JP4708735B2 - Method for manufacturing mask structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is, when depositing an organic material layer in a desired position on the substrate, a method for manufacturing a mask structures disposed on the substrate.

  Some full-color display panels use an organic light-emitting material, and the display panel is an organic light-emitting material between a large number of fine electrodes provided at regular intervals on a glass substrate and a transparent electrode such as indium oxide. A display image is obtained by electrifying and selectively emitting light between these electrodes, and the glass substrate electrically separates an electric circuit connected to the electrodes, a driving element, and adjacent pixels. Components necessary for precise light emission, such as a pixel separation film, are formed.

  A full-color display panel usually has a set of three color pixels as a set, and a large number of them are arranged on the entire display surface with a predetermined interval, and natural colors can be reproduced. For example, a screen of a television receiver, It can be used to display still images and moving images on display devices such as digital camera monitors and computer monitors.

  When manufacturing this full-color organic light emitting display panel or the like, conventionally, a plurality of color organic materials are laminated by a vapor deposition method, and at that time, a member having a thin plate-like minute hole called a mask is used. This is because a hole is drilled at a predetermined position so as to coincide with a large number of fine electrodes provided on the substrate side, and an organic substance is vapor-deposited only on the electrode corresponding to the hole portion, in other words, no other vapor deposition is performed. By repeating this a predetermined number of times, a display panel free from color mixing is manufactured.

  When the display panel has a high-definition pixel pattern with a fixed pattern, etc., the mask is inevitably required to have a high precision in the hole arrangement, so the mask is manufactured by photolithography and electroforming (plating) processes. However, since it is formed by an electroforming (plating) process, the thickness of the mask is generally thin and is about 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm. Further, depending on the flight angle from the vapor deposition source, the vapor deposition of the organic substance may be blocked at the corner of the mask hole, so that the mask is desirably thin.

  Since the mask is thin like this, it cannot be said that the force to maintain its own flatness is strong, and it is generally used as a mask structure by being affixed to a strong frame frame for reinforcement. Is.

  FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a conventional mask structure. In FIG. 6, 1 is a frame body, 3 is a mask, 4 is a hole through which a vapor deposition material can pass, 6 is a through hole, and 7 is an adhesive layer.

  As shown in the figure, the mask 3 is formed in a thin plate shape, has a plurality of holes 4 through which a vapor deposition substance can pass during vapor deposition, has a sufficient strength in use, and has a frame frame having a through hole 6. The body 1 is fixed with an adhesive layer 7 in a state where a predetermined tension is applied, and is formed as a mask structure, and the adhesive layer 7 can be substituted by welding.

  The position accuracy of the mask hole is positioned with high accuracy on an electroformed base material (not shown) by photolithography, and the mask is formed while maintaining the position accuracy by plating. Thereafter, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the mask is once peeled off from the electroformed base material (matrix) and attached to the frame frame body with a predetermined tension applied through an adhesive layer. As a result, a mask structure is completed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-231964

  However, in the conventional mask structure, when it is peeled off from the base material, the mask may shrink or expand due to internal stress generated during the electroforming process. Could not be held. In addition, the high accuracy of the mask may not be maintained depending on the magnitude of the tension applied to the mask during peeling or variations thereof.

  If such a mask structure with insufficient accuracy is used, organic matter cannot be deposited at a predetermined position, which may cause problems such as color mixing of panel display colors, partial color variations, and electrical problems. was there.

  In addition, it may be possible to adjust the accuracy by applying tension when the mask is bonded and fixed to the frame. However, it takes time and effort, and the accuracy adjustment over several microns is evenly distributed over the entire mask surface. It was difficult to do.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the object of the present invention is to maintain the high accuracy of a mask obtained by a photolithography method as it is. An object of the present invention is to provide a mask structure that can be manufactured and a method of manufacturing the same.

In order to achieve the above object, another method for manufacturing a mask structure according to the present invention is to form an electroforming mother by loading an auxiliary member in a through hole formed surrounded by a frame side of a frame-like frame frame. A process of constituting the material;
On the auxiliary member of the electroformed base material, a step of forming a resist having a predetermined shape by a photolithography method;
On the electroformed base material on which the resist is formed, a step of forming a metal film that serves as a mask , straddling the auxiliary member and reaching the frame side ;
Removing the resist and forming a plurality of fine holes in the mask; and
And removing the auxiliary member to open a through hole of the frame body.

  According to the present invention, since the process of removing the mask once is not required, the high accuracy of the mask obtained by the photolithography method can be maintained as it is, and a high accuracy display panel is manufactured using the mask. It has an excellent effect that it can be performed.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a mask structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG. 1 and 2, 1 is an electroformed base material (frame frame), 3 is a mask, 4 is a fine hole through which a vapor deposition material can pass, 6 is a through hole, and 8 is a protective layer.

  As shown in the drawing, the mask structure of the present embodiment has a square shape or a rectangular shape, and has a mask 3 having a large number of fine holes 4 through which a vapor deposition material can pass in the center, and the flatness of the mask 3 is maintained. In particular, it is composed of a frame-like (frame-like) frame frame 1 that is attached and held. The numerous fine holes 4 formed in the mask 3 are subjected to predetermined patterning for forming each pixel of a display panel manufactured using the fine holes 4. The mask structure is used to deposit an organic layer on a desired location on the substrate of the display panel, and is arranged so that the mask 3 is in close contact with the substrate.

  Next, each component of the mask structure will be described.

  The mask 3 in the present invention is a member used when an organic light-emitting material or the like is applied separately to a specific position by vacuum deposition or the like. Production of a display panel that is fixed in the applied state and has high-density pixels of about 100 to 300 pixels per inch, and requires high accuracy when the organic light-emitting material is separately applied. It is suitable for.

  As the positional accuracy of the fine hole 4 opened in the mask 3, about ± 0 to 0.005 mm is ideal. The thickness of the mask 3 is preferably about 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm, and examples of the material of the mask 3 include a material in which Ni is coated on the surface with Au as a core, but is not limited thereto. Any alloy, ceramic, or the like that has no problem during production and has similar characteristics can be used.

  The frame body 1 has a thickness of about 3 to 20 mm, depending on the size and required strength of the mask 3, and is made of stainless steel (SUS), glass material, and other rigid materials. Any material that can be used as an electroforming base material in a casting process and can be etched can be used.

  This mask structure is manufactured by a manufacturing method as shown in FIGS.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, first, a step of forming a convex resist 2 having a shape that will later become the fine hole 4 of the mask 3 on the electroformed base material 1 by using a photolithography method. Do. The electroformed base material 1 is formed as a frame frame body in a subsequent process.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, a step of forming a metal film to be a mask 3 by an electroforming (plating) process is performed on the electroformed base material 1 on which the resist 2 is formed. At that time, the metal forming the mask is preferably Au (gold).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, a step of removing only the resist 2 and forming fine holes 4 through which a large number of vapor deposition materials can pass through the mask 3 is performed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (d), a step of masking 5 is performed on portions other than the electroformed base material corresponding to a region where many fine holes 4 are formed in the mask 3.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3 (e), the electroformed base material 1 can be melted, for example, immersed in a chemical such as hydrofluoric acid for a predetermined time for etching, and penetrated into the electroformed base material 1 at a predetermined position. Open hole 6. At this time, since the mask 3 is made of Au, it does not dissolve in the medicine.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (f), after lifting and cleaning from the above chemicals, as a protective layer 8 having strength and ferromagnetism on the mask 3 for protection and reinforcement of the mask 3 and adsorption to the magnet. For example, Ni is coated with plating.

  By such a process, the mask 3 having a large number of fine holes 4 with high accuracy and the frame frame body 1 having the through holes 6 through which the vapor deposition material can pass are simultaneously obtained without peeling off the mask 3 from the base material 1. The mask structure obtained by photolithography can be maintained as it is, and a mask structure that can be used to manufacture a high-precision display panel can be manufactured.

  In order to perform the etching process efficiently, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the electroformed base material. However, in this case, since the strength of the frame body having the through holes is inferior, a reinforcing frame is attached. Then, the frame body may be reinforced.

  Furthermore, an electroforming (plating) process can be performed using a frame body having a through hole, and an electroforming base material etching process can be omitted.

  That is, in another method for manufacturing a mask structure according to the present invention, first, an auxiliary member made of a material common to the frame frame body, for example, is loaded into the through hole of the frame frame body, and the electroformed base material is loaded. Steps to configure are performed.

  Next, after performing a step of forming a resist of a predetermined shape on the auxiliary member of the electroformed base material by a photolithography method, a metal film serving as a mask is formed on the electroformed base material on which the resist is formed The process to do is performed.

  Thereafter, the step of removing the resist and forming a plurality of fine holes in the mask is performed. Finally, the step of removing the auxiliary member and opening the through holes of the frame body is performed.

  In this way, a mask structure similar to that shown in FIG. 3E can be obtained without performing an etching process. Also in this case, as shown in FIG. 3 (f), for protection and reinforcement of the mask 3 and adsorption to the magnet, as the protective layer 8 having strength and ferromagnetism on the mask 3, for example, Ni is used. It is preferable to coat with plating.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is given and this invention is demonstrated concretely, this invention is not limited to these Examples.

<Example 1 (reference example) >
Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a mask structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing a manufacturing process of the mask structure according to the present invention. In these drawings, 1 is an electroformed base material (frame frame), 2 is a resist, 3 is a mask, 4 is a hole through which a deposit can pass, 5 is a mask, 6 is a through hole, and 8 is a protective layer. .

  As shown in FIG. 3A, first, a photolithography resist is used to form a resist 2 having a shape that will later become the hole 4 of the mask 3 and a predetermined size of convexity 2 on the electroformed base material 1.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, a metal film to be a mask 3 is formed by electroforming (plating) on the electroformed base material 1 on which the resist 2 is formed. The metal is Au (gold), and its thickness is about 0.02 mm.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the resist 2 is removed, the shape of the mask 3 in which predetermined fine holes 4 are clear is formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (d), in order to open a through hole 6 in the electroformed base material 1 that will later become a frame frame, a portion corresponding to the through hole 6 (in FIG. A portion other than the portion shown) is covered with a masking 5, and the electroformed base material 1 can be dissolved, for example, immersed in a chemical such as hydrofluoric acid for a predetermined time to perform etching, and the through hole 6 is opened. At this time, since the mask 3 is made of Au, it does not dissolve in the medicine. FIG. 3E shows a state in which the through hole 6 is opened and the masking 5 is removed. The etching time may be shortened by previously digging the electroformed base material to a certain depth at a position corresponding to the through hole 6.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (f), after cleaning, a protective layer 8 is applied by Ni plating for the purpose of protection and reinforcement of the mask 3 and adsorption to a magnet. Its thickness is about 0.003 mm.

<Example 2>
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the mask structure of the second embodiment. In FIG. 4 , 1 is an electroformed base material (frame frame), 2 is a resist, and 1 'is another auxiliary member.

  In Example 2, the through-hole 6 is previously opened at a predetermined position in the electroformed base material 1 and the portion is completely filled with another auxiliary member 1 ′. By using this method, a convex resist 2 having a shape that will later become a hole 4 of the mask 3 is formed. Then, a mask 3 is formed on the electroformed base material 1 on which the resist 2 is formed, and after removing the resist 2, another auxiliary member 1 'is removed to complete a mask structure.

Therefore, the etching step shown in FIG. 3 of Example 2 in Example 1 (d) is not necessary, since otherwise the same as in Example 1, the description thereof is omitted.

<Example 3 (reference example)>
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing the mask structure of the third embodiment. In FIG. 5 , 1 is an electroformed base material (frame frame), 3 is a mask, 4 is a hole through which a deposited material can pass, 5 is masking, 6 is a through hole, 8 is a protective layer, and 9 is a reinforcing frame. .

  In the third embodiment, a thinner plate material is used than in the first embodiment in order to shorten the etching time for opening the through hole 6 in the electroformed base material 1 to be the frame body. Therefore, since the strength required for the frame body 1 may be insufficient, the reinforcement frame 9 is further added as the reinforcement, and the rest is the same as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

It is a top view which shows the mask structure of this invention. It is a sectional side view of FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the manufacturing process of the mask structure of this invention. 6 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of a mask structure according to Example 2. 10 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of a mask structure according to Example 3. It is a sectional side view which shows the conventional mask structure.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electroforming base material (frame frame)
2 resist 3 mask 4 hole 5 masking 6 through hole 8 protective layer 9 another member

Claims (3)

A step of constructing an electroformed base material by loading an auxiliary member into a through hole formed surrounded by a frame side of a frame-like frame frame; and
On the auxiliary member of the electroformed base material, a step of forming a resist having a predetermined shape by a photolithography method;
On the electroformed base material on which the resist is formed, a step of forming a metal film that serves as a mask , straddling the auxiliary member and reaching the frame side ;
Removing the resist and forming a plurality of fine holes in the mask; and
Remove the auxiliary member, the manufacturing method of the mask structure, characterized in that a step of opening the through hole of the frame frame.   The method for manufacturing a mask structure according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing frame is attached to the frame body.   The method for manufacturing a mask structure according to claim 1, wherein a protective layer having strength and ferromagnetism is formed on the mask.

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