding through hole 7 through which the metal layer 8 enters. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 constituting the frame 3 in this embodiment are formed using a 0.8 mm metal plate material as a base material, and the frame 3 is set to the same thickness dimension as the first embodiment. is doing.

14 and 15 show a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to this embodiment. First, a frame body forming step is performed to form the frame body 3 for reinforcement. Note that the frame forming process is as shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

(Patterning pre-stage body forming step)
As shown in FIG. 14(a), a photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface of a conductive matrix 24 made of, for example, stainless steel or brass. The photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of a negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having light-transmitting holes 26a corresponding to the vapor deposition holes 5 was brought into close contact with the photoresist layer 25 to obtain a patterning pre-stage body 27 .

(Preheating process)
The patterning pre-stage body 27 is preheated to the furnace temperature of the ultraviolet irradiation device (exposure device) during the exposure work, for example, using a heater plate, a preheating furnace, or the like. At this time, in parallel with the preheating of the patterning pre-stage body 27, it is preferable to preheat the interior of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device to the temperature of the interior of the furnace during the exposure work.

(Primary patterning process)
After the preheating of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning body 27 is completed, the pre-patterning body 27 is housed in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in FIG. Exposure is performed by irradiating light, and each processing of development and drying is performed. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portions, a primary pattern resist 29 having resist bodies 29a corresponding to vapor deposition through holes 5 (primary patterning) is formed on the master mold 24, as shown in FIG. 14(b). did. As described above, when the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning body 27 are preheated to the furnace temperature during the exposure work, the pre-patterning body 27 is heated by the ultraviolet irradiation and expands. , it is possible to eliminate the fact that the exposure work is performed while the relative positional relationship of the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted. Therefore, the primary pattern resist 29 can be provided on the master mold 24 with high positional accuracy and in the intended shape, which contributes to the improvement of the reproducibility of the vapor deposition layer and the vapor deposition accuracy.

(First electroforming step)
Next, the matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming tank, and nickel is applied to the surface of the matrix 24 not covered with the resist body 29a within the height range of the resist body 29a as shown in FIG. 14(c). was subjected to primary electroforming to form a primary electroformed layer 30 , that is, a layer that will become the mask body 2 . Next, by dissolving and removing the resist body 29a, a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through-holes 5 was obtained as shown in FIG. 14(d). Note that, as in the first embodiment, the primary electroformed layer 30a may be formed between the mask bodies 2 and the frame 3 may be arranged on the primary electroformed layer 30a.

(Secondary patterning step and frame arrangement step)
As shown in FIG. 15(a), a photoresist layer 38 was formed over the entire surface of the matrix 24 including the portion where the primary electroformed layer 30 was formed. This photoresist layer 38 was formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding in the same manner as described above so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, the pattern film 39 having the transparent holes 39a corresponding to the pattern forming regions 4 is brought into close contact with the pattern film 39 and placed in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and the ultraviolet lamp 28 is irradiated with ultraviolet light for exposure. In this state, a portion (38a) related to the pattern forming region 4 was exposed, and the remaining portion (38b) of the photoresist layer 38 was obtained (see FIG. 15B). Also in the present embodiment, prior to the secondary patterning step, the primary electroformed layer 30 is subjected to an activation treatment step or strike plating on the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 of the primary electroformed layer 30. and a metal layer 8 to be described later can be improved in bonding strength.

Next, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the frame 3 was arranged on the matrix 24 so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 while being aligned. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the master mold 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b. Further, as shown in FIG. 15C, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface was removed by dissolving to form a secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4. Next, as shown in FIG. At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered with the frame 3 and remains on the matrix 24 without being dissolved and removed.

(Second electroforming step)
Next, the matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming tank, and as shown in FIG. A metal layer 8 was formed by electroforming an electrodeposited metal made of nickel on the surface of the matrix 24 exposed between the body 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30 . As a result, the primary electrodeposition layer 30 and the frame 3 can be inseparably and integrally joined with the metal layer 8 .

(Peeling process)
After peeling the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master mold 24, the primary electroformed layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled from both layers 30 and 8. As shown in FIG. Finally, the deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 13 was obtained by removing the secondary pattern resist 40 and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIGS. 16 and 17 show a vapor deposition mask according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 are inseparably and integrally joined by the metal layer 8. It is different from the previous embodiments in that it is integrally formed. When the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the mask body 2 in this way, it is possible to omit the trouble of separately forming the metal layer 8 and joining the mask body 2 and the frame body 3, thereby omitting the processes required for manufacturing and shortening the time. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced.

FIG. 17 shows a manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask 1 according to this embodiment. First, a frame body forming step is performed to form a reinforcing frame body 3 . Note that the frame forming process is as shown in FIG. 5 described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

(Patterning pre-stage body forming step)
First, as shown in FIG. 17A, a photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface of a conductive matrix 24 made of stainless steel, brass, or the like. The photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of a negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having light-transmitting holes 26a corresponding to the mask body 2 was brought into close contact with the photoresist layer 25 to obtain a patterning pre-stage body 27 .

(Preheating process)
The patterning pre-stage body 27 is preheated to the furnace temperature (exposure device) of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure work, for example, by using a heater plate, a preheating furnace, or the like. At this time, in parallel with the preheating of the patterning pre-stage body 27, it is preferable to preheat the interior of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device to the temperature of the interior of the furnace during the exposure work.

(Primary patterning process)
After the preheating of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the patterning pre-stage body 27 is completed, the patterning pre-stage body 27 is housed in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in FIG. Exposure is performed by irradiating light, and each processing of development and drying is performed. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portions, a primary pattern resist 29 having a resist body 29a corresponding to the mask body 2 (primary patterning) was formed on the master mold 24, as shown in FIG. 17(b). . As described above, when the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning body 27 are preheated to the furnace temperature during the exposure work, the pre-patterning body 27 is heated by the ultraviolet irradiation and expands. , it is possible to eliminate the fact that the exposure work is performed while the relative positional relationship of the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted. Therefore, the primary pattern resist 29 can be provided on the master mold 24 with high positional accuracy and in the intended shape, which contributes to the improvement of the reproducibility of the vapor deposition layer and the vapor deposition accuracy.

(Frame arranging step)
As shown in FIG. 17(c), an adhesive resist 43 was formed on the entire surface of the master mold 24 including the portion where the primary pattern resist 29 was to be formed. This adhesive resist 43 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative type photosensitive dry film resist by thermocompression bonding in the same manner as described above so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, the frame 3 was placed on the matrix 24 so as to surround the primary pattern resist 29 while being aligned. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the matrix 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed adhesive resist 43 . Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17(d), the unexposed adhesive resist 43 exposed on the surface was removed by dissolution. At this time, the adhesive resist 43 on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered with the frame 3 and remains on the matrix 24 without being dissolved and removed.

(Integrated electroforming process)
Next, the matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming tank, and as shown in FIG. 17(e), the surface of the matrix 24 not covered with the resist body 29a and the surface of the frame 3 are electroplated with nickel. A metal layer 8 was formed by electroforming the deposited metal. As a result, the primary electroformed layer 30 forming the mask body 2 and the metal layer 8 joining the mask body 2 and the frame 3 can be integrally formed.

(Peeling process)
The primary electroformed layer 30, the metal layer 8, and the frame 3 are peeled off from the master mold 24, and then the adhesive resist 43 located on the lower surface of the frame 3 is removed from these layers 30 and 8. A deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 16 was obtained.

According to the manufacturing method of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the frame body 3 in the same manner as described above, while saving time and labor for forming the metal layer 8 and omitting the steps required for manufacturing. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a vapor deposition mask 1 that can be enlarged while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, maintain flatness, and ensure good reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIGS. 18 to 20 show a fifth embodiment of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 18, the vapor deposition mask 1 in this embodiment includes a support frame 46 fixed to the lower surface of the frame 3 (on the side of the substrate to be vapor-deposited), and a support frame 46 fixed to the lower surface of the support frame 46 (on the side of the substrate to be vapor-deposited). An auxiliary frame 47 is provided. That is, the frame body 3 is provided on one surface of the support frame 46 (the deposition source side), and the auxiliary frame 47 is provided on the other surface of the support frame 46 (the deposition target substrate side). The outer shape of the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 matches the frame 3 . As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the support frame 46 is formed with a frame opening 48 corresponding to the mask opening 11 of the frame 3, and the frame opening 48 is the same as or one turn larger than the mask opening 11. It is formed in a large opening shape. The entire vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 of the frame 3 are supported by a support frame 46 . Further, the auxiliary frame 47 is formed in a picture frame shape, and the four peripheral edges of the support frame 46 are supported by the auxiliary frame 47 . After the frame 3, the support frame 46, and the auxiliary frame 47 are aligned with each other, the three members 3, 46, and 47 are joined and integrated by spot welding. Welding points 49 for spot welding are provided at the four corners and at the four peripheral edge portions on extension lines of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 (see FIG. 20).

As described above, the entire vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 of the frame 3 are supported by the support frame 46, and the four peripheral edges of the support frame 46 are supported by the auxiliary frames 47. As a result, the structural strength and rigidity of the entire vapor deposition mask can be achieved. can be further enhanced to prevent the vapor deposition mask 1 from bending and deforming to maintain flatness, and the reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be further improved.

FIG. 21 shows a modification of the vapor deposition mask according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The vapor deposition mask 1 in this embodiment is a vapor deposition in which 10 mask bodies 2 arranged in a matrix of 2 rows and 5 columns and frame bodies arranged around the mask bodies 2 are inseparably and integrally joined by a metal layer. Three mask bodies 50 are manufactured, and these three vapor deposition mask bodies 50 are supported by the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 . Specifically, first, one vapor deposition mask body 50 is prepared and fixed to the support frame 46 after the position and tension are adjusted by a tension applying device. Such fixation is performed by spot-welding the corners of the frame 3 and the peripheral portions on the extension lines of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 . The remaining two vapor deposition mask bodies 50 are also fixed to the support frame 46 in the same manner. Finally, the auxiliary frame 47 is fixed (spot welded) to the side of the support frame 46 opposite to the side to which the vapor deposition mask body 50 is fixed. In this manner, when the plurality of vapor deposition mask bodies 50 are supported by the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47, the relative positions of the adjacent vapor deposition mask bodies 50 can be finely adjusted and arranged. The relative positional accuracy of the mask body 2 of the mask body 50 can be improved. Therefore, good reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy can be ensured. In addition, the vapor deposition mask 1 having a desired size can be freely set. Note that the smaller the shape of the vapor deposition mask body 50, the better the dimensional accuracy. Therefore, a large amount of adjustment is unnecessary, fine adjustment is easy, and positional accuracy is easily ensured. Further, if the shape of the vapor deposition mask body 50 is strip-shaped, fine adjustment becomes easier.

As described above, in the vapor deposition mask and the vapor deposition mask manufacturing method of each of the above-described embodiments, the frame body 3 is composed of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17, and the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 are connected via the adhesive layer 18. Since the frames are joined and integrated with each other, the frame 3 can be formed using a thinner metal plate material when forming the frame 3 having the same thickness as the conventional one, and the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame 3 can be reduced. This is because the thinner the thickness of the generally distributed metal plate that is the base material of the frame 3, the more times it passes through rolling rolls in the manufacturing process. This is because Therefore, even with a large vapor deposition mask 1, it is possible to suppress the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion resulting from the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material. In addition, since thin metal plates that are generally distributed are used as the base material, there is no need to use special metal plates to form the frame 3 . As described above, according to the vapor deposition mask of each of the above-described embodiments, it is possible to increase the size of the vapor deposition mask 1 while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be maintained, and good reproduction can be achieved. Accuracy and deposition accuracy can be secured. In addition, according to the frame 3 in which the adhesive layer 18 is interposed between the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 , when an external force that causes bending deformation is applied to the vapor deposition mask 1 , the frame 3 is bent by the amount of the adhesive layer 18 . flexibly and elastically deforms to effectively prevent the vapor deposition mask 1 from being damaged. Furthermore, when the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state in which the two-dimensional curved surface or three-dimensional curved surface warp is offset, and the frame body 3 is formed in a flat shape, a slight warp derived from the metal plate material is caused. It can be eliminated, the flatness can be further improved, and better reproducibility and deposition accuracy of the deposited layer can be ensured. It can contribute to realization of a large mask while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost.

In addition, in the vapor deposition masks of the first, second, fourth, and fifth embodiments, a plurality of frames 3 are laminated, and the frames 3 adjacent to each other in the lamination direction are bonded to each other via the adhesive layer 19. Therefore, when forming the frame body 3 with the same thickness as the conventional one, the frame body 3 can be formed by using a thinner metal plate material. can be further suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to increase the size of the vapor deposition mask, maintain the flatness of the vapor deposition mask, and ensure better reproducibility and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. In addition, since the number of adhesive layers 18 and 19 that join the frames 3 together increases, elastic deformation can be performed more flexibly against external force, so damage to the vapor deposition mask can be more effectively prevented.

As in each of the above-described embodiments, the number and arrangement of the mask bodies 2 included in the vapor deposition mask 1 are not limited to those shown in the above-described embodiments. The number of mask bodies 2 does not need to be plural and may be one. The material of the mask main body 2 is not limited to metal, and may be formed of resin, and furthermore, may be formed by etching or laser. Prior to the step of joining the upper and lower frames 16 and 17, the frame body 3 is formed by subjecting the cut-out upper and lower frames 16 and 17 to press working using upper and lower molds for imparting curved surfaces. A three-dimensional curved surface can be given. In this case, by providing a two-dimensional curved surface or a three-dimensional curved surface with line symmetry, the frame body 3 can be easily formed flat in the subsequent joining step. Also, the metal layer 8 may have a multi-layer structure of two or more layers like the mask body 2 (primary electroformed layer 30) described above.

In each of the above embodiments, the mask main body 2 and the frame 3 are inseparably and integrally joined via the metal layer 8. But it's okay. At this time, when the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 are provided as in the fifth embodiment, the support frame 46 is fixed to the lower surface of the mask body 2 (the surface opposite to the surface to which the frame 3 is joined). An auxiliary frame 47 is fixed to the lower surface of the support frame 46 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the mask body 2 is provided). Moreover, the adhesive layer is desirably one having excellent heat resistance and solvent resistance.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 are not limited to metals such as aluminum and iron as in the case of the frame 3, and various materials such as resin can be used. It is preferable to use a material having a small coefficient of linear thermal expansion, such as an Invar material or a ceramic. Further, the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 may be composed of an upper frame and a lower frame like the frame body 3, and these upper and lower frames may be integrated by joining them via an adhesive layer. Further, a plurality of support frames 46 and auxiliary frames 47 may be prepared respectively, and the support frames 46 and auxiliary frames 47 and 47 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction may be joined via an adhesive layer. Thereby, the plate thickness deviation of the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 can be reduced. In addition, in the frame 3 and the support frame 46, the material may be different between the outer peripheral portion and the frame line portion that defines the openings (the mask opening 11 and the frame opening 48).

1 Deposition Mask 2 Mask Main Body 3 Frame 4 Pattern Forming Area 4a Peripheral Edge 5 Vapor Deposition Through Hole 6 Deposition Pattern 8 Metal Layer 10 Peripheral Frame 11 Mask Opening 12 Vertical Frame 13 Horizontal Frame 16 Upper Frame 17 Lower Frame 18 Adhesive Layer 19 Adhesive Layer 24 matrix 25 photoresist layer 26 pattern film 26a transparent hole 27 patterning pre-stage body 29 primary pattern resist 29a resist body 30 primary electroforming layer 43 adhesive resist 46 support frame 47 auxiliary frame 48 frame opening 50 vapor deposition mask body W1 vertical frame Width of W2 Width of horizontal frame

Claims (9)

A vapor deposition mask comprising a mask body (2) having a vapor deposition pattern (6) consisting of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes (5) and a frame (3) supporting the mask body (2),
A vapor deposition mask, wherein the mask main body (2) has a multi-layered structure of two or more layers consisting of a glossy layer and a non-glossy layer. 2. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 1, wherein the mask body (2) has a two-layer structure in which a glossy layer is formed on a matte layer, and the matte layer is thicker than the glossy layer. 3. A vapor deposition mask according to claim 1, wherein a support frame (46) is fixed to the lower surface of said frame (3). The support frame (46) is formed with a frame opening (48) corresponding to the mask opening (11) of the frame (3),
4. A vapor deposition mask according to claim 3, wherein said frame opening (48) is formed in an opening shape larger than said mask opening (11). 5. A vapor deposition mask according to claim 3, wherein an auxiliary frame (47) is fixed to the lower surface side of said support frame (46). The frame body (3) includes an outer peripheral frame (10), a vertical frame (12) and a horizontal frame (13) that partition the mask opening (11) in the outer peripheral frame (10), and the vertical frame (12 ) and the entire horizontal frame (13) are supported by the support frame (46),
6. A vapor deposition mask according to claim 5, wherein said auxiliary frame (47) is formed in the shape of a picture frame, and the periphery of said support frame (46) is supported by said auxiliary frame (47). The frame (3), the support frame (46), and the auxiliary frame (47) are integrated by welding,
6. Welding points (49) are provided at four corners and peripheral edge portions on extension lines of the vertical frame (12) and the horizontal frame (13) of the frame body (3). The vapor deposition mask described in . 8. A deposition mask according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said mask body (2) and said frame (3) are integrally joined via a metal layer (8). A plurality of frames (3, 3) are laminated, and the frames (3, 3) adjacent to each other in the lamination direction are joined via an adhesive layer (19). 3. The vapor deposition mask according to any one of 1.

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