KR20210058558A - Producing method of template for supporting mask and producing method of mask integrated frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a mask support template and a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask. The method of manufacturing a mask support template according to the present invention is a method of manufacturing a mask support template, which supports a mask for forming OLED pixels to enable the mask to correspond to a frame. The method includes the following steps of: (a) inserting a template into a groove formed in a template support part; (b) adhering a mask metal film on at least one surface of the template and the template support part; and (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film, and manufacturing a mask by cutting the edge of the mask metal film to have the same size as that of the template. Accordingly, multiple mask support templates can be simultaneously attached to the frame.

Description

Manufacturing method of mask supporting template and manufacturing method of frame-integrated mask {PRODUCING METHOD OF TEMPLATE FOR SUPPORTING MASK AND PRODUCING METHOD OF MASK INTEGRATED FRAME}

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a mask supporting template and a method for manufacturing a frame-integrated mask. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a mask support template and a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask capable of stably supporting and moving without deformation of a mask, and clarifying alignment between each mask.

As a technology for forming pixels in the OLED manufacturing process, the FMM (Fine Metal Mask) method is mainly used in which an organic material is deposited at a desired location by attaching a thin metal mask to a substrate.

In the existing OLED manufacturing process, the mask is manufactured in the form of a stick or plate, and then the mask is welded and fixed to the OLED pixel deposition frame. One mask may include several cells corresponding to one display. In addition, in order to manufacture a large area OLED, several masks can be fixed to the OLED pixel deposition frame. In the process of fixing to the frame, each mask is stretched so that it is flat. It is a very difficult task to adjust the tensile force so that the entire part of the mask is flat. In particular, in order to align a mask pattern with a size of only a few to tens of μm while making all the cells flat, a high level of work is required to check the alignment status in real time while finely adjusting the tensile force applied to each side of the mask. do.

Nevertheless, in the process of fixing several masks to one frame, there is a problem in that the alignment between the masks and the mask cells is not good. In addition, in the process of welding and fixing the mask to the frame, the thickness of the mask film is too thin and large area, so the mask is struck or distorted by the load, and wrinkles and burrs occur in the welding part during the welding process. There were problems such as misalignment.

In the case of ultra-high-definition OLED, the current QHD quality is 500-600 PPI (pixel per inch), and the pixel size reaches about 30-50㎛, and 4K UHD, 8K UHD high-definition is higher than this, ~860 PPI, ~1600 PPI, etc. Will have a resolution of. In this way, in consideration of the pixel size of the ultra-high-definition OLED, the alignment error between cells should be reduced to about several µm, and the error beyond this leads to product failure, so the yield may be very low. Therefore, there is a need to develop a technique for preventing deformation, such as being struck or distorted, and for clarifying alignment, a technique for fixing the mask to the frame, and the like.

Accordingly, the present invention was conceived to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template capable of simultaneously coping with and bonding a plurality of mask supporting templates to a frame. .

In addition, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a mask support template and a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask capable of stably supporting and moving a mask without deformation, preventing deformation such as sagging or warping, and clarifying alignment. It aims to provide.

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

The above object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template that supports an OLED pixel forming mask to correspond to a frame, comprising the steps of: (a) inserting the template into a groove formed in the template supporting portion; (b) adhering a mask metal film on at least one surface of the template and the template support portion; And (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film, and cutting the edge of the mask metal film to have the same size as the template to manufacture a mask.

It includes raising the process temperature between steps (a) and (b), and further comprising lowering the process temperature between steps (b) and (c), or after step (c). I can.

When the process temperature is increased to adhere the mask metal film to the template and then the process temperature is lowered, the template shrinks less than the mask, and the mask may receive a tensile force in the lateral direction.

After step (c), the step of separating the template and the mask adhered on one side of the template from the template support may be further included.

The template and the template support may have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the mask.

The mask may have a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than at least 1, and the template may have a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 1 (greater than 0).

In step (b), a temporary adhesive portion may be formed on one surface of the template and the template support portion corresponding to the mask metal layer.

In step (a), a temporary adhesive portion is formed in the groove of the template support portion so that the other surface of the template may be bonded to the template support portion through the temporary adhesive portion.

The temporary adhesive may be an adhesive that can be separated by applying heat or an adhesive that can be separated by UV irradiation.

In step (a), position control for alignment of the template and the template support may be further performed.

After step (a), a planarization process may be performed to match the height of the template and one surface of the template support.

The template support portion may include a base plate and an edge plate connected to an edge of one surface of the base plate and having a hollow area, and the hollow area may correspond to a groove of the template support portion.

In addition, 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, the method comprising: (a) inserting a template into a groove formed in a template support portion; (b) adhering a mask metal film on at least one surface of the template and the template support portion; (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film and cutting the edge of the mask metal film to have the same size as the template to manufacture a mask; (d) loading a template onto a frame having at least one mask cell area to correspond the mask to the mask cell area of the frame; And (e) attaching the mask to the frame.

In addition, 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) on a frame having at least one mask cell region, the manufacturing Loading the template manufactured by the method to correspond the mask to the mask cell area of the frame; And (b) attaching the mask to the frame.

According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to simultaneously correspond and attach a plurality of mask support templates to the frame.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an effect of stably supporting and moving the mask without deformation, preventing deformation such as being struck or distorted, and clarifying alignment.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an effect of remarkably reducing the manufacturing time and increasing the yield remarkably.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a process of attaching a conventional mask to a frame.
2 is a front view and a side cross-sectional view showing a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic plan view and a side cross-sectional view illustrating a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention and a mask support template according to a comparative example.
4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of loading a mask supporting template on a frame according to a comparative example.
5 to 6 are schematic diagrams illustrating a process of manufacturing a mask support template according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a schematic diagram showing a template support according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of loading a mask supporting template onto a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a template according to an embodiment of the present invention is loaded onto a frame and a mask is associated with a cell area of the frame.
10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of separating a mask and a template after attaching a mask to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a frame.
12 is a schematic diagram showing an OLED pixel deposition apparatus using a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The detailed description of the present invention described below refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in detail sufficient to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different from each other, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention in relation to one embodiment. In addition, it should be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the detailed description to be described below 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 by the claims. In the drawings, similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions over various aspects, and the length, area, thickness, and the like may be exaggerated and expressed 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 of ordinary skill in the art to easily implement the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a process of attaching a conventional mask 10 to a frame 20.

The conventional mask 10 is a stick-type or plate-type, and the stick-type mask 10 of FIG. 1 can be used by welding and fixing both sides of the stick to the OLED pixel deposition frame. A plurality of display cells C are provided on the body of the mask 10 (or the mask layer 11). One cell C corresponds to one display such as a smartphone. In the cell C, a pixel pattern P is formed to correspond to each pixel of the display.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the stick mask 10 is loaded onto the frame 20 in the form of a square frame in an unfolded state by applying a tensile force F1 to F2 in the long axis direction of the stick mask 10. The cells C1 to C6 of the stick mask 10 are located in a blank area inside the frame of the frame 20.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 1, after aligning while finely adjusting the tensile force (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). Accordingly, the stick mask 10 and the frame 20 are interconnected. 1C shows a cross-sectional side view of a stick mask 10 and a frame connected to each other.

Although the tensile forces F1 to F2 applied to each side of the stick mask 10 are finely adjusted, there is a problem in that the mask cells C1 to C3 are not well aligned with each other. For example, the distances between the patterns of the cells C1 to C6 are different from each other, or the patterns P are skewed. Since the stick mask 10 is a large area including a plurality of cells C1 to C6 and has a very thin thickness of several tens of µm, it is easily struck or distorted by a load. In addition, it is very difficult to check the alignment between the cells (C1 to C6) in real time through a microscope while adjusting the tensile force (F1 to F2) to flatten all of the cells (C1 to C6). 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 an ultra-high-definition OLED, it is preferable that the alignment error does not exceed 3 µm. This alignment error between adjacent cells is referred to as PPA (pixel position accuracy).

In addition, a plurality of stick masks 10 are connected to one frame 20 respectively, and an alignment state between a plurality of stick masks 10 and a plurality of cells C to C6 of the stick mask 10 It is also a very difficult task to clarify, and it is an important reason for reducing productivity as the process time according to alignment is inevitably increased.

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 reverse tension on the frame 20. Such tension may finely deform the frame 20, and there may be a problem in that the alignment state is misaligned between the plurality of cells C to C6.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes a frame 200 and a frame-integrated mask that enables the mask 100 to form an integral structure with the frame 200. The mask 100 integrally formed with the frame 200 is prevented from being struck or twisted, and may be clearly aligned with the frame 200.

2 is a front view [Fig. 2 (a)] and a side cross-sectional view [Fig. 2 (b)] showing a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this specification, the structure of the frame-integrated mask is briefly described below, but the structure and manufacturing process of the frame-integrated mask can be understood as including the contents of Korean Patent Application No. 2018-0016186 as a whole.

Referring to FIG. 2, the frame-integrated mask may include a plurality of masks 100 and one frame 200. In other words, a plurality of masks 100 are attached to the frame 200, one by one. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a rectangular mask 100 is used as an example, but the mask 100 may be in the form of a stick mask having protrusions clamped on both sides before being attached to the frame 200, and the frame 200 ), the protrusion can be removed after being attached to it.

A plurality of mask patterns P may be formed on each mask 100, and one cell C may be formed on one mask 100. One mask cell C may correspond to one display such as a smartphone.

The mask 100 may be made of invar, super invar, nickel (Ni), nickel-cobalt (Ni-Co), or the like. The mask 100 may use a metal sheet produced by a rolling process or electroforming.

The frame 200 is formed to attach a plurality of masks 100. It is preferable that the frame 200 is made of the same material as the mask in consideration of thermal deformation. The frame 200 may include a frame portion 210 having a substantially square shape or a square frame shape. The inside of the frame frame 210 may have a hollow shape.

In addition, the frame 200 may include a plurality of mask cell regions CR, and may include a mask cell sheet part 220 connected to the frame frame part 210. The mask cell sheet part 220 may include an edge sheet part 221 and first and second grid sheet parts 223 and 225. The frame sheet portion 221 and the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 refer to respective portions partitioned from the same sheet, and they are integrally formed with each other.

The thickness of the frame frame portion 210 may be formed to a thickness of several mm to several cm thicker than the thickness of the mask cell sheet portion 220. The mask cell sheet part 220 is thinner than the thickness of the frame part 210, but may be about 0.1mm to 1mm thicker than the mask 100. The first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 may have a width of about 1 to 5 mm.

A plurality of mask cell areas CR: CR11 to CR56 may be provided except for the area occupied by the edge sheet portion 221 and the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 in the planar sheet.

The frame 200 includes a plurality of mask cell areas CR, and each mask 100 may be attached such that one mask cell C corresponds to the mask cell area CR. The mask cell C corresponds to the mask cell area CR of the frame 200, and a part or all of the dummy may be attached to the frame 200 (mask cell sheet part 220). Accordingly, the mask 100 and the frame 200 can form an integral structure.

3 is a schematic plan view and a side cross-sectional view illustrating a mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a mask support template 50 ′ according to a comparative example.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the mask 100 may include a mask cell C having a plurality of mask patterns P formed thereon, and a dummy DM surrounding the mask cell C. . The mask 100 may be manufactured from a metal sheet produced by a rolling process or electroplating, and one cell C may be formed in the mask 100. The dummy DM corresponds to a portion of the mask layer 110 (mask metal layer 110) excluding the cell C, and includes only the mask layer 110, or a predetermined dummy having a shape similar to the mask pattern P A patterned mask layer 110 may be included. In the dummy DM, part or all of the dummy DM may be attached to the frame 200 (mask cell sheet part 220) corresponding to the edge of the mask 100.

The width of the mask pattern P may be less than 40 μm, and the thickness of the mask 100 may be about 5 to 20 μm. Since the frame 200 includes a plurality of mask cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56), the mask 100 having mask cells (C: C11 to C56) corresponding to each of the mask cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56). ) May also be provided in plural.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the mask 100 may be attached to one surface of the template 50 ′ according to the comparative example to move in a supported state. The central portion of the template 50 ′ may correspond to the mask cell C of the mask metal layer 110, and the edge portion may correspond to the dummy DM of the mask metal layer 110. The size of the template 50 ′ is a flat plate shape having a larger area than the mask metal layer 110 so that the mask metal layer 110 can be entirely supported.

The template 50' passes the laser through the template 50' so that the laser L irradiated from the top of the template 50' can reach the welding portion (area to be welded, WP) of the mask 100. A ball 51 ′ may be formed. The laser through-hole 51 ′ may be formed in the template 50 to correspond to the position and number of the welding portions WP.

A temporary adhesive part 55 ′ may be formed on one surface of the template 50 ′. In the temporary bonding part 55', the mask 100 (or the mask metal film 110) is temporarily adhered to one surface of the template 50' until the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200, so that the template 50 ') can be supported.

4 is a schematic diagram showing a process of loading the mask supporting template 50' on the frame 200 according to the comparative example.

Referring to FIG. 4, the template 50 ′ may be transferred by the vacuum chuck 90. The vacuum chuck 90 may adsorb and transport the surface opposite to the surface of the template 50 ′ to which the mask 100 is adhered.

The mask 100 may correspond to one mask cell area CR of the frame 200. By loading the template 50 ′ onto the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet part 220 ), the mask 100 may correspond to the mask cell area CR.

Subsequently, the mask 100 may be irradiated with a laser L to adhere the mask 100 to the frame 200 by laser welding. A welding bead WB is generated in the welding portion of the laser-welded mask, and the welding bead WB may be integrally connected with the mask 100 / frame 200 and having the same material.

All mask cell areas CR by repeatedly performing a process of attaching the mask 100 to the frame 200 by matching one mask 100 to one mask cell area CR and irradiating the laser L. Each of the masks 100 may be adhered to each other. However, after the mask 100 is adhered to the frame 200 by welding, a tensile force may be applied to the mask cell sheet portion 220 around the mask 100. As a result, the mask cell sheet portion 220 is slightly deformed, and when the mask 100 in the next order is attempted to adhere, the alignment may be adversely affected.

Accordingly, it may be desirable to simultaneously correspond and adhere all the masks 100 to all the mask cell areas CR, rather than corresponding/adhering the masks 100 to the mask cell areas CR one by one. In order to simultaneously correspond the mask 100 to the mask cell area CR, a plurality of templates 50 ′ to which the mask 100 is supported and adhered must be loaded on the frame 200 at the same time. However, as shown in FIG. 4, since the template 50 ′ is formed in a larger area than the mask 100, interference occurs due to an area OR overlapping with each other between neighboring templates 50 ′. There was this. It is difficult to match the plurality of templates 50 ′ side by side on the frame 200. Since the width of the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225 is only about 1 to 5 mm, the difference between the length of one side of the mask 100 and the template 50 ′ is about 0.5 to 2.5 mm. Should be less than. It is very difficult to perform the process of manufacturing the mask 100 having the mask pattern P on the template 50 ′ while satisfying the above dimensional difference.

Accordingly, it is proposed to configure the template 50 equal to the area of the mask 100. However, when the process of forming the mask pattern P on the mask metal layer 110 is directly performed on the template 50 having the same area as the mask metal layer 110, the mask pattern P and the template 50 A problem of misalignment occurs, and there is also a problem that the alignment of the laser through hole 51 of the template 50 and the dummy DM (or the weld WP) of the mask 100 is not aligned. In addition, after forming the mask pattern (P) on the mask metal layer 110, the edge portion should be cut to complete the mask 100 as shown in Fig. 3(a). A template having the same area as the mask 100 Cutting the corners at 50 has a difficult problem.

In order to solve this problem, a method of manufacturing the mask 100 on a predetermined substrate and then transferring it to the template 50 having the same size as the mask 100 may be considered. However, in the process of transferring the mask 100, a defect occurs in the mask 100, creases or deformations occur in the mask 100, so that the alignment with the template 50 is misaligned, or the mask 100 and the template 50 The problem of increasing the defect rate of the product occurred again due to the presence of foreign substances between them.

Accordingly, the present invention is characterized in that the mask 100 having the same area as the template 50 is manufactured in a state in which the template 50 is inserted into the template support part 60. More specifically, in the present invention, after inserting the template 50 into the template support part 60, and bonding the mask metal film 110 on the template support part 60 and the template 50, the mask metal film 110 A mask pattern (P) is formed on the mask, and the edge portion of the mask metal layer 110 is cut to manufacture the mask 100 having the same size as the template 50.

5 to 6 are schematic diagrams showing a process of manufacturing the mask supporting template 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5A, a template support part 60 may be prepared. The template support part 60 may have a groove 64 into which a template 50 is inserted. The width and height of the groove 64 may be formed to correspond to the template 50. It goes without saying that the template support part 60 must have a size and height greater than that of the template 50 so that the template 50 can be accommodated in the groove 64. In addition, the template support 60 may be made of the same material as the template 50 and a material having the same coefficient of thermal expansion so that the thermal behavior is similar.

Meanwhile, a temporary bonding portion 65 may be formed in at least a portion of the groove 64 to be adhesively fixed after the template 50 is inserted. The temporary bonding portion 65 may be made of the same material as the temporary bonding portion 55 of the template 50 to be described later, and preferably, an adhesive sheet (UV release tape; URT) that can be separated by UV irradiation may be used. . When the URT is used as the temporary bonding part 65, since it is possible to perform separation by irradiating UV only in a specific area, there is an advantage in that it is easy to separate the template 50 from the template support part 60 later.

Next, referring to FIG. 5B, the template 50 may be prepared and inserted into the groove 64 of the template support part 60. The template 50 is a medium that can be moved while the mask 100 is attached and supported on one surface. It is preferable that one surface of the template 50 is flat to support and move the flat mask 100.

In the template 50, a laser through hole 51 may be formed in the template 50 so that the laser L irradiated from the upper portion of the template 50 can reach the welding portion WP of the mask 100. . The laser through-hole 51 may be formed in the template 50 to correspond to the position and number of the welding portions WP. Since a plurality of welding portions WP are disposed along a predetermined interval in the edge or the dummy DM portion of the mask 100, a plurality of laser through holes 51 may be formed along a predetermined interval to correspond thereto. As an example, since a plurality of welding portions WP are disposed along a predetermined distance on both sides (left/right) dummy DM portions of the mask 100, the laser through hole 51 also has a template 50 on both sides (left/right). The right side) may be formed in a plurality along a predetermined interval.

The laser through-hole 51 need not necessarily correspond to the position and number of welding parts. For example, it is also possible to perform welding by irradiating the laser (L) to only a part of the laser through hole (51). In addition, some of the laser through-holes 51 that do not correspond to the welding part may be used instead of the alignment mark when aligning the mask 100 and the template 50. If the material of the template 50 is transparent to the laser (L) light, the laser through hole 51 may not be formed.

Position control for alignment may be performed in the process of inserting the template 50 into the groove 64 of the template support part 60. Although the groove 64 and the template 50 may be clearly the same, an alignment process may be required when the groove 64 is formed larger than the template 50. Position control can be performed using known positioning and position control means such as a microscope and an aligner.

On the other hand, after inserting the template 50 into the groove 64 of the template support part 60, if the height of the template 50 and one surface (upper surface) of the template support part 60 does not match, a predetermined flattening process is performed. You can do it. The planarization process may refer to a series of processes in which the heights of the template 50 and the template support part 60 are matched by polishing or the like. Since a processing tolerance may occur between the template 50 and the template support part 60, it is possible to easily perform the subsequent processes of forming the temporary bonding part 55 and bonding the mask metal film 110 as the heights are matched. .

Next, referring to FIG. 5C, a temporary bonding portion 55 may be formed on one surface of the template 50 and the template support portion 60. It is preferable that the temporary bonding portion 55 is formed on a portion of the template 50 and the template support portion 60 corresponding to the mask metal layer 110. Since the mask metal layer 110 is larger than the template 50 and may have an area smaller than the template support part 60, the entire surface (top surface) of the template 50 and one surface (top surface) of the template support part 60 The temporary adhesive portion 55 may be formed. The temporary bonding part 55 may allow the mask 100 to be temporarily adhered to one surface of the template 50 and supported on the template 50 until the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200. In addition, the temporary bonding part 55 forms a mask pattern P on the mask metal film 110 so that the mask metal film 110 is formed on one surface of the template 50 and the template support part 60 until the mask 100 is manufactured. It can be adhered to and supported.

The temporary bonding part 55 may use an adhesive that can be separated by applying heat or an adhesive that can be separated by UV irradiation.

For example, the temporary bonding part 55 may be formed of liquid wax. The liquid wax may be the same as the wax used in the polishing step of a semiconductor wafer, and the like, and the type is not particularly limited. The liquid wax is mainly a resin component for controlling adhesion, impact resistance, and the like with respect to holding power, and may include substances and solvents such as acrylic, vinyl acetate, nylon, and various polymers. As an example, the temporary adhesive part 55 may use SKYLIQUID ABR-4016 including acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (ABR) as a resin component and n-propyl alcohol as a solvent component. The liquid wax may form the temporary bonding portion 55 by using spin coating.

The temporary adhesive part 55, which is a liquid wax, has a lower viscosity at a temperature higher than 85°C to 100°C, and becomes more viscous at a temperature lower than 85°C, and may be partially hardened like a solid. [And the template support portion 60] can be fixedly bonded.

Again, referring to (c) of FIG. 5, the process temperature of the space in which the process in which the temporary bonding part 55 is formed and the mask metal film 110 is bonded to the template 50 and the template support part 60 is performed is set to room temperature. Raise it to a higher temperature (T1). The process temperature T1 may be about 85° C. to 100° C. at which the viscosity of the temporary bonding portion 55 is lowered.

Next, referring to FIG. 5D, the mask metal layer 110 may be adhered to the template 50 and the template support part 60. For example, after heating the liquid wax to 85° C. or higher and contacting the mask metal film 110 with the template 50 and the template support part 60, the mask metal film 110, the template 50, and the template support part 60 ) Can be passed between rollers to perform adhesion.

According to an embodiment, baking is performed on the template 50 (and the template support part 60) at about 120° C. for 60 seconds to vaporize the solvent of the temporary bonding part 55, and immediately, the mask metal film ( The lamination process of 110) may be performed. Lamination is performed by loading the mask metal film 110 on the template 50 and the template support 60 on which the temporary bonding part 55 is formed, and between the upper roll of about 100°C and the lower roll of about 0°C. It can be done by passing through. Alternatively, the mask metal layer 110 may be loaded on the template 50 and the template support 60 on which the temporary bonding part 55 is formed, and vacuum lamination may be performed at room temperature or at a temperature higher than room temperature. As a result, the mask metal film 110 may be in contact with the template 50 and the template support part 60 through the temporary bonding part 55.

Meanwhile, one surface of the mask metal layer 110 may be planarized. The thickness of the mask metal layer 110 manufactured by the rolling process may be reduced by a planarization process. In addition, the mask metal layer 110 manufactured by the electroplating process may also be subjected to a planarization process to control surface characteristics and thickness. Accordingly, as the thickness of the mask metal layer 110 is reduced, the thickness of the mask metal layer 110 may be about 5 μm to 20 μm. It goes without saying that the mask metal film 110 having a reduced thickness can be loaded on the template 50 and the template support part 60.

Next, referring to FIG. 6E, a patterned insulating portion 25 may be formed on the mask metal layer 110. The insulating part 25 may be formed of a photoresist material using a printing method or the like.

Subsequently, the mask metal layer 110 may be etched. A method such as dry etching or wet etching may be used without limitation, and as a result of the etching, a portion of the mask metal layer 110 exposed to the empty space 26 between the insulating portions 25 may be etched. The etched portion of the mask metal layer 110 constitutes the mask pattern P, and the mask 100 having a plurality of mask patterns P formed thereon may be manufactured.

At the same time as the mask pattern P is etched, the edge of the mask metal layer 110 may be etched (EC). When an empty part of the insulating part 25 is formed to correspond to the shape of the template 50 and the part of the mask metal layer 110 exposed to the empty space is etched (EC), the mask metal is equal to the size of the template 50 The edge portion 111 of the film 110 may be cut. Subsequently, a process of removing the insulating part 25 may be further performed.

Next, referring to (f) of FIG. 6, the template 50 and the mask 100 may be separated from the template support part 60 (debonding). Separation can be performed through at least one of heat application, chemical treatment, ultrasonic application, and UV application (UV) to the temporary bonding unit 65, but UV is applied to the URT temporary bonding unit 65 to facilitate separation of only a specific area. The method of irradiating is preferable.

Next, referring to FIG. 6(g), the process temperature of the template 50 supporting the mask 100 is set to room temperature, or the temperature at which the viscosity of the temporary bonding part 55 increases and partially hardens like a solid (T2 You can descend with ). Then, the mask 100 may be adhered to the template 50 in a taut state by applying a tensile force IT in the lateral direction, and manufacturing of the template 50 supporting the mask 100 may be completed. . A principle in which the mask 100 is subjected to a tensile force IT in the lateral direction will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

Since the frame 200 includes a plurality of mask cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56), the mask 100 having mask cells (C: C11 to C56) corresponding to each of the mask cell regions (CR: CR11 to CR56). ) May also be provided in plural. In addition, a plurality of templates 50 supporting each of the plurality of masks 100 may be provided.

7 is a schematic diagram showing a template support part 60' according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a template support part 60 ′ according to another exemplary embodiment may include a base plate 61 ′ and a frame plate 62 ′, which are separate configurations. The base plate 61 ′ may have a flat plate shape, and the frame plate 62 ′ may have a rectangular ring shape having a hollow region 66. The frame plate 62' is adhered to the base plate 61' through a predetermined adhesive part 67, and the hollow area 66 of the frame plate 62' constitutes a groove of the template support part 60'. I can. The adhesive portion 67 may correspond to an adhesive or a temporary adhesive portion 55.

In particular, the frame plate 62 ′ and the template 50 may be manufactured using the same original plate. When the frame plate 62' and the template 50 are manufactured using the same original plate, the thickness and material are the same, and processing tolerances according to the height do not occur. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the flattening process for matching the heights of the template 50 and the template support part 60 as described above in step (b) of FIG. 5 can be omitted. In addition, as the frame plate 62 ′ is separated from the base plate 61 ′, the template 50 on which the mask 100 is supported protrudes on the base plate 61 ′. There is an advantage that it is easier to separate from the plate 61'.

8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of loading a mask supporting template onto a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the template 50 may be transferred by the vacuum chuck 90. The vacuum chuck 90 may adsorb and transport the surface opposite to the surface of the template 50 to which the mask 100 is adhered. The vacuum chuck 90 may be connected to a moving means (not shown) that moves in the x, y, z, and θ axes. In addition, the vacuum chuck 90 may be connected to a flip means (not shown) capable of adsorbing and flipping the template 50. As shown in (b) of FIG. 8, after the vacuum chuck 90 adsorbs and flips the template 50, in the process of transferring the template 50 onto the frame 200, the mask 100 There is no effect on the adhesion and alignment.

9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a template according to an embodiment of the present invention is loaded onto a frame and a mask is associated with a cell area of the frame.

Referring to FIG. 9, the mask 100 may correspond to one mask cell area CR of the frame 200. By loading the template 50 onto the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet part 220), the mask 100 may correspond to the mask cell area CR. While controlling the position of the template 50/vacuum chuck 90, it is possible to examine whether the mask 100 corresponds to the mask cell area CR through a microscope. Since the template 50 compresses the mask 100, the mask 100 and the frame 200 can be in close contact with each other.

Sequentially or at the same time, a plurality of templates 50 may be loaded onto the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet part 220) so that each mask 100 may correspond to each mask cell area CR. have. Since the template 50 and the mask 100 have the same size, the template 50 corresponding to the specific mask cell area CR11 and the template 50 corresponding to the mask cell areas CR12 and CR21 adjacent thereto May form a predetermined distance without interference/overlapping with each other. This predetermined interval may be less than 1/2 of the width of the first and second grid sheet portions 223 and 225.

Meanwhile, the lower support 70 may be further disposed under the frame 200. The lower support 70 may press the opposite surface of the mask cell area CR to which the mask 100 contacts. At the same time, since the lower support 70 and the template 50 are pressed against the edge and frame 200 (or mask cell sheet part 220) of the mask 100 in opposite directions, the mask 100 Alignment can be maintained without being disturbed.

Subsequently, the mask 100 may be attached to the frame 200 by irradiating the laser L to the mask 100 by laser welding. A welding bead WB is generated in the welding portion of the laser-welded mask, and the welding bead WB may be integrally connected with the mask 100 / frame 200 and having the same material.

Selection of a material according to the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50 and the mask 100 and thermal behavior after the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 will be further described below.

As in the related art, when the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50 ′, which is a material such as glass, is higher than the mask 100 (or the mask metal layer 110), which is a material such as Invar, the following problems may occur. Conventionally, glass, borosilicate glass, or the like was used as the material of the template 50'. ^{In particular, BOROFLOAT ®} 33, a borosilicate glass, has a thermal expansion coefficient of about 3.3 X 10 ^-6 /℃, and an invar mask metal film 110 and a thermal expansion coefficient of about 1.5~3 X 10 ^{-6 /℃.} Due to the small difference, the mask metal layer 110 has been widely used due to the ease of control.

Since the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50' is higher than that of the mask 100, when the temperature is increased and the temperature is lowered again after attaching the mask 100 to the template 50', the mask 100 changes in temperature. The template 50 ′ contracts to a relatively large extent, while shrinking only a relatively small degree by At the same time, since the template 50 ′ and the mask 100 are in a state that is well bonded and fixed through the temporary bonding portion 55, the mask 100 is subjected to a force to be contracted more than the original contraction. The force to be further contracted occurs because the degree of contraction of the template 50 ′ is greater than that of the mask 100. Accordingly, the mask 100 is adhered on the template 50' in a state in which a compressive force is applied in the lateral direction (inside of the mask 100).

As above, the template 50' in which the mask 100 is subjected to a compressive force in the lateral direction is loaded into the frame 200 to correspond the mask 100 to the mask cell area CR, and welding is performed to perform the frame The mask 100 is attached to the 200 (see FIG. 4). Then, the template 50 ′ is separated from the mask 100. However, as the template 50 ′ is separated from the mask 100 and the compressive force acting on the mask 100 is released, the alignment of the mask 100 may be disturbed. In other words, due to the compressive force acting on the mask 100, both sides of the mask 100 cannot be attached to the frame 200 while being pulled taut in the outward direction, and a problem of being attached to the frame 200 in a wrinkled or sagged state. Can occur. This leads to product failure due to an alignment error of the mask 100 and a PPA error between the cells C.

Accordingly, the template 50 of the present invention is characterized in that the coefficient of thermal expansion is lower than that of the mask 100 (or the mask metal layer 110). In addition, the template support 60 may have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the mask 100. As shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, the process temperature may be raised to a temperature T1 higher than room temperature, and the mask metal layer 110 may be adhered to the template 50 and the template support part 60. In addition, after the mask 100 is manufactured on the template 50, the process temperature may be lowered to a temperature T2 at which the viscosity of the temporary bonding portion 55 is increased and partially hardened like a solid.

The mask metal layer 110 (or the mask 100) may be made of a material such as Invar, Super Invar, nickel, or nickel-cobalt having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than at least one. On the other hand, the template 50 (and the template support part 60) may have a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 1 (greater than 0). Preferably, the template 50 (and the template support 60) made of a quartz material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.55 may be used, but is not limited thereto.

Since the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50 is lower than that of the mask 100, when the temperature T2 is lowered as shown in FIG. 6(g), the template 50 hardly shrinks or is relatively It contracts to a small extent. The mask 100 may be relatively largely contracted, but since it is well adhered and fixed on the template 50 through the temporary bonding portion 55, the mask 100 cannot be contracted and is subjected to an internal force IT to be contracted. In other words, the mask 100 may be adhered to the template 50 in a taut state by applying a tensile force IT in the lateral direction.

In this state, the template 50 is loaded into the frame 200 to correspond to the mask 100, and welding is performed to form a welding bead WB, so that the mask 100 can be attached to the frame 200. .

10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of separating a mask and a template after attaching a mask to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, after attaching the mask 100 to the frame 200, the mask 100 and the template 50 may be debonded. Separation of the mask 100 and the template 50 can be performed through at least one of heat application (ET), chemical treatment (CM), ultrasonic application (US), and UV application (UV) to the temporary bonding part 55. have. Since the mask 100 remains attached to the frame 200, only the template 50 can be lifted. For example, when heat of a temperature higher than 85°C to 100°C is applied (ET), the viscosity of the temporary bonding portion 55 decreases, and the adhesion between the mask 100 and the template 50 is weakened, and thus the mask 100 ) And the template 50 may be separated. As another example, the mask 100 and the template 50 may be separated by dissolving or removing the temporary bonding portion 55 by immersing (CM) the temporary bonding portion 55 in a chemical substance such as IPA, acetone, and ethanol. have. As another example, when ultrasound is applied (US) or UV is applied (UV), the adhesion between the mask 100 and the template 50 is weakened, so that the mask 100 and the template 50 may be separated.

At the same time as the template 50 is separated from the mask 100, the tensile force IT applied to the mask 100 is released, and thus, it may be converted into a tension TS that tightens both sides of the mask 100. In other words, the mask 100 is pulled to a length longer than the original falling temperature T2 and adhered to the template 50, and since this state is welded to the frame 200, the pulled state (self A state in which the tension TS is applied to the mask cell sheet part 220] may be maintained. Therefore, since the mask 100 is attached on the frame 200 while being pulled tightly, wrinkles, deformations, and the like do not occur. Accordingly, it is effective to reduce an alignment error of the mask 100 and a PPA error between cells C.

11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 shows a state in which all of the masks 100 are attached to the cell area CR of the frame 200. After attaching the masks 100 one by one, the template 50 may be separated, but after attaching all the masks 100, all the templates 50 may be separated.

The conventional mask 10 of FIG. 1 has a long length because it includes 6 cells (C1 to C6), whereas the mask 100 of the present invention has a short length including one cell (C). The degree of distortion of the pixel position accuracy (PPA) can be reduced. In addition, since the present invention only needs to match one cell (C) of the mask 100 and check the alignment state, a conventional method in which a plurality of cells (C: C1 to C6) must be simultaneously corresponded and all alignment states must be checked. The manufacturing time can be significantly reduced from the method [see Fig. 1].

When the template 50 and the mask 100 are separated after each of the masks 100 are attached to the corresponding mask cell area CR, the plurality of masks 100 are contracted in opposite directions (TS). ) Is applied, the force is canceled, so that deformation does not occur in the mask cell sheet portion 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 in the right direction of the mask 100 attached to the CR11 cell area. The applied tension TS and the tension TS acting in the left direction of the mask 100 attached to the CR12 cell area may be canceled out. Thus, the deformation of the frame 200 (or the mask cell sheet part 220) due to 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.

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

Referring to FIG. 12, the OLED pixel deposition apparatus 1000 includes a magnet plate 300 in which a magnet 310 is accommodated and a cooling water line 350 is disposed, and an organic material source 600 from a lower portion of the magnet plate 300. It includes a deposition source supply unit 500 to supply ).

A target substrate 900 such as glass on which the organic material source 600 is deposited may be interposed between the magnet plate 300 and the source deposition unit 500. The frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 (or FMM) for allowing the organic material source 600 to be deposited for each pixel may be disposed on the target substrate 900 to be in close contact or very close to each other. The magnet 310 generates a magnetic field and may be in close contact with the target substrate 900 by the magnetic field.

The deposition source supply unit 500 may reciprocate the left and right path to supply the organic material source 600, and the organic material sources 600 supplied from the deposition source supply unit 500 are pattern P formed on the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200. ) May be deposited on one side of the target substrate 900. The deposited organic material source 600 passing through the pattern P of the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 may function as the pixel 700 of the OLED.

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

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to a preferred embodiment as described above, it is not limited to the above embodiment, and within the scope not departing from the spirit of the present invention, various It can be transformed and changed. Such modifications and variations should be viewed as falling within the scope of the present invention and the appended claims.

50: template
51: laser through hole
55, 65: temporary bonding part
60, 60': template support
100: mask
110: mask film, mask metal film
200: frame
210: frame frame portion
220: mask cell sheet portion
221: border sheet portion
223: first grid seat portion
225: second grid seat portion
C: cell, mask cell
CR: Mask cell area
DM: dummy, mask dummy
L: laser
P: mask pattern
WB: welding bead

Claims (14)

As a manufacturing method of a mask supporting template corresponding to a frame by supporting an OLED pixel forming mask,
(a) inserting the template into the groove formed in the template support;
(b) adhering a mask metal film on at least one surface of the template and the template support portion; And
(c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film and cutting the edge of the mask metal film to the same size as the template to manufacture a mask
Containing, the manufacturing method of the mask support template. The method of claim 1,
raising the process temperature between steps (a) and (b),
Between (b) and (c) step, or after step (c), further comprising the step of lowering the process temperature, the manufacturing method of the mask supporting template. The method of claim 2,
A method of manufacturing a mask supporting template, wherein when the process temperature is increased to adhere the mask metal film to the template and then the process temperature is lowered, the template shrinks less than the mask and the mask is subjected to a tensile force in the lateral direction. The method of claim 1,
After step (c), further comprising the step of separating the template and the mask adhered on one side of the template from the template support, a method of manufacturing a mask support template. The method of claim 1,
A method of manufacturing a mask supporting template, wherein the template and the template supporting part have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the mask. The method of claim 5,
The mask has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than at least 1, and the template has a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 1 (more than 0), a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template. The method of claim 1,
In step (b), the template corresponding to the mask metal film and a temporary adhesive portion is formed on one surface of the template support, a method of manufacturing a mask support template. The method of claim 1,
In step (a), a temporary adhesive portion is formed in the groove of the template support portion, and the other surface of the template is adhered to the template support portion through the temporary adhesive portion. The method according to claim 7 or 8,
The temporary bonding part is an adhesive that can be separated by applying heat and an adhesive that can be separated by UV irradiation, a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template. The method of claim 1,
In step (a), a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template, further performing position control for alignment of the template and the template supporting part. The method of claim 1,
After step (a), performing a planarization process to match the height of the template and one surface of the template support, a method of manufacturing a mask support template. The method of claim 1,
The template support portion includes a base plate, and an edge plate connected to an edge of one surface of the base plate and having a hollow region, wherein the hollow region corresponds to a groove of the template support portion. A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask in which at least one mask and a frame supporting the mask are integrally formed,
(a) inserting the template into the groove formed in the template support;
(b) adhering a mask metal film on at least one surface of the template and the template support portion;
(c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film and cutting the edge of the mask metal film to have the same size as the template to manufacture a mask;
(d) loading a template onto a frame having at least one mask cell area to correspond the mask to the mask cell area of the frame; And
(e) attaching the mask to the frame
Containing, the manufacturing method of the frame-integrated mask. A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask in which at least one mask and a frame supporting the mask are integrally formed,
(a) loading the template manufactured by the manufacturing method of claim 1 onto a frame having at least one mask cell area, thereby making the mask correspond to the mask cell area of the frame; And
(b) attaching the mask to the frame
Containing, the manufacturing method of the frame-integrated mask.

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