KR20240003907A - Variable raw material division open mask assembly for thin flim processing and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in manufacturing a variable raw material split open mask assembly to be used for a large-area 8th generation full-size glass substrate in the OLED manufacturing process, the raw materials are divided into a plurality of pieces and bonded to cover the area of the 8th generation full-size glass substrate. An open mask that can be used on 8th generation full-size glass substrates is manufactured by creating a corresponding ledger, and in dividing raw materials, the number of raw material split sheets can be freely varied depending on the number of cells to be placed on each raw material split sheet, allowing for various It can be used on glass substrates on which various types of cells are placed.

Description

VARIABLE RAW MATERIAL DIVISION OPEN MASK ASSEMBLY FOR THIN FLIM PROCESSING AND METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a mask for thin film processing. More specifically, in manufacturing an open mask assembly to be used for a large-area 8th generation full-size glass substrate in the OLED manufacturing process, the raw materials are divided into a plurality of pieces and bonded to form an 8th generation full-size glass substrate. An open mask that can be used on 8th generation full-size glass substrates is manufactured by creating a ledger corresponding to the area of It can be used on glass substrates on which various types of cells are placed, and by adding an alignment sheet to both ends of the open mask sheet to create an auxiliary alignment key that aligns the open mask sheet and the glass substrate, the OLED thin film deposition process It relates to a large-area variable raw material split open mask assembly and method for thin film processing that can reduce the occurrence of defects in the process.

Generally, Invar is used as a raw material used to produce open masks or FMMs in the OLED manufacturing process.

The maximum width of this Invar is limited to the range of 1020~1040mm due to manufacturing limitations. However, in the case of the conventional 6th generation half-size glass substrate, an open mask corresponding to the size of the glass substrate can be manufactured by manufacturing Invar as a raw material, so Invar The size of the ledger that could be produced was not a major issue.

However, as the area of the glass substrate has gradually increased in recent years, the size of the glass substrate is currently increasing up to the 8th generation full-size glass substrate. Accordingly, OLED thin film process applications such as open masks that can be used on the 8th generation full-size (2500×2800) glass substrate are being used. It became necessary to manufacture masks, but since the width of Invar, a raw material that can be produced with current technology, was limited, there was no way to manufacture masks that could be used for the 8th generation full size using Invar as the main material.

Therefore, there has been a continuous need for a method of manufacturing OLED masks for thin film processes for various purposes, such as open masks applicable to 8th generation full-size glass substrates, using Invar, which has a limited width.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0071321 (publication date: June 26, 2015)

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to manufacture an open mask assembly to be used for a large-area 8th generation full-size glass substrate in the OLED manufacturing process, by dividing the raw materials into a plurality of pieces and joining them to create a ledger corresponding to the area of the 8th generation full-size glass substrate. This manufactures an open mask that can be used on 8th generation full-size glass substrates, and when dividing raw materials, the number of raw material split sheets can be freely varied depending on the number of cells to be placed on each raw material split sheet, allowing various types of cells to be placed. It can be used on glass substrates, and by adding an alignment sheet to both ends of the open mask sheet to create an auxiliary alignment key that aligns the open mask sheet and the glass substrate, the occurrence of defects in the OLED thin film deposition process can be reduced. To provide a large-area variable raw material splitting open mask assembly and method for thin film processing.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects mentioned above, and other objects and advantages of the present invention that are not mentioned can be understood by the following description and will be more clearly understood by the examples of the present invention. Additionally, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the patent claims.

A large-area variable raw material splitting open mask assembly for thin film processing according to the present invention, comprising a mask frame, a plurality of first ribs having a first width and a first length, and a plurality of second ribs having a second width and a second length. The mask frame is formed by joining an auxiliary mask sheet arranged in a grid and bonded to the mask frame, and a plurality of raw material split sheets bonded on top of the auxiliary mask sheet and having a third width and a third length. It is made of a ledger corresponding to the area of the target glass substrate applied to the open mask sheet and includes a plurality of openings arranged in a grid therein, and is continuously bonded to the pattern sheet at both ends of the open mask sheet, It may include a plurality of alignment sheets on which auxiliary alignment keys are formed to align the glass substrate and the pattern sheet.

Additionally, the raw material split sheet may have at least one opening disposed.

In addition, the third width of the raw material split sheet can be varied depending on the number of openings determined to be placed on each raw material split sheet in the range from the minimum width required to arrange one opening to the maximum width of the preset standardized raw material split sheet. there is.

In addition, the raw material split sheet is formed at a predetermined area at one end of a joint for joining different raw material split sheets, and the joint is pre-etched to a thickness of 1/2 the first thickness of the raw material split sheet, After connecting a plurality of raw material split sheets through the joint, the joint can be welded to flatten the surface of the open mask sheet to produce a ledger.

In addition, the open mask sheet is manufactured into a raw material by joining the ends of a plurality of raw material split sheets and then welding them to flatten the surfaces of the raw material split sheets, and the first rib is disposed on the joint surface of different raw material split sheets. This can prevent organic substances from penetrating into the space between the joint surfaces.

Additionally, the align sheet may be formed of a magnetic material.

In addition, the align sheet is formed of a non-magnetic material, and the auxiliary align key is activated by the magnetic force in the process of contacting the open mask sheet with the glass substrate by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic material disposed on the upper part of the glass substrate. It can prevent it from becoming distorted.

In addition, the auxiliary align key may be formed at a corresponding target position on the align sheet aligned with the reference align key formed on the glass substrate after the align sheet is bonded to both ends of the open mask sheet. You can.

Additionally, the auxiliary align key can be created by penetrating the target position on the align sheet with a laser.

Additionally, the first stem of the auxiliary mask sheet may have a first width of 50 to 100 mm and a first length of 2200 to 2500 mm.

In addition, the method of manufacturing a large-area variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing according to the present invention includes a plurality of first ribs having a first width and a first length and a plurality of second ribs having a second width and a second length. Preparing auxiliary mask sheets arranged in a grid, bonding the auxiliary mask sheets to a mask frame, and cutting the raw materials of the sheets to produce a plurality of raw material split sheets having a third width and a third length. A step of bonding the plurality of raw material split sheets to produce a variable raw material split open mask sheet corresponding to the area of the target glass substrate applied to the mask frame, and a plurality of raw material split open mask sheets in the cell area of the raw material split open mask sheet. Forming an opening, bonding the raw material split open mask sheet to the upper part of the auxiliary mask sheet and the mask frame, and a plurality of aligners having auxiliary aligners for aligning the target glass substrate and the open mask sheet. It may include bonding a sheet to both ends of the open mask sheet.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in manufacturing a variable raw material split open mask assembly to be used for a large-area 8th generation full-size glass substrate in the OLED manufacturing process, the raw materials are divided into a plurality of pieces and bonded to cover the area of the 8th generation full-size glass substrate. An open mask that can be used on 8th generation full-size glass substrates is manufactured by creating a corresponding ledger, and in dividing raw materials, the number of raw material split sheets can be freely varied depending on the number of cells to be placed on each raw material split sheet, allowing for various It can be used on glass substrates on which various types of cells are placed.

Additionally, by adding an alignment sheet to both ends of the open mask sheet to create an auxiliary alignment key that aligns the open mask sheet and the glass substrate, the occurrence of defects in the OLED thin film deposition process can be reduced.

In addition to the above-described effects, specific effects of the present invention are described below while explaining specific details for carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 shows a conceptual diagram of Invar's raw material division for manufacturing an open mask corresponding to an 8th generation full-size glass substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the structure of a raw material split open mask assembly to which a variable raw material split sheet is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a variable raw material split open mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of an auxiliary mask sheet seated on a mask frame in a variable raw material split open mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an open mask sheet bonded to the top of an auxiliary mask sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a variable raw material split-off mask assembly to which an alignment sheet is added according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the opening of the variable raw material splitting open mask formed as a half-opening according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the operating principle of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description of the present invention, if a detailed description of a known function or configuration is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. The terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

Figure 1 shows a conceptual diagram of Invar's raw material division for manufacturing an open mask corresponding to an 8th generation full-size glass substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the structure of a raw material split open mask assembly to which a variable raw material split sheet is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a variable raw material split open mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, in the case of Invar 36, which is used as a raw material for masks for the OLED thin film process, the maximum width that can be manufactured as a raw material is 1020 ~ 1040mm, so Invar is used for open masks that can be used in the 8th generation full size (2500 × 2800mm). As mentioned above, there was no way to manufacture it as a ledger.

Accordingly, in the present invention, for example, an open mask sheet corresponding to an 8th generation full-size glass substrate is manufactured by cutting Invar, which is a raw material, and the width of the raw material split sheet is adjusted according to the size and number of cells arranged on each raw material split sheet. By manufacturing it in a variable manner, it can be used on glass substrates on which various types of cells are placed.

That is, for example, in the case where three 14-inch cells are arranged, two raw material split sheets 123 are manufactured with a width of 1040 mm as shown in FIG. 1, and two raw material split sheets (123) are produced as shown in FIG. 2. 123) can be joined to produce a variable raw material split open mask sheet (135) for an 8th generation full-size glass substrate.

In addition, for example, when one tablet-sized 14-inch cell is placed, as shown in FIG. 3, six raw material split sheets 147 are joined to create an 8th generation full-size glass substrate open mask sheet (135). ) can be produced.

At this time, in producing this variable raw material split open mask sheet,

As shown in (a) of FIG. 4, the ends of the plurality of raw material split sheets 123 are brought together, and then the joint surfaces 423 where the ends of each raw material split sheet come into contact are welded and opened so that the surface of the variable raw material split open mask sheet is flattened. It can be made into a mask sheet. When manufactured in this way, for example, each raw material split sheet can be manufactured with a width of 1040 mm and a length of 2800 mm.

In addition, at the bottom of this joint surface, a first rib 535, which serves as a shield in the auxiliary mask sheet to be described later, is located to support the joint surface 423 of the raw material split sheet and at the same time provide space that can be created on the joint surface. It prevents defects from occurring by preventing organic substances from passing through during the thin film process.

In addition, in manufacturing a split ledger mask sheet, as shown in (b) of FIG. 4, a joint portion 433 for joining different raw material split sheets is formed in a preset area at one end of each raw material split sheet 123. ) is formed, and the open mask sheet 135 can be manufactured by, for example, butt-welding each joint portion 433 of two raw material split sheets so that the variable raw material split open mask sheet 135 is flattened. In this way, when an open mask sheet is manufactured by joining two raw material split sheets 123 through a joint, the strength of the contact surface can be increased compared to (a) of FIG. 4, and the open mask sheet can be manufactured more stably.

At this time, the above joint 433 is pre-etched to, for example, a thickness of 1/2 the first thickness of the raw material split sheet 123, and when a plurality of raw material split sheets are connected and welded through the joint, a variable raw material open The surface of the mask sheet 135 is flattened.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an auxiliary mask sheet seated on a mask frame in a variable raw material split open mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an open mask sheet bonded to the top of an auxiliary mask sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a variable raw material split-off mask assembly to which an alignment sheet is added according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the opening of the variable raw material splitting open mask formed as a half-opening according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the variable raw material split open mask sheet 135 manufactured by splitting raw materials as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 includes a first stile 535 that serves as a screen and a second stile disposed perpendicular to the first stile (535). It may be bonded to the upper part of the auxiliary mask sheet 178 composed of (537) and seated on the mask frame 167.

At this time, the auxiliary mask sheet 178 is joined to the mask frame through laser spot welding, etc. after the first and second spokes are seated in the flame groove 169 formed on the mask frame.

This auxiliary mask sheet is located at the bottom of the open mask sheet to alleviate the sagging phenomenon of the open mask sheet 135 as the variable raw material split open mask sheet is manufactured in a large area to fit the 8th generation full size, and is composed of a plurality of raw material split sheets. The joint surface 423 is covered to prevent organic substances from passing through the space that may be created on the joint surface during the thin film process, thereby preventing defects from occurring.

At this time, the first shank 535 may be manufactured with a preset first width and first length, and the second shank 535 may be manufactured with a preset second width and second length. In particular, for example, the 8th generation pool The first strip used as a screen for an open mask for size can be manufactured with a width of 50 to 100 mm and a length of 2500 mm, but is not limited to this.

In addition, these auxiliary mask sheets can be manufactured by manufacturing the first and second slats separately and joining them in a grid form on the mask frame. Like the variable raw material split open mask, a large area sheet is created with a split ledger and then “# “It can also be manufactured by etching into a shape.

Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of openings 127 may be arranged in a grid in the cell area inside the raw material divided open mask sheet. These openings are areas corresponding to each cell where the thin film formation process on the glass substrate is performed, and the thin film process progresses as each deposition material for OLED production is deposited in each cell through the openings.

Additionally, the raw material split sheet 135 may be cut to have a preset third width and third length, and then formed into a variable raw material split open mask sheet by joining a plurality of raw material split sheets.

At this time, the raw material split sheet is disposed with at least one opening 127 as shown in FIG. 3, and the third width of the raw material split sheet is a preset standardized raw material split sheet at the minimum width required for one opening to be disposed. The maximum width may vary depending on the number of openings determined to be placed on each raw material split sheet.

Additionally, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the opening 127 in the variable raw material split open mask sheet 135 may be implemented as a half-opening 817 that is not fully open.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the half-opening portion 817 of the present invention has a first thickness, which is the thickness of the sheet, of only the border region 824 of the opening region 823 through pre-etching on the variable raw material division open mask 135. This may mean a state of etching to create a second, thinner thickness.

This second thickness may be pre-calculated and set to a thickness that can be cut at once through femtosecond laser etching, etc., or, for example, may be set to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/3 of the first thickness of the raw material split sheet 123. However, it is not limited to this.

In the present invention, the opening area corresponding to each cell on the open mask sheet is not completely opened, but the open mask sheet 135 is stretched and bonded to the mask frame 167 in this semi-open state, and then later lasered. It is opened through etching, etc. At this time, as the cell area of the open mask sheet is stretched in a half-open state, a more uniform tensile force can be applied to the entire area of the open mask sheet compared to stretching after fully opening the opening area, making the open mask sheet the optimal condition. It is possible to create a tensioned variable raw material split open mask assembly.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the variable raw material split open mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

First, in the variable raw material split open mask assembly of the present invention, an 8th generation full-size open mask is manufactured by joining a plurality of raw material split sheets as shown in Figure 2, and the size and number of cells arranged on each raw material split sheet are manufactured. By producing a variable width of the raw material split sheet, it can be used on glass substrates on which various types of cells are placed.

At this time, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of openings 127 may be arranged in a grid in the cell area inside the raw material divided open mask sheet. These openings are areas corresponding to each cell where the thin film formation process on the glass substrate is performed. In the 8th generation full-size glass substrate, the size of the above cell is larger than that of a typical mobile phone, such as 8 inches, 10 inches, 14 inches, etc. It can be set to the size of the display used in devices such as tablets.

Next, an auxiliary mask sheet (178) consisting of a first strip (535) that serves as a screen for the joint surface of the variable raw material split open mask sheet (135) and a second strip (537) disposed perpendicular to the first strip (535). Prepared, as shown in Figure 5, the first and second spokes of the auxiliary mask sheet are seated in the flame groove 169 formed on the mask frame and then joined to the mask frame through laser spot welding, etc. I order it.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the variable raw material split open mask sheet 135 is bonded to the upper part of the auxiliary mask sheet 178 and the mask frame 167.

At this time, the auxiliary mask sheet is located at the lower part of the open mask sheet to alleviate the sagging phenomenon of the open mask sheet 135 as the variable raw material split open mask sheet is manufactured in a large area to fit the 8th generation full size, and divides a plurality of raw materials. It covers the joint surface 423 of the sheet to prevent defects by preventing organic substances from passing through the space that may be created on the joint surface during the thin film process.

Meanwhile, in the structure of the variable raw material split open mask assembly as shown in FIG. 6, there is an empty space between the open mask sheet 135 and the frame 167 at both left and right ends of the mask frame 167, and organic matter is deposited on the glass substrate. There was a problem that defects could occur as organic substances passed through the empty space and were deposited on the glass substrate.

Accordingly, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, an alignment sheet 157, which is connected to the open mask sheet 135 and can block the empty space, is additionally bonded to both left and right ends of the frame to form a variable raw material. Complete the split open mask assembly.

An auxiliary align key for aligning the glass substrate and the split ledger mask sheet may be formed on this align sheet. Additionally, the align sheet may be formed of a magnetic material such as Invar, or may be formed of a non-magnetic material such as SUS (Steel Use Stainless).

At this time, when the align sheet is formed of a non-magnetic material such as a suspense, the variable raw material split open mask sheet is aligned by magnetic force in the process of contacting the glass substrate by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic material disposed on the upper part of the glass substrate. As the seat is not affected, the auxiliary alignment key can be prevented from being twisted.

In addition, the above auxiliary align key can be formed at a corresponding target position on the align sheet aligned with the reference align key formed on the glass substrate after the align sheet is continuously bonded to both ends of the open mask sheet. This auxiliary alignment key can be created by penetrating the target position on the alignment sheet with a laser, but is not limited to this.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in manufacturing a variable raw material split open mask assembly to be used for a large-area 8th generation full-size glass substrate in the OLED manufacturing process, the raw materials are divided into a plurality of pieces and bonded to form an 8th generation full-size glass substrate. An open mask that can be used on 8th generation full-size glass substrates is manufactured by creating a ledger corresponding to the area of the glass substrate. When dividing raw materials, the number of raw material split sheets is freely variable depending on the number of cells to be placed on each raw material split sheet. It can be used on glass substrates on which various types of cells are placed.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrative drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is obvious that transformation can occur. In addition, although the operational effects according to the configuration of the present invention were not explicitly described and explained while explaining the embodiments of the present invention above, it is natural that the predictable effects due to the configuration should also be recognized.

123: raw material split sheet 127: opening
157: Align sheet 167: Mask frame
178: Auxiliary mask sheet 169: Flame groove
423: joint surface 433: joint
535: 1st rib 537: 2nd rib
817: half-opening 823: opening area
824: border area

Claims (10)

A variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing,
mask frame,
An auxiliary mask sheet made of a plurality of first spokes having a first width and a first length and a plurality of second spokes having a second width and a second length arranged in a grid and bonded to the mask frame;
It is bonded to the upper part of the auxiliary mask sheet, and is manufactured into a ledger corresponding to the area of the target glass substrate applied to the mask frame by bonding a plurality of raw material split sheets having a third width and a third length, and is formed into a grid inside. An open mask sheet including a plurality of arranged openings,
A plurality of alignment sheets are continuously bonded to the pattern sheet at both ends of the open mask sheet and have auxiliary alignment keys for aligning the glass substrate and the pattern sheet.
A variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing comprising: According to claim 1,
The raw material split sheet is,
A variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing in which at least one opening is disposed. According to claim 2,
The third width of the raw material split sheet is,
A variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing that varies depending on the number of openings determined to be placed on each raw material split sheet in the range from the minimum width required to place one opening to the maximum width of a preset standardized raw material split sheet. According to claim 1,
The raw material split sheet is,
A joint for joining different raw material split sheets is formed in a preset area at one end, the joint is pre-etched to 1/2 the thickness of the first thickness of the raw material split sheet, and a plurality of raw materials are divided through the joint. After connecting the sheets, a variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing is manufactured into a raw material by welding the joint so that the surface of the open mask sheet is flattened. According to claim 1,
The open mask sheet,
After the ends of a plurality of raw material split sheets are brought together, the surfaces of the raw material split sheets are welded to be flat to produce a ledger,
The first spoke is,
A variable raw material splitting open mask assembly for thin film processing that is placed on the bonding surface of different raw material splitting sheets to prevent organic substances from penetrating into the space between the bonding surfaces. According to claim 1,
The alignment sheet is,
Variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing made of magnetic materials. According to claim 6,
The alignment sheet is,
It is made of a non-magnetic material and is used for thin film processing to prevent the auxiliary aligner key from being twisted by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic material disposed on the upper part of the glass substrate when the open mask sheet is brought into contact with the glass substrate. Variable raw material split open mask assembly. According to claim 7,
The auxiliary align key is,
After the align sheet is bonded to both ends of the open mask sheet, a variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing is formed at a corresponding target position on the align sheet that is aligned with a reference align key formed on the glass substrate. . According to claim 8,
The auxiliary align key is,
Generated by penetrating the target position on the align sheet with a laser,
The first stem of the auxiliary mask sheet is
A variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing, wherein the first width is formed to be 50 to 100 mm and the first length is formed to be 2200 to 2500 mm. A method of manufacturing a large-area variable raw material split open mask assembly for thin film processing,
Preparing an auxiliary mask sheet in which a plurality of first bars having a first width and a first length and a plurality of second bars having a second width and a second length are arranged in a grid;
bonding the auxiliary mask sheet to a mask frame;
Cutting the raw materials of the sheet to produce a plurality of raw material split sheets having a third width and a third length;
bonding the plurality of raw material split sheets to produce a variable raw material split open mask sheet corresponding to the area of the target glass substrate applied to the mask frame;
forming a plurality of openings in a cell region of the raw material divided open mask sheet;
Bonding the raw material split open mask sheet to the upper part of the auxiliary mask sheet and the mask frame;
Bonding a plurality of alignment sheets on which auxiliary alignment keys for aligning the target glass substrate and the open mask sheet are formed to both ends of the open mask sheet.
A method of manufacturing a variable raw material split open mask assembly for a thin film process comprising:

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