KR20200040470A - Producing method of mask integrated frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a mask integrated with a frame. According to the present invention, the method of manufacturing the mask integrated with a frame is configured to manufacture a mask integrated with a frame in which at least one mask (100) and a frame (200) supporting the mask (100) are integrally formed. The method of manufacturing the mask integrated with a frame comprises the steps of: (a) providing a frame (200) having at least one mask cell region (CR); (b) making the mask (100) corresponding to the mask cell region (CR) of the frame (200); and (c) irradiating a laser (L) to a welding part (WP) of the mask (100) to attach the mask (100) to the frame (200). In the step (c), the inert gas is injected (IG) to the welding part (WP) as a target.

Description

Method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask {PRODUCING METHOD OF MASK INTEGRATED FRAME}

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask. More specifically, the mask can be integrally formed with the frame, the alignment between each mask can be made clear, and the mask can be prevented from being stepped by welding burrs when welding the frame. It relates to a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask.

Recently, studies on electroforming methods have been conducted in the manufacture of thin plates. The electroplating method is a method in which an anode and a cathode body are immersed in an electrolyte, and a metal thin plate is electrodeposited on the surface of the cathode body by applying a power source, and thus a mass production is expected.

On the other hand, as a technique for forming a pixel in the OLED manufacturing process, the FMM (Fine Metal Mask) method, which deposits an organic substance in a desired position by attaching a thin metal mask to a substrate, is mainly used.

In the conventional OLED manufacturing process, the mask is manufactured in a stick form, a plate form, etc., and then the mask is welded and fixed to the OLED pixel deposition frame. In one mask, a plurality of cells corresponding to one display may be provided. In addition, several masks can be fixed to the OLED pixel deposition frame for large-area OLED manufacturing. In the process of fixing to the frame, each mask is tensioned to be flat. Adjusting the tensile force so that the entire part of the mask is flat is a very difficult task. In particular, in order to align the mask patterns having a size of only a few to several tens of µm while all cells are flattened, a high-level operation to check the alignment state in real time while finely adjusting the tensile force applied to each side of the mask is required. do.

Nevertheless, in the process of fixing several masks to one frame, there was a problem in that alignment between the masks and between the mask cells did not work well. In addition, in the process of welding and fixing the mask to the frame, the thickness of the mask film was too thin and the large area had a problem that the mask was struck or distorted by the load.

In the case of ultra-high-definition OLED, the current QHD image quality is 500 ~ 600 pixel per inch (PPI), and the pixel size reaches about 30 ~ 50㎛, and 4K UHD, 8K UHD high image quality is higher than ~ 860 PPI, ~ 1600 PPI, etc. It has the resolution of. As described above, the alignment error between each cell should be reduced to a few μm in consideration of the pixel size of the ultra-high quality OLED, and an error out of this may lead to product failure, so the yield may be very low. Therefore, there is a need to develop a technique that prevents deformation such as a mask being crushed or distorted, a technique for making alignment clear, and a technique for fixing a mask to a frame.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object thereof is to provide a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask capable of forming an integral structure between a mask and a frame.

In addition, the present invention prevents the step by welding projections when welding the mask to the frame, suppresses the wear of the glass due to contact with the glass (backplane) in the pixel deposition process, and suppresses the occurrence of foreign matter due to scratch generation, An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask capable of preventing displacement of positional accuracy (PPA).

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask capable of preventing deformation such as a mask being struck or twisted and making alignment clear.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a frame-integrated mask in which the production time is significantly reduced and the yield is significantly increased.

The above object of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask in which at least one mask and a frame supporting the mask are integrally formed, comprising: (a) providing a frame having at least one mask cell region; (b) matching the mask to the mask cell area of the frame; And (c) irradiating a laser to the welding portion of the mask to adhere the mask to the frame, and in step (c), an inert gas is injected to the welding portion as a target, and is achieved by a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask.

Step (a) comprises: (a1) providing a border frame portion including a hollow region; (a2) connecting the planar mask cell sheet portion to the border frame portion; And (a3) forming a frame by forming a plurality of mask cell regions on the mask cell sheet portion.

Step (a) comprises: (a1) providing a border frame portion including a hollow region; And (a2) manufacturing a frame by connecting a mask cell sheet portion having a plurality of mask cell regions to an edge frame portion.

The mask can be attached to the tray and the tray loaded onto the frame to correspond the mask to the mask cell area of the frame.

The tray has a flat plate shape and may include a material through which laser light is transmitted.

The tray may include any one of glass, silica, heat-resistant glass, quartz, and alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ).

A laser through hole may be formed in a portion of the tray corresponding to the weld portion of the mask.

A welding bead is formed on a portion of the mask irradiated with the laser, and the welding bead can be mediated so that the mask and the frame are integrally connected.

The injection of an inert gas can suppress the oxidation of the welding beads.

When the inert gas is injected, the height of the welding bead may be formed to be 7.5 µm to 15 µm lower than when the inert gas is not injected.

The mask includes a mask cell on which a plurality of mask patterns are formed, and a dummy around the mask cell, and at least a portion of the dummy may be adhered to the mask cell sheet portion.

The mask cell sheet portion may include a plurality of mask cell regions along at least one of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

The mask cell sheet portion includes a border sheet portion; And at least one first grid sheet portion extending in the first direction and having both ends connected to the edge sheet portion.

The mask cell sheet portion may further include at least one second grid sheet portion formed to extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to intersect the first grid sheet portion, and both ends of which are connected to the edge sheet portion.

The mask and the frame may be made of any one of invar, super invar, nickel, and nickel-cobalt.

According to the present invention configured as described above, there is an effect that the mask and the frame can achieve an integral structure.

In addition, according to the present invention, when the mask is welded to the frame, the occurrence of a step difference due to the protrusion of the weld is prevented, thereby suppressing the wear of the glass due to contact with the glass (backplane) in the pixel deposition process, and suppressing the occurrence of foreign matter due to scratch generation And it has the effect of preventing the displacement of position precision (PPA).

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent deformation such as a mask being struck or distorted and to make alignment clear.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an effect that can significantly reduce the manufacturing time, and significantly increase the yield.

1 is a schematic view showing a conventional OLED pixel deposition mask.
2 is a schematic view showing a process of bonding a conventional mask to a frame.
3 is a schematic diagram showing that an alignment error occurs between cells in the process of stretching a conventional mask.
4 is a front view and a side cross-sectional view showing a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a front view and a side cross-sectional view showing a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of a frame according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a schematic view showing a shape of a mask and a state in which the mask is attached on a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a tray is loaded on a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention to associate a mask with a cell region of the frame.
10 and 11 are schematic diagrams showing a state after welding a conventional mask to a frame.
12 is a photograph showing a state in which a conventional mask is welded to a frame.
FIG. 13 shows the results of surface dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of a weld bead by welding a conventional mask to a frame.
14 is a schematic view showing a state in which a mask is welded to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a schematic view showing a process of sequentially adhering a mask to a cell region according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a schematic view showing a process of lowering the temperature of a process region after adhering a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention to a cell region of a frame.
17 is a schematic diagram showing an OLED pixel deposition apparatus using an integrated frame mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For a detailed description of the present invention, which will be described later, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that illustrate, by way of example, specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These examples are described in detail enough to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain shapes, structures, and properties described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in relation to one embodiment. In addition, it should be understood that the location or placement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment can be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not intended to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention, if appropriately described, is limited only by the appended claims, along with all ranges equivalent to those claimed. In the drawings, similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions across various aspects, and length, area, thickness, and the like may be exaggerated for convenience.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in order to enable those skilled in the art to easily implement the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional OLED pixel deposition mask 10.

Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional mask 10 may be manufactured in a stick-type or plate-type. The mask 10 shown in (a) of FIG. 1 is a stick-shaped mask and can be used by welding and fixing both sides of the stick to an OLED pixel deposition frame. The mask 100 illustrated in FIG. 1B is a plate-type mask and may be used in a large area pixel formation process.

The body 10 of the mask 10 (or the mask film 11) is provided with a plurality of display cells C. One cell C corresponds to one display such as a smartphone. The pixel pattern P is formed in the cell C to correspond to each pixel of the display. When the cell C is enlarged, a plurality of pixel patterns P corresponding to R, G, and B appear. For example, the pixel pattern P is formed in the cell C to have a resolution of 70 X 140. That is, a number of pixel patterns P form a cluster to form one cell C, and a plurality of cells C may be formed on the mask 10.

2 is a schematic view showing a process of bonding the conventional mask 10 to the frame 20. 3 is a schematic diagram showing that alignment errors between cells occur in the process of tensioning (F1 to F2) of the conventional mask 10. The stick mask 10 having six cells C: C1 to C6 shown in FIG. 1A will be described as an example.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 2, first, the stick mask 10 must be flattened. The stick mask 10 is stretched as it is pulled by applying tensile force F1 to F2 in the long axis direction of the stick mask 10. In this state, the stick mask 10 is loaded on the frame 20 in the form of a square frame. The cells C1 to C6 of the stick mask 10 are positioned in an empty area inside the frame of the frame 20. The frame 20 may be sized such that cells C1 to C6 of one stick mask 10 are positioned in an empty area inside the frame, and cells C1 to C6 of the plurality of stick masks 10 are framed. It may be large enough to be located in the interior empty area.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 2, after aligning while finely adjusting the tensile forces F1 to F2 applied to each side of the stick mask 10, a part of the side of the stick mask 10 is welded (W) to Accordingly, the stick mask 10 and the frame 20 are interconnected. Fig. 2 (c) shows a cross-section of a stick mask 10 and a frame connected to each other.

Referring to Figure 3, despite the fine adjustment of the tensile force (F1 ~ F2) applied to each side of the stick mask 10, there is a problem that the alignment between the mask cells (C1 ~ C3) does not work well. For example, the distances D1 to D1 "and D2 to D2" between the patterns P of the cells C1 to C3 are different from each other, or the patterns P are skewed. The stick mask 10 is a large area including a plurality of (for example, six) cells C1 to C6 and has a very thin thickness of several tens of μm, so it is easily struck or distorted by a load. In addition, it is very difficult to check in real time the alignment between the cells (C1 to C6) while adjusting the tensile force (F1 to F2) so that all the cells (C1 to C6) are flat.

Therefore, the fine error of the tensile force (F1 ~ F2) may cause an error in the degree of stretching or unfolding each cell (C1 ~ C3) of the stick mask 10, accordingly, the distance (D1) between the mask pattern (P) ~ D1 ", D2 ~ D2") causes a problem that is different. Of course, it is difficult to perfectly align the error to 0, but in order to prevent the mask pattern P having a size of several to several tens of µm from adversely affecting the pixel process of the ultra-high-definition OLED, the alignment error does not exceed 3 µm. It is desirable not to. The alignment error between adjacent cells is referred to as pixel position accuracy (PPA).

In addition, while connecting the plurality of stick masks 10 of approximately 6 to 20 to one of the frame 20, between the plurality of stick masks 10 and the plurality of cells C of the stick mask 10 It is also very difficult to clarify the alignment between ~ C6), and it is a significant reason to reduce productivity because the process time due to the alignment is forced to increase.

On the other hand, after the stick mask 10 is connected and fixed to the frame 20, the tensile forces F1 to F2 applied to the stick mask 10 may act on the frame 20 in reverse. That is, after the stick mask 10, which has been stretched tightly by the tensile forces F1 to F2, is connected to the frame 20, tension may be applied to the frame 20. Usually this tension is not large, so it may not have a significant effect on the frame 20, but if the size of the frame 20 is small and the rigidity is low, this tension can deform the frame 20 finely. This may cause a problem that the alignment state is wrong between the plurality of cells C to C6.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes a frame 200 and a frame-integrated mask that enable the mask 100 to form an integral structure with the frame 200. The mask 100 integrally formed in the frame 200 is prevented from being deformed, such as being struck or twisted, and can be clearly aligned with the frame 200. When the mask 100 is connected to the frame 200, any tension is not applied to the mask 100, so that the tension of the frame 200 is not deformed after the mask 100 is connected to the frame 200. . In addition, the manufacturing time for integrally connecting the mask 100 to the frame 200 is significantly reduced, and the yield can be significantly increased.

Figure 4 is a front view showing a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 4 (a)] and side cross-sectional view [Fig. 4 (b)], Figure 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a front view (FIG. 5 (a)) and a side cross-sectional view (FIG. 5 (b)) showing the frame.

4 and 5, the frame-integrated mask may include a plurality of masks 100 and one frame 200. In other words, the plurality of masks 100 are bonded to the frame 200 one by one. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the mask 100 having a square shape will be described as an example, but the masks 100 may be in the form of a stick mask having protrusions clamped on both sides before being adhered to the frame 200, and the frame 200 ), The protrusions can be removed.

A plurality of mask patterns P may be formed in each mask 100, and one cell C may be formed in one mask 100. One mask cell C may correspond to one display such as a smartphone. The mask 100 may be formed by electroforming to form a thin thickness. The mask 100 may be made of an invar having a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 1.0 X 10 ^-6 / ° C, and a super invar of about 1.0 X 10 ^-7 / ° C. Since the mask 100 of this material has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, it is less likely that the pattern shape of the mask is deformed by thermal energy, and thus can be used as a fine metal mask (FMM) or shadow mask in manufacturing a high-resolution OLED. In addition, considering that technologies for performing a pixel deposition process in a range in which the temperature change value is not large recently, the mask 100 has nickel (Ni), nickel-cobalt (Ni-Co) having a slightly higher thermal expansion coefficient than this. ). The thickness of the mask may be formed about 2㎛ to 50㎛.

The frame 200 is formed to allow the plurality of masks 100 to adhere. The frame 200 may include various edges formed in a first direction (for example, a horizontal direction) and a second direction (for example, a vertical direction) including the outermost border. These various corners may partition the region to which the mask 100 is to be adhered on the frame 200.

The frame 200 may include a frame frame 210 having a substantially square shape or a square frame shape. The inside of the frame portion 210 may be hollow. That is, the border frame unit 210 may include a hollow region R. The frame 200 may be made of a metal material such as invar, super invar, aluminum, titanium, etc., and is composed of invar, super invar, nickel, nickel-cobalt, etc. having the same thermal expansion coefficient as the mask in consideration of thermal deformation. Preferably, these materials can be applied to both the frame portion 210 of the frame 200, the mask cell sheet portion 220.

In addition to this, the frame 200 may include a plurality of mask cell regions CR, and may include a mask cell sheet portion 220 connected to the edge frame portion 210. The mask cell sheet portion 220 may be formed by electroplating as in the mask 100 or may be formed using other film forming processes. In addition, the mask cell sheet unit 220 may be connected to the edge frame unit 210 after forming a plurality of mask cell regions CR through laser scribing, etching, or the like on a flat sheet. Alternatively, the mask cell sheet unit 220 may form a plurality of mask cell regions CR through laser scribing, etching, or the like after connecting a planar sheet to the edge frame unit 210. In the present specification, a description will be mainly given of the formation of a plurality of mask cell regions CR in the mask cell sheet portion 220 and then connection to the frame portion 210.

The mask cell sheet unit 220 may include at least one of the edge sheet unit 221 and the first and second grid sheet units 223 and 225. The border sheet portions 221 and the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 refer to portions divided in the same sheet, and they are integrally formed with each other.

The edge sheet portion 221 may be substantially connected to the edge frame portion 210. Therefore, the edge sheet portion 221 may have an approximately square shape and a square frame shape corresponding to the edge frame portion 210.

In addition, the first grid sheet portion 223 may be formed to extend in the first direction (horizontal direction). The first grid sheet portion 223 is formed in a straight shape so that both ends may be connected to the edge sheet portion 221. When the mask cell sheet portion 220 includes a plurality of first grid sheet portions 223, it is preferable that each of the first grid sheet portions 223 has equal intervals.

In addition, in addition to this, the second grid sheet portion 225 may be formed to extend in the second direction (vertical direction). The second grid sheet portion 225 may be formed in a straight line shape, and both ends may be connected to the edge sheet portion 221. The first grid sheet portion 223 and the second grid sheet portion 225 may cross each other vertically. When the mask cell sheet portion 220 includes a plurality of second grid sheet portions 225, it is preferable that each second grid sheet portion 225 has an equal interval.

Meanwhile, an interval between the first grid sheet parts 223 and an interval between the second grid sheet parts 225 may be the same or different depending on the size of the mask cell C.

The first grid sheet portion 223 and the second grid sheet portion 225 have a thin thickness in the form of a thin film, but the shape of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be a rectangular shape, a rectangular shape such as a parallelogram, a triangular shape, or the like. , The sides and corners may be rounded. The cross-sectional shape can be adjusted in processes such as laser scribing and etching.

The thickness of the frame portion 210 may be thicker than the thickness of the mask cell sheet portion 220. The border frame portion 210 may be formed to a thickness of several mm to several cm because it is responsible for the overall rigidity of the frame 200.

In the case of the mask cell sheet part 220, the process of manufacturing a substantially thick sheet is difficult, and if it is too thick, the path through which the organic material source 600 (see FIG. 17) passes through the mask 100 in the OLED pixel deposition process is difficult. This can cause clogging problems. Conversely, if the thickness is too thin, it may be difficult to secure rigidity sufficient to support the mask 100. Accordingly, the mask cell sheet portion 220 is thinner than the thickness of the frame portion 210, but is preferably thicker than the mask 100. The thickness of the mask cell sheet portion 220 may be formed about 0.1 mm to 1 mm. In addition, the widths of the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 may be formed to about 1 to 5 mm.

A plurality of mask cell regions CR: CR11 to CR56 may be provided except for regions occupied by the border sheet portions 221 and the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 in the planar sheet. In another aspect, the mask cell region CR is an area occupied by the border sheet portions 221 and the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 in the hollow region R of the border frame portion 210. Except for, it may mean an empty area.

As the cell C of the mask 100 corresponds to the mask cell region CR, it can be used as a passage through which the pixels of the OLED are substantially deposited through the mask pattern P. As described above, one mask cell C corresponds to one display such as a smartphone. Mask patterns P constituting one cell C may be formed in one mask 100. Alternatively, one mask 100 may include a plurality of cells C, and each cell C may correspond to each cell area CR of the frame 200, but the clear alignment of the mask 100 may be performed. For this, it is necessary to avoid the large area mask 100, and the small area mask 100 having one cell C is preferable. Alternatively, one mask 100 having a plurality of cells C may correspond to one cell region CR of the frame 200. In this case, for clear alignment, it may be considered to correspond to the mask 100 having a small number of cells C of 2-3.

The frame 200 includes a plurality of mask cell regions CR, and each of the masks 100 may be adhered so that one mask cell C corresponds to the mask cell region CR. Each mask 100 includes a mask cell (C) having a plurality of mask patterns (P) and a dummy (DM; Corresponding to the portion of the mask film 110 except the cell C, see FIG. 8]. The dummy DM may include only the mask layer 110 or may include the mask layer 110 on which a predetermined dummy pattern having a shape similar to the mask pattern P is formed. The mask cell C corresponds to the mask cell area CR of the frame 200, and a part or all of the dummy DM may be adhered to the frame 200 (the mask cell sheet part 220). Accordingly, the mask 100 and the frame 200 can achieve an integral structure.

On the other hand, according to another embodiment, the frame is not manufactured by adhering the mask cell sheet portion 220 to the border frame portion 210, the border frame portion 210 in the hollow region (R) portion of the border frame portion 210 ) And a frame in which a grid frame (corresponding to the grid sheet portions 223 and 225) integrally formed directly may be used. This type of frame also includes at least one mask cell region CR, and it is possible to manufacture a frame-integrated mask by matching the mask 100 to the mask cell region CR.

Hereinafter, a process of manufacturing the frame-integrated mask will be described.

First, the frame 200 described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 may be provided. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of the frame 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 6, a border frame unit 210 is provided. The border frame part 210 may have a rectangular frame shape including the hollow region R.

Next, referring to FIG. 6B, a mask cell sheet portion 220 is manufactured. The mask cell sheet portion 220 may be manufactured by manufacturing a planar sheet using electroforming or other film forming process, and then removing the mask cell region CR portion through laser scribing, etching, or the like. have. In this specification, description will be given taking an example in which 6 X 5 mask cell regions CR: CR11 to CR56 are formed. Five first grid sheet portions 223 and four second grid sheet portions 225 may be present.

Next, the mask cell sheet portion 220 may correspond to the border frame portion 210. In the process of matching, by stretching (F1 to F4) all sides of the mask cell sheet portion 220, the mask cell sheet portion 220 is flattened and the border sheet portion 221 is attached to the border frame portion 210. You can respond. One side can hold and hold the mask cell sheet portion 220 with several points (eg, 1 to 3 points in FIG. 6 (b), for example). On the other hand, the mask cell sheet portion 220 may be tensioned (F1, F2) along some side directions rather than all sides.

Next, when the mask cell sheet portion 220 corresponds to the edge frame portion 210, the edge sheet portion 221 of the mask cell sheet portion 220 may be welded (W) to be adhered. It is preferable to weld (W) all sides so that the mask cell sheet portion 220 can be firmly adhered to the frame portion 220. Welding (W) should be performed as close as possible to the edge of the edge frame portion 210 to reduce the excitation space between the edge frame portion 210 and the mask cell sheet portion 220 as much as possible to increase adhesion. The welding (W) portion may be generated in the form of a line or a spot, and has the same material as the mask cell sheet portion 220 and integrally forms the border frame portion 210 and the mask cell sheet portion 220. It can be a medium to connect to.

7 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of a frame according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the mask cell sheet portion 220 having the mask cell region CR is first manufactured and adhered to the border frame portion 210. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the flat sheet of the border frame portion ( After adhesion to 210), a portion of the mask cell region CR is formed.

First, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 6, a border frame portion 210 including a hollow region R is provided.

Next, referring to (a) of FIG. 7, a flat sheet (the flat mask cell sheet part 220 ′) may correspond to the border frame part 210. The mask cell sheet portion 220 ′ is in a planar state in which the mask cell region CR is not yet formed. In the process of matching, all sides of the mask cell sheet portion 220 'are tensioned (F1 to F4), so that the mask cell sheet portion 220' can be flattened to correspond to the border frame portion 210. One side can hold and hold the mask cell sheet portion 220 'with several points (for example, 1 to 3 points in FIG. 7 (a)). On the other hand, the mask cell sheet portion 220 'may be tensioned (F1, F2) along some side directions rather than all sides.

Next, if the mask cell sheet portion 220 'corresponds to the edge frame portion 210, the edge portion of the mask cell sheet portion 220' may be welded (W) to adhere. It is preferable to weld (W) all sides so that the mask cell sheet portion 220 'can be firmly adhered to the edge frame portion 220. The welding (W) should be performed as close as possible to the edge of the edge frame portion 210 to minimize the excitation space between the edge frame portion 210 and the mask cell sheet portion 220 'and increase adhesion. The welding (W) portion may be generated in the form of a line or a spot, and has the same material as the mask cell sheet portion 220 ', and the frame portion 210 and the mask cell sheet portion 220'. It can be a medium to integrally connect.

Next, referring to FIG. 7B, a mask cell region CR is formed on a planar sheet (planar mask cell sheet portion 220 '). The mask cell region CR may be formed by removing the sheet of the mask cell region CR portion through laser scribing, etching, or the like. In this specification, description will be given taking an example in which 6 X 5 mask cell regions CR: CR11 to CR56 are formed. When the mask cell region CR is formed, the edge frame portion 210 and the welded (W) portion become the edge sheet portion 221, and the five first grid sheet portions 223 and the four second grids The mask cell sheet portion 220 having the sheet portion 225 may be configured.

8 is a plan view showing the shape of the mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention [Fig. 8 (a)] and a side cross-sectional view [Fig. 8 (b)] and the mask 100 on the tray 50 It shows the top view (FIG. 8 (c)) in the state attached to. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a state in which the tray 100 is loaded on the frame 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the mask 100 corresponds to the cell region CR of the frame 200 (FIG. 9 ( a)] and a side sectional view (Fig. 9 (b)). Hereinafter, a series of processes for adhering the mask 100 to the manufactured frame 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Next, referring to (a) and (b) of FIG. 8, a mask 100 in which a plurality of mask patterns P are formed may be provided. The mask 100 may include a mask cell C on which a plurality of mask patterns P are formed and a dummy DM around the mask cell C. The dummy DM corresponds to a portion of the mask film 110 excluding the cell C, and includes only the mask film 110 or a mask film 110 in which a predetermined dummy pattern having a shape similar to the mask pattern P is formed. It may include. In the dummy DM, a part or all of the dummy DM may be adhered to the frame 200 (the mask cell sheet unit 220) corresponding to the edge of the mask 100. In-bar and super-inbar masks 100 may be manufactured by electroplating.

A conductive plate is used as the mother plate used as the cathode in electroplating. As a conductive material, in the case of metal, metal oxides may be generated on the surface, impurities may be introduced in a metal manufacturing process, and in the case of a polycrystalline silicon substrate, inclusions or grain boundaries may exist, and a conductive polymer In the case of a substrate, there is a high likelihood that impurities are contained, and strength. Acid resistance may be vulnerable. Elements that prevent the electric field from being uniformly formed on the surface of the mother plate (or cathode body), such as metal oxides, impurities, inclusions, and grain boundaries, are referred to as "defects". Due to the defect, a uniform electric field is not applied to the cathode body of the above-described material, so that a part of the plating film (mask 100) may be formed non-uniformly.

In realizing ultra-high-definition pixels of UHD level or higher, non-uniformity of the plating film and the plating film pattern (mask pattern P) may adversely affect the formation of pixels. Since the pattern width of the FMM and shadow mask may be formed to a size of several to several tens of µm, preferably smaller than 30 µm, even defects of several µm in size are such that they occupy a large portion of the pattern size of the mask.

In addition, in order to remove defects in the cathode body of the above-described material, an additional process for removing metal oxide, impurities, etc. may be performed, and in this process, other defects such as etching of the cathode body material may be caused. have.

Therefore, the present invention can use a single crystal silicon base plate (or a cathode body). To have conductivity, a high concentration doping of 10 ¹⁹ / cm ³ or more may be performed on the single crystal silicon base plate. Doping may be performed on the entire base plate, or may be performed only on the surface portion of the base plate.

In the case of doped single crystal silicon, since there are no defects, there is an advantage in that a uniform plating film (mask 100) due to uniform electric field formation on all surfaces during electroforming may be generated. The frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 manufactured through a uniform plating film can further improve the quality level of the OLED pixels. In addition, since there is no need to perform an additional process for removing and eliminating defects, there is an advantage in that the process cost is reduced and productivity is improved.

In addition, according to the use of a silicon base plate, there is an advantage of forming an insulating portion only by oxidizing and nitriding the surface of the base plate as necessary. The insulating portion can also be formed using a photoresist. Electrodeposition of the plating film (mask 100) is prevented in the portion where the insulating portion is formed, thereby forming a pattern (mask pattern (P)) on the plating film.

The width of the mask pattern P may be smaller than 40 μm, and the thickness of the mask 100 may be about 2 to 50 μm. Since the frame 200 includes a plurality of mask cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56), a mask 100 having mask cells (C: C11 to C56) corresponding to each of the mask cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56) ) Can also be provided in plural.

Meanwhile, the mask 100 may include a welding portion WP that is a target region to which the laser L is irradiated. In other words, the welding part WP may mean a target area capable of forming the welding bead WB by irradiation of the laser L. The welding part WP may correspond to at least a part of the rim or dummy DM portion of the mask 100. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the plurality of welding parts WP are disposed at regular intervals in the dummy DM area of the mask 100, and the shape of the welding parts WP is approximately circular or spot-shaped, but is necessarily limited to this. It does not work

Next, referring to (c) of FIG. 8, the mask 100 may be attached on a tray 50. The mask 100 electrodeposited on the mother board may be removed and attached to the tray 50. The tray 50 is preferably in the form of a flat plate so that the mask 100 can be attached flat. The size of the tray 50 may be a flat plate shape larger than the mask 100 so that the mask 100 can be attached flatly as a whole.

The electrostatic force, magnetic force, vacuum, etc. may be used so that the mask 100 is flatly spread without wrinkles or wrinkles on one surface of the tray 50. A method of using electrostatic force is a method of inducing static electricity by rubbing the entire body on one side of the tray 50. In addition, the method of using the electrostatic force is applied to a voltage applied to the transparent electrode disposed on the upper or lower surface of the tray 50, and applying a voltage to the mask 100 induces static electricity so that the mask 100 spreads flat It is a method of attaching to one surface of the tray 50 with a predetermined adhesive force while losing. The method of using the magnetic force is a method in which the mask 100 is grasped and moved by magnetic force using a plurality of magnets on the opposite side of the tray 50 on which the mask 100 is disposed. The method of using the vacuum is a method in which the mask 100 is held and moved while using the vacuum device from one end to the other end of the mask 100 disposed on the tray 50.

The tray 50 may be a material through which the laser light L can pass. The tray 50 includes a material through which laser light, such as glass, quartz, sapphire, alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ), is transmitted, and the laser L is mounted on the tray 50. It is possible to bond the mask 100 to the frame 200 by irradiation with a laser welding (LW) method.

Next, referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the mask 100 may correspond to one mask cell area CR of the frame 200. The mask 100 is turned over by reversing the tray 50 on which the mask 100 is attached, and loading the tray 50 on the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet portion 220), thereby retrieving the mask 100 from the mask cell area ( CR). While controlling the position of the tray 50, it can be seen whether the mask 100 corresponds to the mask cell region CR through a microscope. When the tray 50 is loaded on the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet portion 220), the mask 100 is the tray 50 and the frame 200 (or, the mask cell sheet portion 220) As it is disposed between, it can be compressed by the tray 50.

Meanwhile, the lower support 70 may be further disposed under the frame 200. The lower support 70 may have a size sufficient to fit within the hollow region R of the frame edge portion 210 and may be flat. In addition, a predetermined support groove (not shown) corresponding to the shape of the mask cell sheet portion 220 may be formed on the upper surface of the lower support 70. In this case, the edge sheet portions 221 and the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 are fitted into the support grooves, so that the mask cell sheet portion 220 can be more secured.

The lower support 70 may compress the opposite surface of the mask cell region CR in contact with the mask 100. That is, the lower support 70 supports the mask cell sheet portion 220 in an upward direction to prevent the mask cell sheet portion 220 from sagging in the downward direction during the bonding process of the mask 100. At the same time, the lower support 70 and the tray 50 compress the rim and frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet portion 220) of the mask 100 in opposite directions, so that the mask 100 The alignment state of can be maintained without being disturbed.

The present invention corresponds to the mask cell area CR of the frame 200 by attaching the mask 100 on the tray 50 and only loading the tray 50 on the frame 200. Since the process is completed, it is not possible to apply any tensile force to the mask 100 in this process.

Since the mask cell sheet portion 220 of the frame 200 has a thin thickness, when the mask cell sheet portion 220 is adhered with tensile force applied to the mask 100, the tensile force remaining in the mask 100 is masked. The cell sheet portion 220 and the mask cell region CR may be actuated to deform them. Therefore, it is necessary to perform adhesion of the mask 100 to the mask cell sheet portion 220 without applying a tensile force to the mask 100. Thus, it is possible to prevent the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet portion 220) from being deformed by the tension applied to the mask 100 acting as a tension on the frame 200.

However, without applying a tensile force to the mask 100, the frame 200 is adhered to the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet portion 220) to manufacture a frame-integrated mask, and one problem occurs when the frame-integrated mask is used in a pixel deposition process. Can occur. In the pixel deposition process performed at about 25 to 45 ° C., the mask 100 thermally expands by a predetermined length. Even in the mask 100 made of an invar material, a length of about 1 to 3 ppm may change according to a temperature rise of about 10 ° C. to form a pixel deposition process atmosphere. For example, when the total length of the mask 100 is 500 mm, the length may be increased by about 5 to 15 μm. Then, the mask 100 is struck by its own weight, or it is stretched in a fixed state in the frame 200, causing deformation such as warping, which causes a problem that the alignment errors of the patterns P become large.

Accordingly, the present invention can correspond to and adhere to the mask cell region CR of the frame 200 without applying a tensile force to the mask 100 at a higher temperature than normal temperature. In this specification, it is expressed that the mask 100 corresponds to and adheres to the frame 200 after raising (ET) the temperature of the process region to the first temperature.

The term “process region” may mean a space in which components such as the mask 100 and the frame 200 are located, and an adhesive process of the mask 100 is performed. The process region may be a space in a closed chamber or an open space. Also, the term “first temperature” may mean a temperature that is higher than or equal to the temperature of the pixel deposition process when the frame-integrated mask is used in the OLED pixel deposition process. Considering that the pixel deposition process temperature is about 25 to 45 ° C, the first temperature may be about 25 ° C to 60 ° C. The temperature rise of the process region can be performed by installing a heating means in the chamber or by providing a heating means around the process region.

Referring again to FIG. 9, after the mask 100 corresponds to the mask cell region CR, the temperature of the process region including the frame 200 may be increased (ET) to the first temperature. Alternatively, after raising the temperature of the process region including the frame 200 to the first temperature (ET), the mask 100 may correspond to the mask cell region CR. Although only one mask 100 is associated with one mask cell region CR in the drawing, the temperature of the process region is increased to the first temperature after the masks 100 are mapped to each mask cell region CR. (ET).

The conventional mask 10 of FIG. 1 includes 6 cells (C1 to C6), and thus has a long length, whereas the mask 100 of the present invention includes a cell (C) and thus has a short length. The degree to which the pixel position accuracy (PPA) is distorted may be reduced. For example, assuming that the length of the mask 10 including a plurality of cells C1 to C6, ... is 1 m, and a PPA error of 10 μm is generated in 1 m as a whole, the mask 100 of the present invention Can be 1 / n of the above error range according to the relative length reduction (corresponding to the reduction in the number of cells (C)). For example, if the length of the mask 100 of the present invention is 100 mm, since it has a length reduced from 1 m to 1/10 of the conventional mask 10, a PPA error of 1 μm is generated over the entire length of 100 mm. , Alignment error is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, if the mask 100 includes a plurality of cells C, and each cell C corresponds to each cell region CR of the frame 200, within the range in which the alignment error is minimized, The mask 100 may correspond to a plurality of mask cell areas CR of the frame 200. Alternatively, the mask 100 having a plurality of cells C may correspond to one mask cell area CR. Also in this case, considering the process time and productivity according to the alignment, it is preferable that the mask 100 has as few cells C as possible.

In the case of the present invention, since only one cell C of the mask 100 needs to be matched and the alignment state is checked, it is necessary to simultaneously correspond to a plurality of cells C: C1 to C6 and check all of the alignment state. Compared to the conventional method (see Fig. 2), the manufacturing time can be significantly reduced.

That is, in the frame-integrated mask manufacturing method of the present invention, each cell C11 to C16 included in the six masks 100 corresponds to one cell region CR11 to CR16, respectively, and the alignment state is checked. Through the process, time can be significantly shortened compared to a conventional method in which six cells C1 to C6 are simultaneously mapped and all six cells C1 to C6 are aligned at the same time.

In addition, in the method for manufacturing a frame-integrated mask of the present invention, the product yield in 30 processes of 30 masks 100 corresponding to and aligned with 30 cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56) is 6 cells (C1). ~ C6), each of the five masks 10 (see FIG. 2 (a)), which correspond to and align the frame 20, may appear to be much higher than the conventional product yield in the five steps. Since the conventional method of arranging six cells C1 to C6 in a region corresponding to six cells C at a time is a much cumbersome and difficult operation, the product yield is low.

Meanwhile, after the mask 100 corresponds to the frame 200, the mask 100 may be temporarily fixed through a predetermined adhesive on the frame 200. Thereafter, the bonding step of the mask 100 may be performed.

10 and 11 are schematic diagrams showing a state after welding the conventional mask 100 'to the frame 200. 12 is a photograph showing a state in which the conventional mask 100 'is welded to the frame 200. 13 is a surface EDS (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy) analysis result of the welding bead (WB ') in which the conventional mask 100' is welded to the frame 200.

A part or all of the edges of the masks 100 and 100 'may be adhered to the frame 200. The adhesion can be carried out by welding, preferably by laser welding. When the laser L is irradiated from the upper portion of the tray 50 to the welding portion WP that is the target area of the rim portion (or the dummy DM) of the masks 100 and 100 ', the laser L is the mask 100 ), 100 ') can be melted. Laser welding should be performed as close as possible to the edge of the frame 200 to minimize the excitation space between the mask 100 and the frame 200 and increase adhesion. The laser welded portion may be integrally connected with the same material as the mask 100, 100 '/ frame 200. In other words, during laser welding, a part of the masks 100 and 100 'is melted to form welding beads (WB, WB'), and the welding beads WB and WB 'are masks 100 and 100' and the frame. It may be a medium to integrally connect the (200).

Referring to FIG. 10, in the conventional laser welding, a welding bead WB ′ formed at a portion irradiated with a laser L may partially protrude in the form of burrs, wrinkles, wrinkles, etc. on the mask 100 ′. have. This protruding portion may be higher than the upper surface 101 'of the mask 100'. For example, the protruding height H1 of the welding bead WB 'may be on the order of a few μm. After the completed mask 100 '(and the frame 200) is in close contact with the target substrate 900 (see FIG. 17), the organic material source 600 is deposited to form the pixel 700, but the welding bead WB The protruding portion of ') may adversely affect the alignment state of the mask patterns P when the mask 100' is in close contact with the target substrate 900. As the mask 100 'is not completely adhered by the protruding portion of the welding bead WB' and generates an excited portion, the alignment state between the mask pattern P and the cells C may be changed. do.

11 shows the protrusion shape of the welding bead WB 'in more detail. Fig. 11 (a) shows a plan view in which Fig. 10 (b) is further enlarged, and Fig. 11 (b) shows an I-I 'section of Fig. 11 (a).

Referring to (a) of FIG. 11, the laser L is irradiated to the welding part WP and may be deformed by warping or shrinking the periphery of the welding part WP in the process of forming the welding bead WB '. have. The periphery of the weld bead WB 'may be contracted in the process of solidification after the laser L is irradiated with the welded portion WP and its surroundings melted. Deformation such as wrinkles, warping, and smearing may occur around the welding bead WB 'due to the tension T due to such contraction, and wrinkles, warping, etc. in the space between the welding bead WB' and the mask cell C Deformation may occur. Due to this deformation, a problem may arise in which the alignment state between the mask patterns P and the cells C is distorted.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 11, the weld bead WB 'may include a portion 102 of the oxidized film 103 on top of the solidified portion 102 after the mask 100' is melted. . The welding bead WB 'has a rather thin thickness in the center of the welded portion WP where the laser L is irradiated, and the thickness becomes thicker as it goes from the center to the outside, and thus the upper surface 101' of the mask 100 ' ), A protruding part may appear. Most of these protruding parts are derived from the oxidized film 103.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 12, a portion of the welded portion WP where the laser L energy is applied and deformed represents a diameter of about 482 μm, of which a portion in which the weld bead WB 'is formed is about 104.3. It can be seen that the diameter of µm is shown. In addition, referring to (c) partially enlarged (b) and (b) of FIG. 12 and (d) showing some cross-sections of the weld bead WB ', the mask 100' is melted and solidified invar. It can be confirmed that the thickness of the portion 102 of the film is about 15 μm, and the thickness of the film 103 oxidized thereon is about 7.5 to 15 μm.

And, referring to FIG. 13, the specific gravity of the oxygen component is greater in the central portion of the welding portion WP than Ni, which is a component of the mask 100 ′, and the specific gravity of the oxygen component decreases as it goes to the outer portion of the welding portion WP. '), It can be seen that the oxidized film 103 is included.

Therefore, in the present invention, in order to minimize or eliminate the oxidized portion 103 of the welding bead WB ', when the laser L is irradiated to the welding portion WP, an inert gas targeting the welding portion WP is used. It is characterized by spraying. The inert gas may generally mean Group 18 He, Ar, and the like. The apparatus for manufacturing a frame-integrated mask may include an inert gas supply unit (not shown) for supplying an inert gas in addition to a laser unit (not shown) irradiating the laser L. The inert gas supply unit (not shown) may receive an inert gas from the outside to supply an inert gas on a stage (not shown) in which a mask bonding process is performed.

14 is a schematic view showing a state in which a mask is welded to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

14 (a) and 14 (b), it is possible to supply the inert gas IG while irradiating the laser L during laser welding. The inert gas IG can suppress oxidation of the welding bead WB when the welding bead WB is generated. In the state in which oxidation is suppressed, a portion of the weld portion WP irradiated with the laser L can be generated without being oxidized while being melted and solidified.

It is preferable that the welding bead WB is produced to the same or lower level as the upper surface 101 of the mask 100. Of course, the weld bead WB may be higher than the upper surface 101 of the mask 100 by melting by laser irradiation, but this protruding height H2 of the oxidized film 103 (see FIG. 11) It may have a significantly lower value than the height H1, and adversely affects the alignment state of the mask patterns P when the mask 100 is in close contact with the target substrate 900 (see FIG. 17) by the protruding height H2. It is not enough to give. As an example, as shown in FIG. 12, the protruding height H2 of the welding bead WB may be formed to be about 7.5 μm to 15 μm lower than the height H1 of the oxidized film 103. Therefore, since the mask 100 is in close contact with the target substrate 900 and does not generate an excited portion, it does not adversely affect the alignment state between the mask pattern P and the cells C.

15 is a plan view showing the process of sequentially bonding the mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to the cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56) [FIG. 15 (a)] and a side cross-sectional view [FIG. 15 ( b)].

Referring to FIG. 15, after the mask 100 is adhered to the mask cell region CR11 correspondingly, the mask 100 can be adhered to the neighboring mask cell region CR12. Although only two masks 100 are attached in FIG. 15, the masks 100 may be adhered to all the mask cell regions CR.

The first grid sheet portion 223 (or, the second grid sheet portion 225), the top surface of the two neighboring masks 100 are respectively bonded (LW). The width and thickness of the first grid sheet portion 223 (or the second grid sheet portion 225) may be formed to about 1 to 5 mm, and to improve product productivity, the first grid sheet portion 223 [ Or, it is necessary to reduce the width of the overlap of the border of the second grid sheet portion 225] and the mask 100 to about 0.1 to 2.5 mm.

Since welding (LW) is performed on the mask cell sheet portion 220 without applying a tensile force to the mask 100, the mask cell sheet portion 220 (or, the edge sheet portion 221, the first and second grid sheets) No tension is applied to the parts 223 and 225].

After attaching one mask 100 to the frame 200, the remaining masks 100 may be sequentially mapped to the remaining mask cells C, and the process of adhering to the frame 200 may be repeated. Since the mask 100 already adhered to the frame 200 can present a reference position, the time in the process of sequentially matching the remaining masks 100 to the cell area CR and checking the alignment state is significantly reduced. It has the advantage of being. In addition, the pixel position accuracy (PPA) between the mask 100 adhered to one mask cell region and the mask 100 adhered to a neighboring mask cell region does not exceed 3 μm, so that the alignment is extremely high-definition. There is an advantage that can provide a mask for forming an OLED pixel.

16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of lowering (LT) the temperature of the process region after adhering the mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to the cell region CR of the frame 200.

Next, referring to FIG. 16, the temperature of the process region may be lowered (LT) to the second temperature. The term "second temperature" may mean a temperature lower than the first temperature. Considering that the first temperature is about 25 ° C to 60 ° C, the second temperature may be about 20 ° C to 30 ° C on the premise that it is lower than the first temperature, and preferably, the second temperature may be room temperature. The temperature drop of the process region may be performed by a method of installing a cooling means in the chamber, a method of installing a cooling means around the process region, a method of naturally cooling to room temperature, or the like.

When the temperature of the process region is lowered (LT) to the second temperature, the mask 100 may heat shrink by a predetermined length. The mask 100 may be isotropically heat-shrinked along all lateral directions. However, since the mask 100 is fixedly connected by welding (LW) to the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet portion 220), the heat shrinkage of the mask 100 is applied to the surrounding mask cell sheet portion 220. The tension (TS) is applied by itself. The mask 100 may be more tightly adhered to the frame 200 by applying its own tension (TS) of the mask 100.

In addition, since all of the masks 100 are adhered to the corresponding mask cell region CR, the temperature of the process region is lowered to the second temperature (LT), so that all the masks 100 simultaneously cause heat shrinking, thereby forming a frame. A problem in which the alignment errors of the 200 or the patterns P are increased may be prevented. In more detail, even if the tension TS is applied to the mask cell sheet portion 220, since the plurality of masks 100 apply the tension TS in opposite directions, the force is canceled and the mask cell sheet portion is canceled. No deformation occurs at 220. For example, the first grid sheet portion 223 between the mask 100 attached to the CR11 cell area and the mask 100 attached to the CR12 cell area is directed to the right side of the mask 100 attached to the CR11 cell area. The acting tension TS and the tension acting in the left direction of the mask 100 attached to the CR12 cell region may be canceled. Thus, the deformation of the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet part 220) by the tension TS is minimized, so that the alignment error of the mask 100 (or the mask pattern P) can be minimized. There is this.

17 is a schematic diagram illustrating an OLED pixel deposition apparatus 1000 using frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 17, the OLED pixel deposition apparatus 1000 includes an organic material source 600 from a magnet plate 300 in which a magnet 310 is accommodated, a coolant line 350 is disposed, and a lower portion of the magnet plate 300. It includes a deposition source supply unit 500 for supplying.

Between the magnet plate 300 and the source deposition unit 500, a target substrate 900 such as glass on which the organic source 600 is deposited may be interposed. The target substrate 900 may be disposed such that the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 (or FMMs) that allow the organic material source 600 to be deposited on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The magnet 310 generates a magnetic field and can be in close contact with the target substrate 900 by the magnetic field. A step 115 is formed on the mask 100, so even if the welding bead WB protrudes, it does not protrude higher than the upper surface 101 of the mask 100, so the mask 100 is in close contact with the target substrate 900 There is no adverse effect on being.

The deposition source supply unit 500 may supply the organic material source 600 while reciprocating the left and right paths, and the organic material sources 600 supplied from the deposition source supply unit 500 may include patterns P formed in the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200. ) To be deposited on one side of the target substrate 900. The deposited organic source 600 that has passed through the pattern P of the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 may act as the pixel 700 of the OLED.

In order to prevent uneven deposition of the pixels 700 by the shadow effect, the patterns of the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 may be inclined (S) (or formed in a tapered shape (S)). . Since the organic material sources 600 passing through the pattern in the diagonal direction along the inclined surface may also contribute to the formation of the pixel 700, the pixel 700 may be uniformly deposited with a thickness as a whole.

Since the mask 100 is adhesively fixed to the frame 200 at a first temperature higher than the pixel deposition process temperature, even if it is raised to the process temperature for pixel deposition, the position of the mask pattern P is hardly affected. The PPA between 100 and its neighboring mask 100 may be maintained so as not to exceed 3 μm.

The present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments, as described above, but is not limited to the above embodiments and is varied by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Modifications and modifications are possible. Such modifications and variations are to be regarded as falling within the scope of the invention and appended claims.

50: tray
70: lower support
100: mask
110: mask film
200: frame
210: border frame
220: mask cell sheet portion
221: border sheet portion
223: first grid sheet portion
225: second grid sheet portion
1000: OLED pixel deposition device
C: cell, mask cell
CR: mask cell area
DM: Dummy, mask dummy
ET: the temperature of the process zone is raised to the first temperature
IG: Inert gas supply
L: laser
LT: the temperature in the process region is lowered to the second temperature
LW: laser welding
R: Hollow area of the border frame
P: mask pattern
TS: tension
W: Welding
WB: welding bead

Claims (15)

A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask in which at least one mask and a frame supporting the mask are integrally formed,
(a) providing a frame having at least one mask cell region;
(b) matching the mask to the mask cell area of the frame; And
(c) attaching the mask to the frame by irradiating a laser to the welding portion of the mask
Including,
In the step (c), a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, injecting an inert gas to a welded target. According to claim 1,
Step (a),
(a1) providing a border frame portion including a hollow region;
(a2) connecting the planar mask cell sheet portion to the border frame portion; And
(a3) forming a frame by forming a plurality of mask cell regions on the mask cell sheet portion
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask comprising a. According to claim 1,
Step (a),
(a1) providing a border frame portion including a hollow region; And
(a2) manufacturing a frame by connecting a mask cell sheet portion having a plurality of mask cell regions to an edge frame portion
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask comprising a. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, wherein a mask is attached on a tray, and a tray is loaded on the frame to correspond the mask to the mask cell area of the frame. According to claim 4,
The tray has a flat plate shape and includes a material through which laser light is transmitted. The method of claim 5,
The tray comprises a material of any one of glass, silica, heat-resistant glass, quartz, and alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ). According to claim 4,
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, in which a laser through hole is formed in a portion of a tray corresponding to a weld portion of the mask. According to claim 1,
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, wherein a weld bead is formed on a portion of the mask irradiated with a laser, and the weld bead mediates the mask and the frame to be integrally connected. The method of claim 8,
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask that suppresses oxidation of a welding bead by spraying an inert gas. The method of claim 9,
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, in which a height of a welding bead is formed to be 7.5 µm to 15 µm lower when spraying an inert gas than when not spraying an inert gas. The method of claim 2 or 3,
The mask,
A mask cell in which a plurality of mask patterns are formed, and a dummy around the mask cell,
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, wherein at least a portion of the dummy is adhered to the mask cell sheet portion. The method of claim 2 or 3,
The mask cell sheet portion includes a plurality of mask cell regions along at least one of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The method of claim 2 or 3,
The mask cell sheet portion,
Border sheet portion; And
A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask comprising at least one first grid sheet portion extending in a first direction and having both ends connected to an edge sheet portion. The method of claim 13,
The mask cell sheet portion is formed to extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, intersects the first grid sheet portion, and further includes at least one second grid sheet portion having both ends connected to the edge sheet portion. Method of manufacture. According to claim 1,
The mask and frame are made of any one of invar, super invar, nickel, and nickel-cobalt.

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