JP7047828B2 - Vapor deposition mask and manufacturing method of vapor deposition mask - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vapor deposition mask in which a plurality of through holes are formed. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.

In recent years, display devices used in portable devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs are required to have high definition, for example, a pixel density of 400 ppi or more. Further, even in a portable device, there is an increasing demand for supporting ultra full high-definition, and in this case, the pixel density of the display device is required to be, for example, 800 ppi or more.

Among display devices, organic EL display devices are attracting attention because of their good responsiveness, low power consumption, and high contrast. As a method of forming pixels of an organic EL display device, a method of forming pixels with a desired pattern by using a vapor deposition mask having through holes arranged in a desired pattern is known. Specifically, a vapor deposition process in which a vapor deposition mask is first adhered to a substrate for an organic EL display device, then the adhered vapor deposition mask and the substrate are put into the vapor deposition apparatus together, and an organic material is vapor-deposited on the substrate. I do. In this case, in order to accurately manufacture an organic EL display device having a high pixel density, it is required to accurately reproduce the position and shape of the through hole of the vapor deposition mask according to the design.

As a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a method of forming a through hole in a metal plate by etching using a photolithography technique is known. For example, first, a first resist pattern is formed on the first surface of the metal plate, and a second resist pattern is formed on the second surface of the metal plate. Next, the region of the first surface of the metal plate that is not covered by the first resist pattern is etched to form the first opening on the first surface of the metal plate. Then, a region of the second surface of the metal plate that is not covered by the second resist pattern is etched to form a second opening on the second surface of the metal plate. At this time, it is possible to form a through hole penetrating the metal plate by performing etching so that the first opening and the second opening communicate with each other.

In addition, as a method for manufacturing a thin-film deposition mask, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a method for manufacturing a thin-film deposition mask by using a plating treatment is known. For example, in the method described in Patent Document 2, a conductive base material is first prepared. Next, a resist pattern is formed on the base material with a predetermined gap. This resist pattern is provided at a position where a through hole of the vapor deposition mask should be formed. After that, a plating solution is supplied to the gaps of the resist pattern, and a metal layer is deposited on the base material by electrolytic plating. Then, by separating the metal layer from the base material, a thin-film deposition mask having a plurality of through holes can be obtained.

Japanese Patent No. 5382259 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-234385

In the manufacturing process of a display device such as an organic EL display device, the size of a substrate that is a base for the display device, such as mother glass, is being increased in order to reduce the manufacturing cost. In this case, when manufacturing a small organic EL display device for smartphones or the like, a plurality of organic EL display devices are allocated on one substrate. In this case, as the vapor deposition mask, a mask provided with a plurality of effective regions in which through holes arranged in a desired pattern are formed is used. One effective area of the vapor deposition mask corresponds to one organic EL display device allocated on the substrate. As the size of the substrate increases, the size of the vapor deposition mask also increases, and therefore, the manufacturing equipment for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask also increases in size.

However, in general, the larger the manufacturing equipment, the more likely it is that the position and shape of the through holes of the vapor deposition mask will vary or deviate from the design. For example, when a vapor deposition mask is manufactured by using a plating process, it becomes difficult to make the thickness of the metal layer uniform over the entire area of the vapor deposition mask as the manufacturing equipment becomes large. Therefore, the shape of the through hole in the plurality of effective regions may vary depending on the position to which the effective region is allocated. As a result, it is conceivable that individual differences in the characteristics of the organic EL display device manufactured by using the vapor deposition mask become large, and the manufacturing yield of the organic EL display device becomes low. In addition, a large investment is required to increase the size of the vapor deposition mask manufacturing equipment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vapor deposition mask and a method for manufacturing the same, which can effectively solve such a problem.

The first aspect of the present invention is a vapor deposition mask, comprising a pair of ears constituting the pair of ends in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask, and an intermediate portion located between the pair of ears. A plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion, and at least one of the pair of selvage portions is a vapor deposition mask bonded to the intermediate portion via a joint portion.

In the first vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the joint portion may include a fusion region in which a part of the selvage portion and a part of the intermediate portion are fused.

In the first vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the thickness of the effective region in which the plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion may be in the range of 3 to 20 μm.

In the first vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the difference between the thickness of the selvage portion and the thickness of the effective region in which the plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion may be 30 μm or less.

In the first vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the length of the intermediate portion and the length of the selvage portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask may be in the range of 800 to 1100 mm and in the range of 50 to 250 mm, respectively. good.

In the first vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the difference between the width of the selvage portion and the width of the intermediate portion may be 1 mm or less.

The second invention comprises a vapor deposition mask comprising a pair of ears constituting the pair of ends in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask and an intermediate portion located between the pair of ears. The intermediate portion includes a plurality of effective regions provided along the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask and a peripheral region surrounding the effective region, and a plurality of through holes are formed in the effective region. The intermediate portion is divided into at least a first intermediate portion including at least one effective region and a second intermediate portion including at least one effective region in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask, and the first intermediate portion is provided. The portion and the second intermediate portion are vapor deposition masks that are joined via the joining portion in the peripheral region.

In the second vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the joint portion may include a fusion region in which a part of the first intermediate portion and a part of the second intermediate portion are fused.

In the joint portion of the vapor deposition mask according to the second invention, the end face of the end portion of the first intermediate portion and the end face of the end portion of the second intermediate portion may be in contact with each other.

The third aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, wherein a selvage preparation step for preparing an ear portion constituting an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask and an intermediate portion in which a plurality of through holes are formed are provided. A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, comprising a step of preparing an intermediate portion to be prepared and a step of joining the selvage portion to the intermediate portion via a joint portion.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask comprising a pair of ears constituting a pair of ends in the longitudinal direction and an intermediate portion located between the pair of ears. An intermediate portion preparation step for preparing the intermediate portion including a plurality of effective regions provided along the longitudinal direction of the mask and a peripheral region surrounding the effective region is provided, and the effective region includes a plurality of through holes. Is formed, and the intermediate portion preparation step includes a step of preparing a first intermediate portion including at least one said effective region and a step of preparing a second intermediate portion including at least one said effective region. The manufacturing method includes a joining step of joining the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion so that the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion are lined up along the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask. Further, it is a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.

In the third and fourth methods for producing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the intermediate portion preparation step includes a resist forming step of forming a resist pattern on a predetermined substrate with a predetermined gap, and the resist pattern. It may have a plating treatment step of precipitating a metal layer in the gap and a separation step of separating the metal layer from the substrate.

In the third and fourth methods for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the intermediate portion preparation step is a step of preparing a metal plate and a resist forming step of forming a resist pattern on the metal plate with a predetermined gap. And, a step of etching a region of the metal plate not covered by the resist pattern to form the through hole in the metal plate may be provided.

In the selvage preparation step of the vapor deposition mask manufacturing method according to the third invention, the selvage may be manufactured by etching the selvage substrate to process the selvage substrate.

In the first and third inventions, first, an ear portion forming an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask and an intermediate portion in which a plurality of through holes are formed are prepared. Next, the selvage portion is joined to the intermediate portion via the joint portion. As described above, in the present invention, the vapor deposition mask is configured by joining the selvage portion and the intermediate portion. Therefore, the length of the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask is smaller than the length of the entire vapor deposition mask.
Among the vapor deposition masks, the intermediate portion in which a plurality of through holes are formed is required to have high accuracy in shape and position. On the other hand, the selvage portion is a portion attached to the frame during the vapor deposition process, and does not require high accuracy in shape and position.
Here, in the present invention, the selvage portion and the intermediate portion are each prepared as separate members. Therefore, the selvage portion and the intermediate portion can be manufactured by using different manufacturing equipment. Further, as described above, the length of the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask is smaller than the length of the entire vapor deposition mask. Therefore, the intermediate portion can be manufactured by using a smaller manufacturing facility as compared with the case of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask in which the selvage portion and the intermediate portion are integrally formed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the position and shape of the through hole in the intermediate portion from being varied or deviated from the design. Therefore, it is possible to provide a thin-film deposition mask that can be used for a large-sized substrate and that can precisely adhere the vapor-film deposition material on the substrate. In addition, it is possible to reduce the capital investment required to cope with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask.

Further, in the second and fourth inventions, the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion are prepared.
Next, the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion are joined via the joint portion. Therefore, the lengths of the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask are smaller than the length of the entire vapor deposition mask and the length of the entire intermediate portion. Therefore, the intermediate portion can be manufactured by using a smaller manufacturing facility than in the case of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask in which the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion are integrally formed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the position and shape of the through hole in the intermediate portion from being varied or deviated from the design. Therefore, it is possible to provide a thin-film deposition mask that can be used for a large-sized substrate and that can precisely adhere the vapor-film deposition material on the substrate. In addition, it is possible to reduce the capital investment required to cope with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic plan view showing an example of a thin-film deposition mask device including a thin-film deposition mask. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of vapor deposition using the vapor deposition mask device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a joint portion where the selvage portion and the intermediate portion are joined. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a joint portion where the selvage portion and the intermediate portion are joined. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing an intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the cross-sectional shape of the intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a pattern substrate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a process of forming a plurality of intermediate portions on a pattern substrate. FIG. 7C is a diagram showing a process of joining a pair of selvage portions to the intermediate portion. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method for manufacturing a pattern substrate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method for manufacturing a pattern substrate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 8C is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method for manufacturing a pattern substrate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 8D is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method for manufacturing a pattern substrate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing an intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 6 by a plating process. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing an intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 6 by a plating process. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing an intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 6 by a plating process. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing one step of another example of a method of manufacturing an intermediate portion of a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing one step of another example of the method of manufacturing the intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask by the plating process. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an intermediate portion of the vapor deposition mask obtained by the methods shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing a metal plate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by an etching process. FIG. 12B is a diagram showing how the exposure mask is arranged so as to overlap the metal plate. FIG. 12C is a diagram showing a step of etching a metal plate to produce an intermediate portion including an effective region in which a plurality of through holes are formed. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the cross-sectional shape of the vapor deposition mask. FIG. 14A is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 13 by etching. FIG. 14B is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 13 by etching. FIG. 14C is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 13 by etching. FIG. 14D is a diagram showing one step of an example of a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 13 by etching. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a modified example of a vapor deposition mask device including a vapor deposition mask. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing a modified example of the joint portion that joins the selvage portion and the intermediate portion. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a joint portion that joins the selvage portion and the intermediate portion. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a joint portion that joins the selvage portion and the intermediate portion. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a joint portion that joins the selvage portion and the intermediate portion. FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view showing a modification of a vapor deposition mask device including a vapor deposition mask. FIG. 21 is an enlarged plan view showing a joint portion where the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion are joined. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a joint portion where the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion are joined. FIG. 23A is a diagram showing a pattern substrate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by a plating process. FIG. 23B is a diagram showing a process of forming a first intermediate portion and a second intermediate portion on a pattern substrate. FIG. 23C is a diagram showing a process of joining the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion. FIG. 24A is a diagram showing a metal plate used for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask by an etching process. FIG. 24B is a diagram showing how the exposure mask is arranged so as to overlap the metal plate. FIG. 24C is a diagram showing a process of etching a metal plate to produce a first intermediate portion and a second intermediate portion including an effective region in which a plurality of through holes are formed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to the present specification, the scale and the aspect ratios are appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual product for the convenience of illustration and comprehension.

1 to 9C are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. In the following embodiments and modifications thereof, a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask used for patterning an organic material on a substrate in a desired pattern when manufacturing an organic EL display device will be described as an example.
However, the present invention is not limited to such an application, and the present invention can be applied to a method for manufacturing a vapor-deposited mask used for various purposes.

In addition, in this specification, the terms "board", "sheet", and "film" are not distinguished from each other based only on the difference in names. For example, "board" is a concept that includes members that can be called sheets or films.

Further, the "plate surface (sheet surface, film surface)" is a plate-like member (sheet-like) that is a target when the target plate-like (sheet-like, film-like) member is viewed as a whole and in a broad sense. A surface that coincides with the plane direction of a member (member, film-like member). Further, the normal direction used for the plate-shaped (sheet-shaped, film-shaped) member refers to the normal direction with respect to the plate surface (sheet surface, film surface) of the member.

In addition, as used herein, terms such as "parallel", "orthogonal", "identical", "equivalent" and lengths and angles that specify the shape, geometrical conditions and physical properties and their extent. In addition, the values of physical characteristics, etc. shall be interpreted including the range in which similar functions can be expected without being bound by the strict meaning.

(Evaporation mask device)
First, an example of a vapor deposition mask device including a vapor deposition mask will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a vapor deposition mask device including a vapor deposition mask, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining how to use the vapor deposition mask device shown in FIG.

The thin-film deposition mask device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a plurality of thin-film deposition masks 20 having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and a frame 15 holding the plurality of thin-film deposition masks 20. The vapor deposition mask 20 is attached to the frame 15 at a pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. The frame 15 is held in a stretched state so that the vapor deposition mask 20 does not bend. As will be described later, each vapor deposition mask 20 is provided with a plurality of through holes 25 that penetrate the vapor deposition mask 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the vapor deposition mask device 10 is supported in the vapor deposition device 90 so that the vapor deposition mask 20 faces the lower surface of a substrate to be vapor-deposited, for example, the organic EL substrate 92, and the organic EL substrate 92 is provided. Used for vapor deposition of materials.

In the vapor deposition apparatus 90, the vapor deposition mask 20 and the organic EL substrate 92 come into close contact with each other due to the magnetic force from a magnet (not shown). In the vapor deposition apparatus 90, a crucible 94 for accommodating a vapor deposition material (for example, an organic light emitting material) 98 and a heater 96 for heating the crucible 94 are arranged below the vapor deposition mask apparatus 10. The vaporized material 98 in the crucible 94 is vaporized or sublimated by heating from the heater 96 and adheres to the surface of the organic EL substrate 92. As described above, a large number of through holes 25 are formed in the vapor deposition mask 20, and the vapor deposition material 98 adheres to the organic EL substrate 92 through the through holes 25. As a result, the vapor deposition material 98 is formed on the surface of the organic EL substrate 92 in a desired pattern corresponding to the position of the through hole 25 of the vapor deposition mask 20. In FIG. 2, of the surfaces of the vapor deposition mask 20, the surface facing the organic EL substrate 92 during the vapor deposition step (hereinafter, also referred to as the first surface) is represented by reference numeral 20a. Further, among the surfaces of the vapor deposition mask 20, the surface located on the opposite side of the first surface 20a (hereinafter, also referred to as the second surface) is represented by the reference numeral 20b. A vapor deposition source (here, a crucible 94) of the vapor deposition material 98 is arranged on the second surface 20b side. In the following description, the region of the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the through hole 25 through which the vapor deposition material 98 passes is also referred to as an effective region 22.

In this embodiment, the through holes 25 are arranged in a predetermined pattern in each effective region 22. If it is desired to display colors in a plurality of colors, a vapor deposition machine equipped with a vapor deposition mask 20 corresponding to each color is prepared, and the organic EL substrate 92 is sequentially charged into each vapor deposition machine. Thereby, for example, the organic light emitting material for red, the organic light emitting material for green, and the organic light emitting material for blue can be vapor-deposited on the organic EL substrate 92 in this order.

By the way, the thin-film deposition process may be carried out inside the thin-film deposition apparatus 90, which has a high-temperature atmosphere.
In this case, the vapor deposition mask 20, the frame 15, and the organic EL substrate 92 held inside the vapor deposition apparatus 90 are also heated during the vapor deposition process. At this time, the vapor deposition mask 20, the frame 15, and the organic EL substrate 92 show the behavior of dimensional change based on their respective thermal expansion coefficients. In this case, if the coefficient of thermal expansion of the vapor deposition mask 20 or the frame 15 and the organic EL substrate 92 are significantly different, a positional shift occurs due to the difference in their dimensional changes, and as a result, the organic EL substrate 92 adheres to the organic EL substrate 92. The dimensional accuracy and position accuracy of the vapor-filmed material will decrease. In order to solve such a problem, it is preferable that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the vapor deposition mask 20 and the frame 15 is the same as the coefficient of thermal expansion of the organic EL substrate 92. For example, when a glass substrate is used as the organic EL substrate 92, an iron alloy containing nickel can be used as the main material of the vapor deposition mask 20 and the frame 15. Specifically, an iron alloy such as an Invar material containing 34 to 38% by mass of nickel and a super Invar material containing cobalt in addition to nickel is used as the first metal layer 32 and the first metal layer 32 and the second, which will be described later, to form the vapor deposition mask 20. 2 It can be used as a material for the metal layer 37 and the metal plate 21. In the present specification, the numerical range represented by the symbol "-" includes the numerical values placed before and after the symbol "-". For example, the numerical range defined by the expression "34 to 38% by mass" is the same as the numerical range defined by the expression "34% by mass or more and 38% by mass or less".

If the temperature of the vapor deposition mask 20, the frame 15 and the organic EL substrate 92 does not reach a high temperature during the vapor deposition process, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the vapor deposition mask 20 and the frame 15 is equivalent to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the organic EL substrate 92. There is no particular need to set the value to. In this case, various materials other than the above-mentioned iron alloy such as nickel and nickel-cobalt alloy are used as the materials of the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 and the metal plate 21 constituting the vapor deposition mask 20 to be described later. Can be done.

(Evaporation mask)
Next, the vapor deposition mask 20 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the vapor deposition mask 20 includes a pair of selvage portions 17 constituting a pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20, and an intermediate portion 18 located between the pair of selvagement portions 17. I have. The pair of selvage portions 17 are joined to the intermediate portion 18 via the joint portion 19 described later. In FIG. 1, the length of the entire vapor deposition mask 20, the length of the selvage portion 17, and the length of the intermediate portion 18 in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 are represented by reference numerals A, A1, and A2, respectively. As is clear from FIG. 1, the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18 is smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20 by the length A1 of the pair of ear portions 17. The length A1 of the selvage portion 17 and the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18 are, for example, in the range of 50 to 250 mm and in the range of 800 to 1100 mm, respectively. Further, the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20 is, for example, in the range of 850 to 1350 mm.

The selvage portion 17 is a portion of the vapor deposition mask 20 that is attached to the frame 15. When the direction of the tension applied to the vapor deposition mask 20 by the frame 15 is the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20, the ear portions 17 may be present at each of the pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a joint portion 19 in which the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 are joined. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 includes an effective region 22 in which through holes 25 are formed in a regular arrangement and a peripheral region 23 surrounding the effective region 22. .. The peripheral region 23 is a region for supporting the effective region 22, and is not a region through which the vapor-deposited material intended to be vapor-deposited on the organic EL substrate 92 passes. For example, in the vapor deposition mask 20 used for vapor deposition of an organic light emitting material for an organic EL display device, the effective region 22 is a display region of the organic EL substrate 92 on which the organic light emitting material is vapor-deposited to form pixels. It is the area in the vapor deposition mask 20 facing the area. However, for various purposes, through holes and recesses may be formed in the peripheral region 23. In the example shown in FIG. 1, each effective region 22 has a substantially quadrangular contour in a plan view, or more accurately, a substantially rectangular contour in a plan view. Although not shown, each effective region 22 can have contours having various shapes depending on the shape of the display region of the organic EL substrate 92. For example, each effective region 22 may have a circular contour.

In the illustrated example, the plurality of effective regions 22 of the vapor deposition mask 20 are arranged in a row at predetermined intervals along one direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. In the illustrated example, one effective domain 22 corresponds to one organic EL display device. That is, according to the thin-film deposition mask device 10 (thin-film deposition mask 20) shown in FIG. 1, multi-sided vapor deposition is possible.

The selvage portion 17 is a portion attached to the frame 15 during the vapor deposition process using the vapor deposition mask 20. The pair of ears 17 and the frame 15 of the vapor deposition mask 20 are fixed to each other by spot welding, for example.

The pair of ears 17 is not a region through which the vapor-deposited material intended to be vapor-deposited on the organic EL substrate 92 passes. However, as shown in FIG. 3, one or more through holes 26 may be formed in the selvage portion 17. The through hole 26 formed in the selvage portion 17 can be used, for example, to inspect whether the vapor deposition mask 20 attached to the frame 15 is deformed such as thermal shrinkage or thermal expansion. For example, by measuring the distance between the through hole 26 formed in one selvage 17 and the through hole 26 formed in the other selvage 17, it can be determined whether or not the vapor deposition mask 20 is deformed. Can be inspected.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the joint portion 19 for joining the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 will be described. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the joint portion. In the present embodiment, the pair of selvages 17 are joined to the intermediate portion 18 by welding. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the joint portion 19 has a fusion region 19b formed by fusing a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 by melting and then solidifying. Includes. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the vapor deposition mask 20 is such that the end portion 17e of the selvage portion 17 and the end portion 18e of the intermediate portion 18 are in contact with the first surface 20a of the selvage portion 17 and the second surface 20b of the intermediate portion 18. Overlapping over a predetermined length A3 in the longitudinal direction of. The fusion region 19b described above is formed between the first surface 20a of the selvage portion 17 and the second surface 20b of the selvage portion 18 so as to straddle the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18.

The method for forming the fusion region 19b is not particularly limited, and various methods can be adopted. For example, laser welding can be adopted in which a part of the selvage portion 17 or a part of the intermediate portion 18 is irradiated with laser light to melt a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18. As the laser light, for example, a YAG laser light generated by a YAG laser device can be used. As the YAG laser apparatus, for example, an apparatus provided with a crystal obtained by adding Nd (neodymium) to YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) as an oscillation medium can be used. Further, it is also possible to adopt a method in which a current is passed through a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 to melt a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18. As a method of passing an electric current, a method of utilizing an electric discharge phenomenon such as an arc discharge, a method of applying a voltage between electrodes with a part of an ear portion 17 and a part of an intermediate portion 18 sandwiched between electrodes, The so-called electric welding method can be considered.

When forming the fusion region 19b straddling a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18, a part of the selvage portion 17 or a part of the intermediate portion 18 is formed regardless of the melting method adopted. It is believed that some welding-related marks remain on at least one of the surfaces. For example, when a part of the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 is irradiated with a laser beam to form a fusion region 19b, the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 is covered with the intermediate portion 18 as shown in FIG. Welding marks 19a such as recesses due to melting are formed. When the laser beam intermittently irradiates a part of the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 in dots at each position along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20, as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate portion 18 On the first surface 20a, a plurality of dot-shaped welding marks 19a arranged along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 are formed. In this case, a plurality of fusion regions 19b straddling a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 may be formed in dots along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20.

The length A3 at which the end portion 17e of the selvage portion 17 and the end portion 18e of the intermediate portion 18 are overlapped is set so as to sufficiently secure the connection of the intermediate portion 18 to the selvage portion 17. For example, the length A3 is set to 1 mm or more. On the other hand, increasing the length A3 means that the ratio of the peripheral region 23 in the intermediate portion 18, that is, the ratio of the region in which the through hole 25 is not formed increases. In order to increase the utilization efficiency of the vapor-filmed material 98 and the productivity of the organic EL display device, it is preferable that the ratio of the effective region 22 in the intermediate portion 18 is high.
From this point of view, it is preferable that the length A3 is set to 30 mm or less.

In FIG. 3, the dimensions (hereinafter, also referred to as width) of the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 are represented by reference numerals W1 and W2, respectively. The width W2 of the intermediate portion 18 is set according to the width of the effective region 22, that is, the width of the organic EL display device to be manufactured. For example, the width W2 is in the range of 50 to 300 mm.

Hereinafter, the width W1 of the selvage portion 17 will be described. As described above, the pair of ear portions 17 are portions for holding the vapor deposition mask 20 in a stretched state so that the vapor deposition mask 20 does not bend. In order to apply tension uniformly to the vapor deposition mask 20, it is preferable that the width W1 of the selvage portion 17 is large. On the other hand, when the width W1 of the selvage portion 17 becomes larger than the width W2 of the intermediate portion 18, when a plurality of vapor deposition masks 20 are arranged on the frame 15 in the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 as shown in FIG. The distance between the middle portions 18 of the two vapor deposition masks 20 becomes large.
As a result, it is conceivable that the number of effective regions 22 of the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 held by one frame 15 decreases, and the productivity of the organic EL display device decreases. From this point of view, it is preferable that the width W1 of the selvage portion 17 is small. Considering these points, it can be said that the width W1 of the selvage portion 17 is preferably substantially the same as the width W2 of the intermediate portion 18. Note that substantially the same means that the difference between the width W1 of the selvage portion 17 and the width W2 of the intermediate portion 18 is 1 mm or less.

In FIG. 3, the thickness of the selvage portion 17 is represented by the reference numeral T1. Further, the thickness of the effective region 22 in which the through hole 25 is formed in the intermediate portion 18 is represented by reference numeral T2. The thickness T1 of the selvage portion 17 is preferably 15 μm or more. Further, the thickness T2 of the effective region 22 in which the through hole 25 is formed in the intermediate portion 18 is preferably in the range of 3 to 20 μm. Further, the difference between the thickness T1 of the selvage portion 17 and the thickness T2 of the effective region 22 of the intermediate portion 18 in which the through hole 25 is formed is preferably 30 μm or less.

Next, the intermediate portion 18 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing the intermediate portion 18.

As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of through holes 25 formed in each effective region 22 may be arranged at predetermined pitches in the effective region 22 along two directions orthogonal to each other. The shape of the through hole 25 and the like will be described in detail below. Here, the shape of the through hole 25 and the like when the vapor deposition mask 20 is formed by the plating process will be described.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the vapor deposition mask 20 produced by the plating treatment is cut along the YY line of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vapor deposition mask 20 is provided with a first metal layer 32 provided with a first opening 30 in a predetermined pattern, and a second opening 35 communicating with the first opening 30. The two metal layers 37 and the like are provided. The second metal layer 37 is arranged on the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20 with respect to the first metal layer 32. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the first metal layer 32 constitutes the first surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20, and the second metal layer 37 constitutes the second surface 20b of the vapor deposition mask 20.

In the present embodiment, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 communicate with each other to form a through hole 25 penetrating the vapor deposition mask 20. In this case, the opening size and opening shape of the through hole 25 on the first surface 20a side of the vapor deposition mask 20 are defined by the first opening 30 of the first metal layer 32. On the other hand, the opening size and opening shape of the through hole 25 on the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20 are defined by the second opening 35 of the second metal layer 37. In other words, the through hole 25 is provided with both a shape defined by the first opening 30 of the first metal layer 32 and a shape defined by the second opening 35 of the second metal layer 37. There is.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 constituting the through hole 25 may have a substantially polygonal shape in a plan view. Here, an example is shown in which the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 have a substantially square shape, more specifically, a substantially square shape. Although not shown, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 may have other substantially polygonal shapes such as a substantially hexagonal shape and a substantially octagonal shape. The "substantially polygonal shape" is a concept including a shape in which the corners of the polygon are rounded. Although not shown, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 may have a circular shape. Further, as long as the second opening 35 has a contour surrounding the first opening 30 in a plan view, the shape of the first opening 30 and the shape of the second opening 35 do not have to be similar to each other.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 41 represents a connection portion to which the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 are connected. Further, reference numeral S0 represents the dimension of the through hole 25 in the connecting portion 41 between the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37. Note that FIG. 6 shows an example in which the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 are in contact with each other, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the space between the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 is not limited to this. Other layers may be interposed in the. For example, a catalyst layer for promoting the precipitation of the second metal layer 37 on the first metal layer 32 may be provided between the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37.

As shown in FIG. 6, the opening size S2 of the through hole 25 (second opening 35) on the second surface 20b is larger than the opening size S1 of the through hole 25 (first opening 30) on the first surface 20a. It has become. Hereinafter, the advantages of forming the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 in this way will be described.

The vapor deposition material 98 flying from the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20 toward the vapor deposition mask 20 passes through the second opening 35 and the first opening 30 of the through hole 25 in order and adheres to the organic EL substrate 92. The region of the organic EL substrate 92 to which the vapor-filmed material 98 adheres is mainly determined by the opening size S1 and the opening shape of the through hole 25 on the first surface 20a. By the way, as shown by the arrow from the second surface 20b side to the first surface 20a in FIG. 6, the vapor deposition material 98 moves from the pot 94 toward the organic EL substrate 92 along the normal direction N of the vapor deposition mask 20. In addition to this, the vapor deposition mask 20 may move in a direction greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction N.
Here, assuming that the opening size S2 of the through hole 25 on the second surface 20b is the same as the opening size S1 of the through hole 25 on the first surface 20a, the vapor deposition mask 20 is greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction N. Most of the vapor-filmed material 98 that moves in the direction reaches and adheres to the wall surface 36 of the second opening 35 of the through hole 25 before reaching the organic EL substrate 92 through the through hole 25. Therefore, in order to improve the utilization efficiency of the thin-film deposition material 98, it can be said that it is preferable to increase the opening dimension S2 of the second opening 35.

In FIG. 6, it is a path of the vapor deposition material 98 passing through the end 38 of the through hole 25 (second opening 35) on the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20 and can reach the organic EL substrate 92. Of these, the path that minimizes the angle formed by the vapor deposition mask 20 with respect to the normal direction N is represented by reference numeral L1. Further, the angle formed by the path L1 and the normal direction N of the vapor deposition mask 20 is represented by the reference numeral θ1. It is advantageous to increase the angle θ1 in order for the thin-film deposited material 98, which moves diagonally, to reach the organic EL substrate 92 as much as possible without reaching the wall surface 36 of the second opening 35. For example, it is preferable to set the angle θ1 to 45 ° or more.

The above-mentioned opening dimensions S0, S1, S2 are appropriately set in consideration of the pixel density of the organic EL display device, the desired value of the above-mentioned angle θ1, and the like. For example, when an organic EL display device having a pixel density of 400 ppi or more is manufactured, the opening dimension S0 of the through hole 25 in the connection portion 41 can be set within the range of 20 to 60 μm. Further, the opening dimension S1 of the first opening 30 on the first surface 20a is set within the range of 10 to 50 μm, and the opening dimension S2 of the second opening 35 on the second surface 20b is within the range of 15 to 80 μm. Can be set to.

Next, the outline of the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 shown in FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C.

(Intermediate preparation process)
First, an intermediate portion preparation step for preparing an intermediate portion 18 in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed is carried out. Here, an example of manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 by using the plating process will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the pattern substrate 50 is prepared. As will be described later, the pattern substrate 50 has a base material 51 and a predetermined conductive pattern 52 formed on the base material 51.
Next, a plating solution is supplied to the pattern substrate 50 to deposit a metal layer such as the above-mentioned first metal layer 32 or second metal layer 37 on the conductive pattern 52. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, a plurality of intermediate portions 18 including a plurality of effective regions 22 can be formed on the pattern substrate 50. After that, the intermediate portion 18 is separated from the pattern substrate 50. For example, the intermediate portion 18 is peeled off from the pattern substrate 50 while holding a part of the intermediate portion 18. In this way, the intermediate portion 18 can be prepared by utilizing the plating process.

In FIG. 7A, the dimension of the pattern substrate 50 (hereinafter, also referred to as the length of the pattern substrate 50) in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate portion 18 formed on the pattern substrate 50 is represented by reference numeral B1. Further, the dimensions of the pattern substrate 50 (hereinafter, also referred to as the width of the pattern substrate 50) in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the intermediate portion 18 formed on the pattern substrate 50 are represented by reference numerals B2. The length B1 of the pattern substrate 50 is set to be equal to or greater than the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18, and is set to be smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. For example, the length B1 is in the range of 850 to 1200 mm. The width B2 of the pattern substrate 50 is set according to the number of intermediate portions 18 formed on the pattern substrate 50. For example, the width B2 is in the range of 300 to 850 mm.

(Ear preparation process)
In addition, a selvage preparation step for preparing a pair of selvage portions 17 constituting the pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is carried out. For example, although not shown, first, a selvage board for constituting the selvage 17 is prepared. For example, when an iron alloy such as the above-mentioned Invar material is used as the material of the selvage substrate, a metal plate made of the iron alloy is prepared. Next, a pair of selvage portions 17 is manufactured by processing the selvage portion substrate. When the above-mentioned through hole 26 or the like is formed in the selvage portion 17, etching may be adopted as a method for processing the selvage portion substrate. As a processing method by etching, a method similar to the method of manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 by etching, which will be described later as a modification, can be adopted. Further, etching can be adopted not only as a method for forming the through hole 26 but also as a method for cutting out the selvage portion 17 having a desired shape from the selvage portion substrate. The selvage substrate may be prepared in the form of a roll in which a long selvage substrate is wound, or may be prepared in the form of a single leaf such as a sheet. In addition, the selvage portion 17 may be manufactured by using a plating process.

(Joining process)
After that, a joining step of joining the pair of ears 17 to the middle portion 18 via the joining portion 19 is performed so that the intermediate portion 18 is located between the pair of ears 17. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7C, the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained. As the joining method, various methods such as the above-mentioned laser welding can be adopted.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 by utilizing the plating process will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8A to 9C.

[Pattern board preparation process]
First, an example of a method for manufacturing the pattern substrate 50 will be described. First, the base material 51 is prepared. Next, as shown in FIG. 8A, a conductive layer 52a made of a conductive material is formed. The conductive layer 52a is a layer that becomes a conductive pattern 52 by being patterned.

The material constituting the base material 51 and the thickness of the base material 51 are not particularly limited as long as they have insulating properties and appropriate strength. For example, glass, synthetic resin, or the like can be used as the material constituting the base material 51.

As the material constituting the conductive layer 52a, a material having conductivity such as a metal material or an oxide conductive material is appropriately used. Examples of metal materials include, for example, chromium and copper. Preferably, a material having high adhesion to the resist pattern 53, which will be described later, is used as a material constituting the conductive pattern 52. For example, when the resist pattern 53 is produced by patterning a so-called dry film such as a resist film containing an acrylic photocurable resin, it is expensive as a material constituting the conductive pattern 52 with respect to the dry film. It is preferable to use copper having adhesiveness.

As will be described later, a first metal layer 32 is formed on the conductive pattern 52 formed by patterning the conductive layer 52a so as to cover the conductive pattern 52, and the first metal layer 32 is subsequently formed. In the process of, it is separated from the conductive pattern 52. Therefore, a recess corresponding to the thickness of the conductive pattern 52 is usually formed on the surface of the first metal layer 32 on the side in contact with the conductive pattern 52. Considering this point, as long as the conductive pattern 52 has the conductivity required for the electrolytic plating treatment, the thickness of the conductive pattern 52, that is, the thickness of the conductive layer 52a is preferably small. On the other hand, if the thickness of the conductive layer 52a is too small, the electric resistance of the conductive layer 52a becomes large, which makes it difficult to form the first metal layer 32 on the conductive pattern 52 during the electrolytic plating process. Considering these points, the thickness of the conductive layer 52a is preferably in the range of 50 to 500 nm.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, a resist pattern 53 having a predetermined pattern is formed on the conductive layer 52a. As a method for forming the resist pattern 53, a photolithography method or the like can be adopted as in the case of the resist pattern 55 described later. As a method of irradiating the material for the resist pattern 53 with light in a predetermined pattern, a method using an exposure mask that transmits the exposure light in a predetermined pattern, or a method in which the exposure light is applied to the material for the resist pattern 53 in a predetermined pattern. A method of relatively scanning can be adopted. Then, as shown in FIG. 8C, the portion of the conductive layer 52a that is not covered by the resist pattern 53 is removed by etching. Next, as shown in FIG. 8D, the resist pattern 53 is removed.
As a result, the pattern substrate 50 on which the conductive pattern 52 having the pattern corresponding to the first metal layer 32 is formed can be obtained.

[First film formation step]
Next, the first film forming process for producing the above-mentioned first metal layer 32 by using the pattern substrate 50 will be described. Here, a first plating treatment step is carried out in which the first plating solution is supplied onto the base material 51 on which the conductive pattern 52 is formed, and the first metal layer 32 is deposited on the conductive pattern 52. For example, the base material 51 on which the conductive pattern 52 is formed is immersed in a plating tank filled with the first plating solution. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9A, it is possible to obtain the first metal layer 32 provided with the first opening 30 in a predetermined pattern on the base material 51. The thickness of the first metal layer 32 is, for example, 5 μm or less.

Due to the characteristics of the plating process, as shown in FIG. 9A, the first metal layer 32 is not only a portion that overlaps with the conductive pattern 52 when viewed along the normal direction of the base material 51, but also the conductive pattern 52. It can also be formed in a part that does not overlap with. This is because the first metal layer 32 is further deposited on the surface of the first metal layer 32 deposited at the portion overlapping the end portion 54 of the conductive pattern 52. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9A, the end portion 33 of the first opening 30 may be located at a portion that does not overlap with the conductive pattern 52 when viewed along the normal direction of the base material 51. ..

As long as the first metal layer 32 can be deposited on the conductive pattern 52, the specific method of the first plating treatment step is not particularly limited. For example, the first plating treatment step may be carried out as a so-called electrolytic plating treatment step in which the first metal layer 32 is deposited on the conductive pattern 52 by passing an electric current through the conductive pattern 52. Alternatively, the first plating treatment step may be an electroless plating treatment step. When the first plating process is an electroless plating process, an appropriate catalyst layer may be provided on the conductive pattern 52. Alternatively, the conductive pattern 52 may be configured to function as a catalyst layer. Even when the electrolytic plating treatment step is carried out, the catalyst layer may be provided on the conductive pattern 52.

The components of the first plating solution used are appropriately determined according to the characteristics required for the first metal layer 32. For example, when the first metal layer 32 is made of an iron alloy containing nickel, a mixed solution of a solution containing a nickel compound and a solution containing an iron compound can be used as the first plating solution. For example, a mixed solution of a solution containing nickel sulfamate or nickel bromide and a solution containing ferrous sulfamate can be used. The plating solution may contain various additives. As the additive, a pH buffering agent such as boric acid, a primary brightener such as saccharin natriu, a secondary brightener such as butinediol, propagyl alcohol, coumarin, formalin, and thiourea, and an antioxidant may be used. ..

[Second film formation step]
Next, a second film forming step of forming the second metal layer 37 provided with the second opening 35 communicating with the first opening 30 on the first metal layer 32 is carried out. First, a resist forming step of forming a resist pattern 55 with a predetermined gap 56 is carried out on the base material 51 and the first metal layer 32. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view showing a resist pattern 55 formed on the base material 51. As shown in FIG. 9B, in the resist forming step, the first opening 30 of the first metal layer 32 is covered with the resist pattern 55, and the gap 56 of the resist pattern 55 is located on the first metal layer 32. Will be carried out.

Hereinafter, an example of the resist forming step will be described. First, a negative resist film is formed by attaching a dry film on the base material 51 and the first metal layer 32. Examples of the dry film include those containing an acrylic photocurable resin such as RY3310 manufactured by Hitachi Chemical. Further, the resist film may be formed by applying the material for the resist pattern 55 on the base material 51 and then performing firing as necessary. Next, an exposure mask that does not allow light to pass through the region of the resist film that should be the gap 56 is prepared, and the exposure mask is placed on the resist film. After that, the exposure mask is sufficiently adhered to the resist film by vacuum adhesion. A positive type resist film may be used as the resist film. In this case, as the exposure mask, an exposure mask that allows light to pass through the region of the resist film to be removed is used.

After that, the resist film is exposed through the exposure mask. Further, the resist film is developed to form an image on the exposed resist film. As described above, as shown in FIG. 9B, the resist pattern 55 can be provided with the gap 56 located on the first metal layer 32 and can cover the first opening 30 of the first metal layer 32. .. In order to make the resist pattern 55 adhere more firmly to the base material 51 and the first metal layer 32, a heat treatment step of heating the resist pattern 55 may be performed after the developing step.

Next, a second plating treatment step is carried out in which the second plating solution is supplied to the gap 56 of the resist pattern 55 to deposit the second metal layer 37 on the first metal layer 32. For example, the base material 51 on which the first metal layer 32 is formed is immersed in a plating tank filled with a second plating solution. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C, the second metal layer 37 can be formed on the first metal layer 32. The thickness of the second metal layer 37 is set so that the thickness T2 of the intermediate portion 18 is within the range of 3 to 20 μm.

As long as the second metal layer 37 can be deposited on the first metal layer 32, the specific method of the second plating treatment step is not particularly limited. For example, the second plating treatment step may be carried out as a so-called electrolytic plating treatment step in which the second metal layer 37 is deposited on the first metal layer 32 by passing an electric current through the first metal layer 32. Alternatively, the second plating treatment step may be an electroless plating treatment step. When the second plating treatment step is an electroless plating treatment step, an appropriate catalyst layer may be provided on the first metal layer 32. Even when the electrolytic plating treatment step is carried out, the catalyst layer may be provided on the first metal layer 32.

As the second plating solution, the same plating solution as the above-mentioned first plating solution may be used. Alternatively, a plating solution different from the first plating solution may be used as the second plating solution. When the composition of the first plating solution and the composition of the second plating solution are the same, the composition of the metal constituting the first metal layer 32 and the composition of the metal constituting the second metal layer 37 are also the same.

Note that FIG. 9C shows an example in which the second plating treatment step is continued until the upper surface of the resist pattern 55 and the upper surface of the second metal layer 37 coincide with each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second plating process may be stopped in a state where the upper surface of the second metal layer 37 is located below the upper surface of the resist pattern 55.

[Removal process]
After that, a removal step of removing the resist pattern 55 is carried out. For example, by using an alkaline stripping solution, the resist pattern 55 can be stripped from the base material 51, the first metal layer 32, and the second metal layer 37.

[Separation process]
Next, a separation step of separating the combination of the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 from the base material 51 is carried out. As a result, the first metal layer 32 provided with the first opening 30 in a predetermined pattern and the second metal layer 37 provided with the second opening 35 communicating with the first opening 30 are provided. , The intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained.

Then, as described above, the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained by joining the pair of selvage portions 17 prepared separately from the intermediate portion 18 to the intermediate portion 18.

The advantages of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 as described above will be described below.

In the present embodiment, the vapor deposition mask 20 is configured by joining a pair of ear portions 17 and an intermediate portion 18. Therefore, the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18 in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Therefore, the length B1 of the pattern substrate 50 used for manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 can be made smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Therefore, the intermediate portion 18 is manufactured by using the pattern substrate 50 by using a smaller manufacturing facility than in the case of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the pair of ear portions 17 and the intermediate portion 18 are integrally formed. Can be done. For example, as a facility for forming the resist pattern 55 on the pattern substrate 50 by a photolithography method using an exposure mask, a small device can be used. Further, as a facility for supplying a plating solution (second plating solution) to the gap 56 of the resist pattern 55 to form a metal layer (second metal layer 37), a small one can be used. Therefore, as compared with the case of using a large-scale facility, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of variation or deviation from the design in the position and shape of the through hole 25 of the intermediate portion 18. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vapor deposition mask 20 that can be applied to a large organic EL substrate 92 and that can precisely adhere the vapor deposition material 98 on the organic EL substrate 92. In addition, it is possible to reduce the capital investment required to cope with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask 20.

It is possible to make various changes to the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, modification examples will be described with reference to the drawings as necessary. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals as those used for the corresponding portions in the above-described embodiment will be used for the portions that can be configured in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. Duplicate explanations will be omitted. Further, when it is clear that the action and effect obtained in the above-described embodiment can be obtained in the modified example, the description thereof may be omitted.

(First modification)
In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 9A to 9C described above, the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 is configured by laminating at least two metal layers, a first metal layer 32 and a second metal layer 37. I explained the case. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 may be composed of one metal layer 27 in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed in a predetermined pattern. Hereinafter, an example in which the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 includes one metal layer 27 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A to 11. In this modification, the portion of the through hole 25 from the first surface 20a to the second surface 20b of the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 that is located on the first surface 20a is referred to as a first opening 30 and penetrates. The portion of the hole 25 located on the second surface 20b is referred to as a second opening 35.

First, a method of manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 according to this modification will be described.

First, the base material 51 on which the predetermined conductive pattern 52 is formed is prepared. Next, as shown in FIG. 10A, a resist forming step of forming a resist pattern 55 with a predetermined gap 56 is carried out on the base material 51. Preferably, the distance between the side surfaces 57 of the resist pattern 55 defining the gap 56 of the resist pattern 55 becomes narrower as the distance from the substrate 51 increases. That is, the resist pattern 55 has a shape in which the width of the resist pattern 55 becomes wider as the distance from the base material 51 increases, that is, a so-called reverse taper shape.

An example of a method for forming such a resist pattern 55 will be described. For example, first, a resist film containing a photocurable resin is provided on the surface of the base material 51 on the side on which the conductive pattern 52 is formed. Next, the resist film is exposed by irradiating the resist film with the exposure light incident on the base material 51 from the side of the base material 51 opposite to the side on which the resist film is provided. Then, the resist film is developed. In this case, a resist pattern 55 having a reverse taper shape as shown in FIG. 10A can be obtained based on the wraparound (diffraction) of the exposure light.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, a plating treatment step of supplying a plating solution to the gap 56 of the resist pattern 55 to deposit the metal layer 27 on the conductive pattern 52 is performed. After that, by carrying out the above-mentioned removal step and separation step, as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to obtain the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 provided with the metal layer 27 provided with the through holes 25 in a predetermined pattern. can. The thickness of the metal layer 27 is, for example, in the range of 5 to 50 μm.

The resist pattern 55 that can be used to fabricate the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 shown in FIG. 11 is not limited to the resist pattern 55 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. For example, even when the resist pattern 55 has a shape in which the width of the resist pattern 55 narrows as it moves away from the base material 51, that is, a so-called forward taper shape, the vapor deposition having the through holes 25 shown in FIG. 11 is provided. The intermediate portion 18 of the mask 20 can be obtained. In this case, of the surfaces of the metal layer 27 formed by the plating treatment step, the surface on the side in contact with the base material 51 becomes the second surface 20b of the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20.

(Second modification)
In the above-described embodiment and the first modification, an example of producing the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 by the plating treatment has been described. However, the method adopted for producing the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 is not limited to the plating process. Hereinafter, an outline of a method for producing the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor-film deposition mask 20 by forming a through hole 25 in the metal plate 21 by etching to obtain the vapor-film deposition mask 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A to 12C.

(Intermediate preparation process)
First, as shown in FIG. 12A, a metal plate 21 having a predetermined thickness is prepared. As a material constituting the metal plate 21, an iron alloy containing nickel or the like can be used. Note that FIG. 12A shows an example in which the metal plate 21 is prepared in the form of a single leaf such as a sheet, but the present invention is not limited to this. Although not shown, a long metal plate 21 may be prepared. Next, by forming a through hole 25 in the metal plate 21 by utilizing etching, a plurality of effective regions 22 in which the plurality of through holes 25 are formed are provided in the metal plate 21. For example, first, a resist film is first provided on the first surface 21a and the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21, respectively. Next, the resist film is irradiated with exposure light through an exposure mask so that the resist film located above the region where the through hole 25 should be formed in the metal plate 21 is removed, and then the resist film is applied. develop. FIG. 12B shows how the exposure mask 70 is arranged so as to overlap the metal plate 21. Next, the region of the metal plate 21 that is not covered by the resist film is etched. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the metal plate 21 can be provided with a plurality of effective regions 22 in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12C, the metal plate 21 may be cut into a plurality of pieces along the direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 by utilizing etching. This makes it possible to obtain an intermediate portion 18 provided with a plurality of effective regions 22 along the longitudinal direction.

In FIG. 12B, the dimension of the exposure mask 70 (hereinafter, also referred to as the length of the exposure mask 70) in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate portion 18 allocated to the metal plate 21 is represented by reference numeral B3. Further, the dimensions of the exposure mask 70 (hereinafter, also referred to as the width of the exposure mask 70) in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the intermediate portion 18 allocated to the metal plate 21 are represented by reference numerals B4. The length B3 of the exposure mask 70 is set to be equal to or greater than the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18, and is set to be smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. For example, the length B3 is in the range of 850 to 1200 mm. The width B4 of the exposure mask 70 is set according to the number of intermediate portions 18 allocated to the metal plate 21. For example, the width B4 is in the range of 300 to 750 mm.

(Ear preparation process)
Further, in the same manner as in the case of the present embodiment described above, the selvage preparation step of preparing the pair of selvages 17 constituting the pair of ends 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is carried out.
(Joining process)
Then, in the same manner as in the case of the present embodiment described above, the pair of selvages 17 are joined to the intermediate portion 18 via the joint 19 so that the intermediate portion 18 is located between the pair of selvage portions 17. Carry out the process. Thereby, the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 by utilizing etching will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 13 to 14D.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 produced by utilizing etching is cut along the YY line of FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 13, as will be described in detail later, the first opening 30 is formed by etching on the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 which is one side in the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask, and the metal plate 21 is formed. A second opening 35 is formed by etching on the second surface 21b on the other side in the normal direction. The first opening 30 is connected to the second opening 35, whereby the second opening 35 and the first opening 30 are formed so as to communicate with each other. The through hole 25 is composed of a second opening 35 and a first opening 30 connected to the second opening 35.

As shown in FIG. 13, the plate of the intermediate portion 18 at each position along the normal direction of the intermediate portion 18 from the side of the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 toward the side of the second surface 20b. The cross-sectional area of each first opening 30 in the cross section along the surface gradually becomes smaller. Similarly, the cross-sectional area of each second opening 35 in the cross section along the plate surface of the intermediate portion 18 at each position along the normal direction of the intermediate portion 18 is from the side of the second surface 20b of the intermediate portion 18. It gradually becomes smaller toward the side of the first surface 20a.

As shown in FIG. 13, the wall surface 31 of the first opening 30 and the wall surface 36 of the second opening 35 are connected via a circumferential connecting portion 41. In the connecting portion 41, the wall surface 31 of the first opening 30 inclined with respect to the normal direction of the intermediate portion 18 and the wall surface 36 of the second opening 35 inclined with respect to the normal direction of the intermediate portion 18 meet. It is defined by the ridgeline of the overhanging part. Then, the connecting portion 41 defines a penetrating portion 42 in which the area of the through hole 25 is minimized in the plan view of the intermediate portion 18.

As shown in FIG. 13, on one side surface of the intermediate portion 18 along the normal direction, that is, on the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18, the two adjacent through holes 25 are the plates of the intermediate portion 18. They are separated from each other along the surface. That is, as in the manufacturing method described later, the metal plate 21 is etched from the first surface 21a side of the metal plate 21 corresponding to the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 to produce the first opening 30. In this case, the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 remains between the two adjacent first openings 30.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13, on the other side of the intermediate portion 18 along the normal direction, that is, on the side of the second surface 20b of the intermediate portion 18, two adjacent second openings 35 are formed. They may be separated from each other along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask. That is, the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 may remain between the two adjacent second openings 35. In the following description, the portion of the effective region 22 of the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 that remains unetched is also referred to as a top portion 43. By manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 so that such a top portion 43 remains, the intermediate portion 18 can be provided with sufficient strength. This makes it possible to prevent the vapor deposition mask 20 from being damaged during transportation, for example. If the width β of the top portion 43 is too large, shadows may occur in the vapor deposition process, which may reduce the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98. Therefore, it is preferable that the vapor deposition mask 20 is manufactured so that the width β of the top portion 43 does not become excessively large. For example, the width β of the top portion 43 is preferably 2 μm or less. The width β of the top portion 43 generally changes depending on the direction in which the width β is measured. For example, the width β of the top portion 43 in the cross-sectional view when the vapor deposition mask is virtually cut along the YY line of FIG. 5 shown in FIG. 13 in the direction intersecting the YY line of FIG. The width β of the top portion 43 in the cross-sectional view when the vapor deposition mask is virtually cut along the line may be different from each other. In this case, the intermediate portion 18 may be configured so that the width β of the top portion 43 is 2 μm or less regardless of which direction the intermediate portion 18 is cut.

Also in FIG. 13, as in the case shown in FIGS. 6 and 11 described above, the path of the vapor-filmed material 98 passing through the end 38 of the through hole 25 (second opening 35) on the second surface 20b side of the intermediate portion 18. Of the paths that can reach the organic EL substrate 92, the path that minimizes the angle formed by the intermediate portion 18 with respect to the normal direction N is represented by reference numeral L1. Further, the angle formed by the path L1 and the normal direction N of the intermediate portion 18 is represented by the reference numeral θ1. Also in this embodiment, it is preferable to increase the angle θ1 in order to increase the utilization efficiency of the thin-film deposition material 98. For example, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the intermediate portion 18 as much as possible within the range in which the strength of the intermediate portion 18 can be secured, thereby increasing the angle θ1. For example, the thickness of the intermediate portion 18 is set to 80 μm or less, for example, in the range of 10 to 80 μm or in the range of 20 to 80 μm. In order to further improve the accuracy of the vapor deposition, the thickness of the intermediate portion 18 may be set to 40 μm or less, for example, in the range of 10 to 40 μm or in the range of 20 to 40 μm. The thickness of the intermediate portion 18 is the thickness of the peripheral region 23, that is, the thickness of the portion of the intermediate portion 18 in which the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 are not formed. Therefore, it can be said that the thickness of the intermediate portion 18 is the thickness of the metal plate 21.

Next, a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 shown in FIG. 13 by utilizing etching will be described.

First, a metal plate 21 having a predetermined thickness is prepared. As a material constituting the metal plate 21, an iron alloy containing nickel or the like can be used. Next, as shown in FIG. 14A, a first resist pattern 65a is formed on the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 with a predetermined gap 66a. Further, a second resist pattern 65b is formed on the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 with a predetermined gap 66b. In these first resist pattern 65a and second resist pattern 65b, as described above, the resist film provided on the first surface 21a and the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 is formed into a predetermined pattern using an exposure mask. It is obtained by exposing with and then developing.

Then, as shown in FIG. 14B, a first surface etching step of etching the region of the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 that is not covered by the first resist pattern 65a with the first etching solution is performed. For example, the first etching solution is sprayed from a nozzle arranged on the side facing the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 toward the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 through the first resist pattern 65a. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14B, erosion by the first etching solution proceeds in the region of the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 that is not covered by the first resist pattern 65a. As a result, a large number of first openings 30 are formed on the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21. As the first etching solution, for example, a solution containing ferric chloride solution and hydrochloric acid is used.

Then, as shown in FIG. 14C, the first opening 30 is covered with the resin 69 having resistance to the second etching solution used in the subsequent second surface etching step. That is, the first opening 30 is sealed with the resin 69 having resistance to the second etching solution. In the example shown in FIG. 14C, the film of the resin 69 is formed so as to cover not only the formed first opening 30 but also the first surface 21a (first resist pattern 65a) of the metal plate 21.

Next, as shown in FIG. 14D, a second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 that is not covered by the second resist pattern 65b is etched to form a second opening 35 on the second surface 21b. Perform a surface etching process. The second surface etching step is carried out until the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 communicate with each other so that the through hole 25 is formed. As the second etching solution, for example, a solution containing ferric chloride solution and hydrochloric acid is used as in the case of the above-mentioned first etching solution.

The erosion by the second etching solution is performed in the portion of the metal plate 21 that is in contact with the second etching solution. Therefore, the erosion proceeds not only in the normal direction (thickness direction) of the metal plate 21 but also in the direction along the plate surface of the metal plate 21. Here, preferably, in the second surface etching step, two second openings 35 formed at positions facing two adjacent gaps 66b of the second resist pattern 65b are located between the two gaps 66b. It is terminated before merging on the back side of the bridge portion 67b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14D, the above-mentioned top portion 43 can be left on the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21.

After that, the resin 69 is removed from the metal plate 21. As a result, it is possible to obtain an intermediate portion 18 having a plurality of through holes 25 formed in the metal plate 21. The resin 69 can be removed, for example, by using an alkaline stripping solution. When an alkaline stripping solution is used, the resist patterns 65a and 65b can be removed at the same time as the resin 69. After removing the resin 69, the resist patterns 65a and 65b may be removed separately from the resin 69 by using a peeling liquid different from the peeling liquid for peeling the resin 69. After that, the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained by joining the pair of selvage portions 17 prepared separately from the intermediate portion 18 to the intermediate portion 18.

Similar to the case of the present embodiment described above, in this modification as well, the vapor deposition mask 20 is configured by joining the pair of ear portions 17 and the intermediate portion 18. Therefore, the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18 in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Therefore, the length B3 of the exposure mask 70 used for manufacturing the intermediate portion 18 can be made smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Therefore, the metal plate 21 is processed to manufacture the intermediate portion 18 by using a smaller manufacturing facility as compared with the case of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the pair of ear portions 17 and the intermediate portion 18 are integrally formed. Can be done. For example, as equipment for forming the resist patterns 65a and 65b on the metal plate 21 by the photolithography method using the exposure mask 70, a small one can be used.
Further, as equipment for etching the regions of the surfaces 21a and 21b of the metal plate 21 that are not covered by the resist patterns 65a and 65b, a small one can be used. Therefore, as compared with the case of using a large-scale facility, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of variation or deviation from the design in the position and shape of the through hole 25 of the intermediate portion 18. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vapor deposition mask 20 that can be applied to a large organic EL substrate 92 and that can precisely adhere the vapor deposition material 98 on the organic EL substrate 92. In addition, it is possible to reduce the capital investment required to cope with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask 20.

In the example shown in FIGS. 13 to 14D described above, an example is shown in which the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 is manufactured by etching the metal plate 21 from both the first surface 21a side and the second surface 21b side. rice field. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and although not shown, the metal plate 21 is etched from the second surface 21b side to form a through hole 25 extending from the second surface 21b to the first surface 21a. The intermediate portion 18 of the mask 20 may be manufactured.

(Third modification example)
In the above-described embodiment and each modification, an example is shown in which the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 includes a plurality of effective regions 22 arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. It is not limited to. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of effective regions 22 may be arranged in a grid pattern along both the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. Also in this modification, as shown in FIG. 15, the pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 may be configured by the pair of ear portions 17 joined to the intermediate portion 18 via the joint portion 19. good.

(Fourth modification)
In the above-described embodiment, in the joining step, a part of the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 is intermittently irradiated with dots at each position along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. An example is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the joining step, the laser beam continuously and linearly irradiates a part of the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 to each position along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. You may. In this case, the fusion region 19b straddling a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 is formed linearly along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a linear welding mark 19c extending along the width direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is formed on the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18. The linear welding mark 19c has a concave shape or the like in the cross-sectional view, similarly to the above-mentioned point-shaped welding mark 19a.

(Fifth variant)
In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which a laser beam is applied to the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 in the joining step. However, as long as a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 can be melted and thereby the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 can be joined, the surface irradiated with the laser beam is particularly limited. There is no such thing. For example, laser light may be applied to the second surface 20b of a part of the selvage portion 17 overlapped with a part of the intermediate portion 18. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17, welding marks 19a such as recesses due to melting of the intermediate portion 18 are formed on the second surface 20b of the selvage portion 17.

Although not shown, welding marks 19a such as recesses caused by melting of the intermediate portion 18 may be formed on both the surface of the intermediate portion 18 and the surface of the selvage portion 17. For example, when an electric welding method is performed in which a part of the ear portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 are sandwiched between the electrodes and a voltage is applied between the electrodes, the welding marks 19a such as the recesses are formed on the intermediate portion 18. It can be formed on both the surface and the surface of the selvage 17.

In FIGS. 4 and 17, the end portion 17e of the selvage portion 17 and the end portion 18e of the intermediate portion 18 are overlapped so that the first surface 20a of the selvage portion 17 and the second surface 20b of the intermediate portion 18 are in contact with each other. An example is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and although not shown, the end portion 17e of the selvage portion 17 and the end of the intermediate portion 18 are in contact with each other so that the second surface 20b of the selvage portion 17 and the first surface 20a of the intermediate portion 18 are in contact with each other. It may overlap with the part 18e.

(Sixth modification)
In the above-described embodiment, in the joining step, the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 are joined in a state where the end portion 17e of the selvage portion 17 and the end portion 18e of the intermediate portion 18 are overlapped with each other. Indicated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 18, the end face of the selvage 17 is in contact with the end face of the end 17e of the selvage 17 and the end face of the end 18e of the intermediate 18e. And the end face of the end 18e of the middle portion 18 are melted, thereby forming a fusion region 19b between the end 17e of the selvage 17 and the end 18e of the selvage 18 and intermediate between the selvage 17 and the selvage 17. It may be joined to the portion 18.

(7th modification)
In the present embodiment described above, an example is shown in which the joint portion 19 includes a fusion region 19b in which a part of the selvage portion 17 and a part of the intermediate portion 18 are fused. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 may be joined by using a member separate from the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the joining member 19d is arranged so as to overlap the ends 17e and 18e in a state where the end surface of the end 17e of the selvage 17 and the end surface of the end 18e of the intermediate 18 are in contact with each other. Then, the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 may be joined by melting the joining member 19d. As the joining member 19d, the same material as the material constituting the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18 can be used, for example, an Invar material containing 34 to 38% by mass of nickel, or cobalt in addition to nickel. Iron alloys such as Super Invar material containing can be used.

(8th modification)
In the above-described embodiment, all of the pair of selvage portions 17 constituting the pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 are joined to the intermediate portion 18 via the joint portion 19. An example is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, as long as at least one of the pair of selvage portions 17 is joined to the intermediate portion 18 via the joint portion 19. For example, one of the selvages 17 of the pair of ears 17 is joined to the intermediate portion 18 via the junction 19, but the other selvage of the pair of ears 17 is the intermediate portion. It may be integrally configured with 18. For example, when the intermediate portion 18 is produced by the plating process, the other selvage portion is also produced together with the intermediate portion 18 by the plating process. Further, when the intermediate portion 18 is manufactured by etching the metal plate 21, the other selvage portion is also manufactured from the metal plate 21 together with the intermediate portion 18. Even in this case, the length A2 of the intermediate portion 18 can be made smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20 by the length A1 of the pair of ear portions 17. The middle portion 18 and the other selvage portion 17 can be manufactured by using this candy and a small manufacturing facility.

(9th modification)
In the above-described embodiment and each modification, an example is shown in which the vapor deposition mask 20 is configured by joining the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18. However, as long as the vapor deposition mask 20 can be manufactured using a small manufacturing facility, the divided form of the vapor deposition mask 20 is limited to the form in which the vapor deposition mask 20 is divided into the selvage portion 17 and the intermediate portion 18. not. In this modification, an example in which the intermediate portion 18 of the vapor deposition mask 20 is divided into a first intermediate portion 18A and a second intermediate portion 18B will be described.

FIG. 20 is a plan view showing a vapor deposition mask device 10 including a vapor deposition mask 20 according to this modification. As shown in FIG. 20, the vapor deposition mask 20 includes a pair of selvage portions 17 constituting a pair of end portions 20e in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20, and an intermediate portion 18 located between the pair of selvagement portions 17. I have. The intermediate portion 18 includes a plurality of effective regions 22 provided along the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 and a peripheral region 23 surrounding the 22. Further, in the effective region 22, a plurality of through holes 25 are formed in a regular arrangement.

In this modification, the intermediate portion 18 is divided into at least a first intermediate portion 18A including at least one effective region 22 and a second intermediate portion 18B including at least one effective region 22 in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. Will be done. FIG. 20 shows an example in which the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B each include three effective regions 22. Although not shown, the number of effective regions 22 included in the first intermediate portion 18A and the number of effective regions 22 included in the second intermediate portion 18B may be different.

In the example shown in FIG. 20, one selvagement portion 17 including one end portion 20e of the vapor deposition mask 20 is integrally configured with the first intermediate portion 18A. Further, the other selvage portion 17 including the other end portion 20e of the vapor deposition mask 20 is integrally configured with the second intermediate portion 18B. In FIG. 20, the length of the first intermediate portion 18A integrally formed with one selvage portion 17 in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is represented by reference numeral C1. Further, the length of the second intermediate portion 18B integrally formed with the other selvage portion 17 in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is represented by the reference numeral C2.

In this modification, the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are joined via the joining portion 19 in the peripheral region 23. FIG. 21 is an enlarged plan view showing a joint portion 19 to which the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are joined. Further, FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the joint portion 19. As shown in FIG. 22, the joint portion 19 is fused by melting a part of the peripheral region 23 of the first intermediate portion 18A and a part of the peripheral region 23 of the second intermediate portion 18B, and then solidifying. It contains a fusion region 19b formed by doing so. When the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are irradiated with the laser beam to form the fusion region 19b, the surfaces of the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are covered with the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B as shown in FIG. Weld marks 19a such as recesses due to melting of the 1 intermediate portion 18A and the 2nd intermediate portion 18B are formed.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 22, in the joint portion 19, the end face of the end portion 18Ae located in the peripheral region 23 of the first intermediate portion 18A and the end portion 18Be located in the peripheral region 23 of the second intermediate portion 18B. It is in contact with the end face. In this case, as shown in FIG. 22, the first surface 20a of the first intermediate portion 18A and the first surface 20a of the second intermediate portion 18B may be positioned on the same plane, or the second surface of the first intermediate portion 18A may be positioned. The 20b and the second surface 20b of the second intermediate portion 18B can be positioned on the same plane. This makes it possible to prevent a step from being generated between the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B. Although not shown, the end face of the end 18Ae of the first intermediate portion 18A and the end face of the end 18Be of the second intermediate portion 18B are brought into contact with each other as in the case of the seventh modification shown in FIG. In this state, the joining member 19d is arranged so as to overlap the end face of the end portion 18Ae and the end face of the end portion 18Be, and the joining member 19d is melted to form the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B. May be joined.

Next, an example of the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 shown in FIG. 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 23A to 23C.

(Intermediate preparation process)
First, an intermediate portion preparation step for preparing an intermediate portion 18 including a first intermediate portion 18A and a second intermediate portion 18B in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed is carried out. Here, an example of manufacturing the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B by using the plating treatment will be described as in the case of the above-described embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 23A, the pattern substrate 50 is prepared. Next, a plating solution is supplied to the pattern substrate 50 to deposit a metal layer such as the above-mentioned first metal layer 32 or second metal layer 37 on the conductive pattern 52 of the pattern substrate 50. As a result, as shown in FIG. 23B, the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B including the plurality of effective regions 22 can be formed on the pattern substrate 50, respectively. After that, the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are separated from the pattern substrate 50, respectively. For example, the first intermediate portion 18A is peeled off from the pattern substrate 50 while holding a part of the first intermediate portion 18A. In this way, the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B can be prepared by utilizing the plating process. As shown in FIG. 23B, one selvage portion 17 is integrally formed with the first intermediate portion 18A by plating treatment, and the other selvagement portion 17 is integrally formed with the second intermediate portion 18B by plating treatment. You may.

In FIG. 23A, the dimensions of the pattern substrate 50 (hereinafter, also referred to as the length of the pattern substrate 50) in the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B formed on the pattern substrate 50 are represented by reference numerals B1. It is represented. Further, the dimension of the pattern substrate 50 (hereinafter, also referred to as the width of the pattern substrate 50) in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B formed on the pattern substrate 50 is the reference numeral B2. It is represented by. The length B1 of the pattern substrate 50 is set to the length C1 or more of the first intermediate portion 18A, is set to the length C2 or more of the second intermediate portion 18B, and is set smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Will be done.

(Joining process)
After that, a joining step of joining the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B via the joining portion 19 so that the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are lined up along the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. To carry out. As a result, as shown in FIG. 23C, the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained. As the joining method, various methods such as the above-mentioned laser welding can be adopted.

Also in this modification, as in the case of the present embodiment described above, the length B1 of the pattern substrate 50 used for manufacturing the first intermediate portion 18A, the second intermediate portion 18B, and the like is set on the entire vapor deposition mask 20. It can be smaller than the length A. Therefore, the intermediate portion 18 is manufactured by using the pattern substrate 50 by using a smaller manufacturing facility than in the case of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are integrally formed. can do. Therefore, as compared with the case of using a large-scale facility, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of variation or deviation from the design in the position and shape of the through hole 25 of the intermediate portion 18. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vapor deposition mask 20 that can be applied to a large organic EL substrate 92 and that can precisely adhere the vapor deposition material 98 on the organic EL substrate 92. In addition, it is possible to reduce the capital investment required to cope with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask 20.

Also in this modification, as in the case of the second modification described above, the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B of the vapor deposition mask 20 are formed by forming a through hole 25 in the metal plate 21 by etching. It may be produced and a vapor deposition mask 20 may be obtained. In this case, first, as shown in FIG. 24A, a metal plate 21 having a predetermined thickness is prepared. Next, by forming a through hole 25 in the metal plate 21 by utilizing etching, a plurality of effective regions 22 in which the plurality of through holes 25 are formed are provided in the metal plate 21. For example, first, a resist film is first provided on the first surface 21a and the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21, respectively. Next, the resist film is irradiated with exposure light through an exposure mask so that the resist film located above the region where the through hole 25 should be formed in the metal plate 21 is removed, and then the resist film is applied. develop. FIG. 24B shows how the exposure mask 70 is arranged so as to overlap the metal plate 21. Next, the region of the metal plate 21 that is not covered by the resist film is etched. As a result, as shown in FIG. 24C, the metal plate 21 can be provided with a plurality of effective regions 22 in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 24C, the metal plate 21 may be cut into a plurality of pieces along the direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 by utilizing etching. Thereby, a first intermediate portion 18A including at least one effective region 22 and a second intermediate portion 18B including at least one effective region 22 can be obtained. As shown in FIG. 24C, even if one selvage portion 17 is integrally formed with the first intermediate portion 18A by etching and the other selvagement portion 17 is integrally formed with the second intermediate portion 18B by etching. good.

In FIG. 24B, the dimensions of the exposure mask 70 (hereinafter, also referred to as the length of the exposure mask 70) in the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B allocated to the metal plate 21 are represented by reference numerals B3. ing. Further, the dimensions of the exposure mask 70 (hereinafter, also referred to as the width of the exposure mask 70) in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B allocated to the metal plate 21 are represented by reference numerals B4. Has been done. The length B3 of the exposure mask 70 is set to the length C1 or more of the first intermediate portion 18A, is set to the length C2 or more of the second intermediate portion 18B, and is set smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Will be done.

(Joining process)
After that, in the same manner as in the case of the above-mentioned joining step shown in FIG. 23C, the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are first arranged via the joining portion 19 so as to be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. A joining step of joining the intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B is carried out. Thereby, the vapor deposition mask 20 can be obtained.

Also in this modification, the length B3 of the exposure mask 70 used for manufacturing the first intermediate portion 18A, the second intermediate portion 18B, and the like can be made smaller than the length A of the entire vapor deposition mask 20. Therefore, the metal plate 21 is processed to manufacture the intermediate portion 18 by using a smaller manufacturing facility as compared with the case of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the first intermediate portion 18A and the second intermediate portion 18B are integrally formed. can do. Therefore, as compared with the case of using a large-scale facility, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of variation or deviation from the design in the position and shape of the through hole 25 of the intermediate portion 18. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vapor deposition mask 20 that can be applied to a large organic EL substrate 92 and that can precisely adhere the vapor deposition material 98 on the organic EL substrate 92. In addition, it is possible to reduce the capital investment required to cope with the increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask 20.

In the ninth modification shown in FIGS. 20 to 24C, the selvage portion 17 is configured as a member separate from the intermediate portion 18 and the intermediate portion 18 is configured as in the case of the above-described embodiment. It may be joined to the first intermediate portion 18A or the second intermediate portion 18B of the above. In this case, the length of the first intermediate portion 18A and the length of the second intermediate portion 18B are smaller than in the case where the selvage portion 17, the first intermediate portion 18A, and the second intermediate portion 18B are integrally configured. can do. Therefore, as a manufacturing facility for manufacturing the intermediate portion 18, a smaller one can be used. Alternatively, a larger vapor deposition mask 20 can be manufactured using conventional manufacturing equipment.

Although some modifications to the above-described embodiments have been described, it is naturally possible to apply a plurality of modifications in combination as appropriate.

17 Ear part 18 Intermediate part 19 Joint part 19a Point-shaped welding mark 19b Fusion area 19c Linear welding mark 19d Joining member 20 Vapor deposition mask 21 Metal plate 22 Effective area 23 Peripheral area 25 Through hole 26 Through hole 30 First opening Part 31 Wall surface 32 First metal layer 35 Second opening 36 Wall surface 37 Second metal layer 41 Connection part 43 Top part 50 Pattern substrate 51 Base material 52 Conductive pattern 53 Resist pattern 54 End 55 Resist pattern 56 Gap 65a First Resist pattern 65b 2nd resist pattern 70 Exposure mask 92 Organic EL substrate 98 Welding material

Claims (8)

It is a vapor deposition mask device,
Thin-film mask and
With a frame for holding the vapor deposition mask,
An opening is formed in the frame.
The vapor deposition mask is
A pair of ears constituting the pair of ends in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask,
It comprises an intermediate portion located between the pair of ears and composed of a member separate from the ears.
The selvage portion includes a metal plate and contains a metal plate.
A plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion.
At least one of the pair of ears is joined to the middle portion via the joint.
The pair of ears are fixed to the frame and
The selvage, which is joined to the middle portion, includes an end in the longitudinal direction that overlaps the opening of the frame in plan view.
The intermediate portion joined to the selvage portion includes an end in the longitudinal direction that overlaps the opening of the frame in plan view.
The pair of ears are provided only at the pair of ends of the vapor deposition mask in the longitudinal direction.
The middle portion is a vapor deposition masking apparatus including an end in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and not joined to the selvage portion . It is a vapor deposition mask device,
Thin-film mask and
With a frame for holding the vapor deposition mask,
An opening is formed in the frame.
The vapor deposition mask is
A pair of ears constituting the pair of ends in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask,
It comprises an intermediate portion located between the pair of ears and composed of a member separate from the ears.
The selvage portion includes a metal plate and contains a metal plate.
A plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion.
At least one of the pair of ears is joined to the middle portion via the joint.
The pair of ears are fixed to the frame and
The selvage, which is joined to the middle portion, includes an end in the longitudinal direction that overlaps the opening of the frame in plan view.
The intermediate portion joined to the selvage portion includes an end in the longitudinal direction that overlaps the opening of the frame in plan view.
The pair of ears are provided only at the pair of ends of the vapor deposition mask in the longitudinal direction.
The bonded portion is a vapor deposition mask device including a fusion region in which a part of the selvage portion and a part of the intermediate portion are fused . The vapor deposition mask device according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate portion is an end in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and includes an end not joined to the selvage portion. The vapor deposition mask apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the difference between the width of the selvage portion and the width of the intermediate portion in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is 1 mm or less. The vapor deposition mask apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the ears of the plurality of vapor deposition masks are fixed to the sides of the frame along a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The vapor deposition mask apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the thickness of the effective region in which the plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion is in the range of 3 to 20 μm. The vapor deposition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the difference between the thickness of the selvage portion and the thickness of the effective region in which the plurality of through holes are formed in the intermediate portion is 30 μm or less. Mask device. The length of the intermediate portion and the length of the selvage portion in the longitudinal direction of the vapor deposition mask are within the range of 800 to 1100 mm and the range of 50 to 250 mm, respectively, according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The described vapor deposition mask device.

Images