TWI810497B - 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 supporting template and a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask. According to the manufacturing method of the mask supporting template of the present invention, the template is used to support the mask for OLED pixel formation and correspond the mask to the frame, the method includes: (a) inserting the template into the groove formed on the template supporting part Steps; (b) a step of sticking a mask metal film on at least one side of the template and the template support; and (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film, and cutting off the edge of the mask metal film to make the same as the template Dimensions of the mask steps.

Description

Manufacturing method of mask supporting template and manufacturing method of frame-integrated mask

field of invention

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template and a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask. More specifically, it relates to a method of manufacturing a mask supporting template capable of stably supporting movement without deforming a mask, and of accurately aligning each mask, and a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask.

Background of the invention

As a technique for forming pixels in the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) manufacturing process, a fine metal mask (Fine Metal Mask, FMM) method is mainly used. Attach to the substrate and deposit organics on desired locations.

In the existing OLED manufacturing process, after the mask is manufactured into strips, plates, etc., the mask is welded and fixed to the OLED pixel deposition frame and used. A plurality of cells corresponding to one display may be provided on one mask. In addition, in order to manufacture large-area OLEDs, multiple masks can be fixed to the OLED pixel deposition frame, and each mask is stretched to become flat during the process of fixing to the frame. Adjusting the stretching force to flatten the entire portion of the mask is a very difficult task. In particular, in order to make all the cells flat while aligning a mask pattern with a size of several μm to tens of μm, it is necessary to fine-tune the tension applied to each side of the mask and check the alignment state in real time. Require.

However, in the process of fixing multiple masks to a frame, there is still a problem of poor alignment between masks and between mask units. In addition, in the process of welding and fixing the mask to the frame, the thickness of the mask film is too thin and the area is large, so there is a problem that the mask sags or twists due to the load; (burr), etc., causing the problem of misalignment of the mask unit, etc.

In ultra-high-quality OLEDs, the existing QHD picture quality is 500-600PPI (pixel per inch, pixel per inch), and the pixel size reaches about 30-50μm, while 4KUHD and 8KUHD high-quality images have higher than that. Resolutions of ~860PPI, ~1600PPI, etc. In this way, considering the pixel size of ultra-high-quality OLEDs, it is necessary to reduce the alignment error between each unit to about a few μm. Exceeding this error will lead to defective products, so the yield may be extremely low. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technology capable of preventing deformation such as sagging or twisting of the mask and accurately aligning the mask, and a technology of fixing the mask to the frame.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, the present invention is made to solve various 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 matching and affixing a plurality of mask supporting templates to a frame.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a mask support template capable of stably supporting and moving the mask without deformation, preventing deformation such as sagging or twisting of the mask, and accurately aligning the mask. Manufacturing method and manufacturing method of frame-integrated mask.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a frame-integrated mask that can remarkably shorten the manufacturing time and significantly improve the yield. [Technical solutions]

The above objects of the present invention can be achieved by a method for manufacturing a mask supporting template for supporting a mask for OLED pixel formation and corresponding the mask to the frame, the method comprising: (a) inserting the template into the template support (b) a step of sticking a mask metal film on at least one side of the template and the template support part; and (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film and cutting off the mask metal film edge to make a mask of the same size as the stencil.

A step of raising the process temperature may be included between step (a) and step (b), and a step of lowering the process temperature may also be included between step (b) and step (c) or after step (c).

If the process temperature is increased and the mask metal film is attached to the template, and then the process temperature is lowered, the shrinkage of the template is smaller than that of the mask, so that the mask is subjected to a lateral tensile force.

After the step (c), a step of detaching the template and the mask attached to one side of the template from the template support part may also be included.

A coefficient of thermal expansion of the template and the template support may be smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the mask.

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

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

In step (a), a temporary adhesive part is formed on the groove of the template support part, and the other side of the template can be pasted on the template support part by interposing the temporary adhesive part.

The temporary bonding part may be a heat-releasable adhesive, a UV-irradiation-releasable adhesive.

In step (a), a position adjustment may also be performed so that the template and the template support are aligned.

After the step (a), a planarization process may be performed in order to make the height of one side of the template and the template support part uniform.

The template supporting part may include a base plate and a frame plate connected to one edge of the base plate and having a hollow area, and the hollow area corresponds to the groove of the template supporting part.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention can be achieved by a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask that is integrally formed with at least one mask and a frame for supporting the mask, the method comprising: (a) The step of inserting the template into the groove formed on the template support part; (b) the step of sticking a mask metal film on at least one side of the template and the template support part; (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film, and cutting a step of masking the edge of the metal film to manufacture a mask of the same size as the template; (d) a step of loading the template on a frame having at least one mask unit area so that the mask corresponds to the mask unit area of the frame; and ( e) Step of attaching the mask to the frame.

In addition, the object of the present invention can be achieved by a method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask that is integrally formed with at least one mask and a frame for supporting the mask, the method comprising: (a) A step of loading a template manufactured based on the manufacturing method described in claim 1 on a frame having at least one mask unit area, and making the mask correspond to the mask unit area of the frame; and (b) attaching the mask to the frame A step of. [beneficial effect]

According to the present invention as described above, there is an effect that a plurality of mask supporting templates can be attached to the frame simultaneously.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the mask can be stably supported and moved without being deformed, and deformation such as sagging or twisting of the mask can be prevented, and the mask can be accurately aligned.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is an effect that the production time can be significantly shortened and the yield can be significantly improved.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The detailed description of the invention which follows will refer to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described here relate to one embodiment, and can be implemented as other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual constituent elements within each disclosed embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be regarded as limiting, and the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended patent claims and all equivalent scopes as long as it is properly stated. Similar reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or similar functions in various aspects, and for convenience, the length, area, thickness and shape may be exaggerated.

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

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

Existing masks 10 are stick-type or plate-type, and the stick-type mask 10 in FIG. 1 can be used by welding and fixing both sides of the stick to the OLED pixel deposition frame. The body (Body) of the mask 10 [or the mask film 11 ] has a plurality of display units C. As shown in FIG. One unit C can correspond to one display of a smart phone or the like. A pixel pattern P corresponding to each pixel of the display is formed on the unit C.

Referring to FIG. 1( a ), by applying tensile forces F1 to F2 along the long axis direction of the rod mask 10 , the rod mask 10 is mounted on the frame 20 in the shape of a quadrangular frame in an unfolded state. The cells C1 to C6 of the rod mask 10 are located in the blank area inside the frame 20 .

Referring to (b) of FIG. 1 , after fine-tuning the stretching forces F1 to F2 applied to each side of the rod mask 10 and aligning them, and by welding a part of the rod mask 10 sides W, the rod mask The mold 10 and the frame 20 are interconnected. (c) of FIG. 1 illustrates a side section of the stick mask 10 and the frame connected to each other.

Despite fine-tuning the stretching forces F1-F2 applied to each side of the rod-shaped mask 10, there still occurs a problem of poor alignment of the mask units C1-C3 with respect to each other. An example of this is that the distances between the patterns of the cells C1 to C6 are different from each other or the patterns P are uneven. Since the rod mask 10 includes a plurality of cells C1 to C6, has a large area, and has a very thin thickness on the order of several tens of ㎛, it tends to sag or twist due to a load. Moreover, in order to make all the cells C1 to C6 in a flat state, it is very difficult to observe the alignment state of the cells C1 to C6 through a microscope while adjusting the tensile forces F1 to F2. In order to prevent the mask pattern P with a size of several ㎛ to tens of ㎛ from adversely affecting the pixel process of the ultra-high-quality OLED, the alignment error is preferably not more than 3 ㎛. This alignment error between adjacent units is called pixel position accuracy (PPA).

In addition, a plurality of stick masks 10 are respectively connected to one frame 20, and it is also very difficult to confirm the alignment state between the plurality of stick masks 10 and among the units C1 to C6 of the stick masks 10. Alignment operations will lead to increased process time and become a major cause of reduced production efficiency.

In addition, after the rod mask 10 is connected and fixed to the frame 20 , the tensile forces F1 - F2 applied to the rod mask 10 can react on the frame 20 as tension. Such tension may slightly deform the frame 20 and distort the alignment state among the plurality of units C1 to C6.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a frame 200 and a frame-integrated mask in which the mask 100 and the frame 200 can form an integrated structure. The mask 100 integrated with the frame 200 can prevent deformation such as sagging and twisting, and can be accurately aligned on the frame 200 .

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

In this specification, the configuration of the frame-integrated mask will be briefly described below, but the description of the structure and manufacturing process of the frame-integrated mask can be understood as describing the entire contents of Korean Patent Application No. 2018-0016186 go inside.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the frame-integrated mask may include a plurality of masks 100 and a frame 200 . In other words, it is a form in which a plurality of masks 100 are attached to the frame 200 one by one. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, although the quadrilateral mask 100 is used as an example for description, the mask 100 may be in the form of a rod-shaped mask with protrusions for clamping on both sides before being attached to the frame 200, and attached to the frame. The protrusions can be removed after 200 up.

A plurality of mask patterns P are formed on each mask 100 , and one cell C may be formed on one mask 100 . One mask unit C can correspond to one display of a smartphone or the like.

The material of the mask 100 may also be 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 . In consideration of thermal deformation, the frame 200 is preferably composed of the same material as the mask. The frame 200 may include an edge frame part 210 that is substantially quadrangular, quadrangular frame shape. The inside of the edge frame part 210 may be hollow.

In addition, the frame 200 has a plurality of mask unit regions CR and may include a mask unit sheet part 220 connected to the edge frame part 210 . The mask unit sheet part 220 may be composed of an edge sheet part 221 and a first grid sheet part 223 and a second grid sheet part 225 . The edge sheet part 221, the 1st grid sheet part 223, and the 2nd grid sheet part 225 refer to each part divided on the same sheet, and these are formed integrally with each other.

The edge frame part 210 has a thickness greater than that of the mask unit sheet part 220 and is formed with a thickness of several mm to several cm. The thickness of the mask unit sheet part 220 may be smaller than that of the edge frame part 210 but larger than that of the mask 100, about 0.1 mm to 1 mm. The width of the first grid sheet part 223 and the second grid sheet part 225 is about 1-5 mm.

In the planar sheet, in addition to the area occupied by the edge sheet portion 221 and the first grid sheet portion 223 and the second grid sheet portion 225, a plurality of mask unit regions CR (CR11˜CR56) can be provided. .

The frame 200 has a plurality of mask cell regions CR, and each mask 100 may be attached in such a manner that each mask cell C corresponds to the mask cell region CR. The mask unit C corresponds to the mask unit region CR of the frame 200, and part or all of the dummy part may be attached to the frame 200 [the mask unit sheet part 220]. Thus, the mask 100 and the frame 200 can form an integrated structure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view and side sectional view of a mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a mask supporting template 50 ′ according to a comparative example.

Referring to FIG. 3( a ) and FIG. 3( b ), the mask 100 may include a mask unit C formed with a plurality of mask patterns P and a dummy part DM located around the mask unit C. Referring to FIG. The mask 100 may be made of a metal sheet produced by a rolling process, electroforming, etc., and a unit C may be formed on the mask 100 . The dummy part DM corresponds to the part of the mask film 110 [mask metal film 110] other than the cell C, and may include only the mask film 110, or may include a dummy part pattern formed with a predetermined dummy part pattern similar to the mask pattern P. masking film 110 . The dummy part DM corresponds to the edge of the mask 100, and part or all of the dummy part DM may be attached to the frame 200 [mask unit sheet part 220].

The width of the mask pattern P may be formed in a size smaller than 40㎛, and the thickness of the mask 100 may be formed in a size of about 5˜20㎛. Since the frame 200 has a plurality of mask unit regions CR (CR11˜CR56), it may also have a plurality of masks 100 having mask units corresponding to each mask unit region CR (CR11˜CR56). C (C11~C56).

Referring to (b) of FIG. 3 , the mask 100 can move in a state attached to and supported by one side of the template 50' of the comparative example. The center portion of the template 50 ′ may correspond to the mask unit C of the mask metal film 110 , and the edge portion may correspond to the dummy portion DM of the mask metal film 110 . In order to support the mask metal film 110 as a whole, the template 50 ′ is in the shape of a large flat plate whose size is larger than the area of the mask metal film 110 .

In order to allow the laser L irradiated from the upper part of the template 50' to directly reach the welding part WP of the mask 100 (perform a welding function), a laser passing hole 51' may be formed on the template 50'. The laser passing holes 51' may be formed on the template 50' in a manner corresponding to the positions and numbers of the welding parts WP.

One side of the template 50' may be formed with a temporary adhesive part 55'. Before the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 , the temporary adhesive part 55 ′ allows the mask 100 [or the mask metal film 110 ] to be temporarily pasted on one side of the template 50 ′ and supported on the template 50 ′.

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

Referring to FIG. 4 , the template 50 ′ can be transferred by a vacuum chuck 90 . The surface opposite to the surface on which the template 50 ′ of the mask 100 is adhered is sucked and transferred by the vacuum chuck 90 .

The mask 100 may correspond to one mask cell region CR of the frame 200 . The mask 100 is made to correspond to the mask unit region CR by loading the template 50 ′ onto the frame 200 [or the mask unit sheet part 220 ].

Next, the mask 100 is irradiated with laser L, and the mask 100 is adhered to the frame 200 by laser welding. A welding bead WB is formed on the welding portion of the laser-welded mask, and the welding bead WB may have the same material as the mask 100/frame 200 and be integrated.

By repeatedly performing a process of associating one mask 100 with one mask unit region CR and irradiating the laser L to attach the mask 100 to the frame 200 , the masks 100 can be respectively attached to all the mask unit regions CR. However, after the mask 100 is adhered to the frame 200 by welding, the mask 100 may apply a tensile force to the mask unit sheet portion 220 around the mask 100 . As a result, the mask unit sheet portion 220 is slightly deformed, which adversely affects alignment when the next mask 100 is pasted.

Therefore, compared to one-to-one correspondence/pasting of the masks 100 to the mask unit region CR, all the masks 100 need to be simultaneously mapped and pasted to the mask unit region CR. In order to simultaneously correspond the mask 100 to the mask unit region CR, a plurality of templates 50 ′ supporting and pasting the mask 100 should be loaded on the frame 200 . However, as shown in FIG. 4 , since the template 50 ′ is formed with an area larger than that of the mask 100 , overlapping regions OR are formed between adjacent templates 50 ′, thereby causing an interference problem. It is very difficult to map multiple templates 50' to the frame 200 side by side. The width of the first grid sheet part 223 and the second grid sheet part 225 is only about 1-5mm, so the length difference between the mask 100 and the template 50' side should be less than 1/2 of the width, that is About 0.5~2.5mm. 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-mentioned difference in size.

Therefore, a proposal is made to form the template 50 having the same area as the mask 100 . However, when the process of forming the mask pattern P on the mask metal film 110 is directly performed on the template 50 having the same area as the mask metal film 110, the alignment of the mask pattern P and the template 50 will be misaligned, and There is a problem that the alignment between the laser passing hole 51 of the template 50 and the dummy part DM [or welded part WP] of the mask 100 may be poor. Also, after the mask pattern P is formed on the mask metal film 110, the corners should be cut off and the mask 100 as shown in (a) of FIG. Department is very difficult.

In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to transfer the mask 100 to the template 50 having the same size as the mask 100 after manufacturing the mask 100 on a predetermined substrate. However, in the process of transferring the mask 100, due to defects generated in the mask 100, or wrinkles and deformations in the mask 100, the alignment between the mask 100 and the template 50 is not good, or the gap between the mask 100 and the template 50 is not good. Intervention of foreign matter or the like will cause a problem that the defect rate of the product will increase again.

Therefore, the present invention is characterized in that the mask 100 having the same area as the template 50 is manufactured in a state where the template 50 is inserted into the template support portion 60 . More specifically, the feature of the present invention is that after inserting the template 50 into the template support part 60 and pasting the mask metal film 110 on the template support part 60 and the template 50, the mask pattern P is formed on the mask metal film 110. , and then cut off the edge portion of the mask metal film 110, thereby manufacturing the mask 100 having the same size as the template 50.

5 to 6 are schematic views of the manufacturing process of the mask support template 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 5 , the template support part 60 may be prepared. A slot 64 for inserting the template 50 may be formed on the template supporting part 60 . The slot 64 has a width and a height corresponding to the template 50 . In order to accommodate the template 50 in the groove 64 , it is obvious that the size and height of the template support 60 should be larger than the template 50 . Moreover, in order to have a similar thermal behavior, the template support part 60 may use the same material as the template 50 or a material with the same thermal expansion coefficient.

In addition, at least a part of the slot 64 may be formed with a temporary adhesive portion 65 to allow the template 50 to be pasted and fixed after being inserted. The temporary adhesive part 65 can be made of the same material as the temporary adhesive part 55 of the template 50 described later, preferably, a detachable adhesive sheet (UV release tape; URT) based on UV irradiation can be used. When the URT is used as the temporary bonding part 65 , the template 50 can be easily separated from the template support part 60 by irradiating UV to a specific area for separation.

Then, referring to (b) of FIG. 5 , 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 attaches the mask 100 to one surface of the template 50 and moves while being supported. One side of the template 50 is preferably flat to support and carry the flat mask 100 .

A laser passing hole 51 may be formed on the template 50 so that the laser L irradiated from the upper part of the template 50 can reach the welding part WP of the mask 100 . Laser passing holes 51 may be formed on the template 50 to correspond to the positions and numbers of the welding parts WP. Since a plurality of welding parts WP are arranged at predetermined intervals on the edge of the mask 100 or the dummy part DM, a plurality of laser penetration holes 51 may also be formed at predetermined intervals corresponding thereto. As an example, since a plurality of welding parts WP are arranged at predetermined intervals on both sides (left side/right side) of the dummy part DM of the mask 100, the laser penetration hole 51 may also be formed on both sides (left side/right side) of the template 50. ) may be formed in plural at predetermined intervals.

The laser passage holes 51 do not necessarily correspond to the position and number of welded portions. For example, only a part of the laser passage hole 51 may be irradiated with the laser L for welding. In addition, a part of the laser passage hole 51 that does not correspond to the welding portion may be used as an alignment mark when aligning the mask 100 and the template 50 . However, if the material of the template 50 can transmit the laser L, the laser passing hole 51 may not be formed.

The process of inserting the template 50 into the groove 64 of the template support part 60 can be aligned by adjusting the position. The groove 64 and the template 50 may be exactly the same, but an alignment process is required when the groove 64 is larger than the template 50 . The position can be adjusted using well-known devices for confirming and adjusting position such as microscopes and aligners.

In addition, after the template 50 is inserted into the groove 64 of the template support part 60 , when the heights of the template 50 and one side (upper side) of the template support part 60 are inconsistent, a predetermined planarization process may be performed. The planarization process may refer to a series of processes for making the template 50 and the template support part 60 uniform in height through polishing or the like. Due to processing tolerances of the template 50 and the template supporting portion 60 , by making the heights consistent, subsequent processes such as forming the temporary bonding portion 55 and pasting the mask metal film 110 can be easily performed.

Then, referring to (c) of FIG. 5 , a temporary bonding part 55 may be formed on one side of the template 50 and the template support part 60 . The temporary adhesive part 55 is preferably formed on the part of the template 50 and the template support part 60 corresponding to the mask metal film 110 . The mask metal film 110 may have an area larger than the template 50 and smaller than the template support portion 60 , so the temporary adhesive portion 55 may be formed on all of one side (upper side) of the template 50 and part of one side (upper side) of the template support portion 60 . Before the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 , the temporary adhesive part 55 can temporarily stick the mask 100 on one side of the template 50 and be supported by the template 50 . Moreover, before the mask pattern P is formed on the mask metal film 110 and the mask 100 is formed, the temporary adhesive part 55 can make the mask metal film 110 adhere to and support one side of the template 50 and the template support part 60 .

The temporary adhesive part 55 can use the adhesive which is separable by heating, and the adhesive which is separable by UV irradiation.

As an example, liquid wax may be used for the temporary adhesive part 55 . As the liquid wax, waxes used in the polishing process of semiconductor wafers and the like can be used, and the type is not particularly limited. As a resin component mainly used to control adhesive force related to maintaining force, impact resistance, etc., the liquid wax may include substances such as acrylic acid, vinyl acetate, nylon, and various polymers and solvents. As an example, SKYLIQUID ABR-4016 including Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (ABR, ABR) as a resin component and n-propanol as a solvent component can be used as the temporary adhesive part 55 . Liquid wax can be spin-coated to form the temporary bonding portion 55 .

The temporary adhesive portion 55 as liquid wax decreases in viscosity at a temperature higher than 85°C to 100°C, and increases in viscosity at a temperature lower than 85°C, and a part of it solidifies as a solid, so that the mask metal film 110 can be fixedly pasted. And template 50 [and template support 60].

Referring again to (c) of FIG. 5 , the process temperature of the space where a process for forming the temporary bonding portion 55 and making the mask metal film 110 and the template 50 and the template support can be raised to a temperature T1 higher than normal temperature may be raised. Part 60 is pasted. The process temperature T1 may be a temperature at which the viscosity of the above-mentioned temporary bonding part 55 is reduced, and is about 85° C. to 100° C. or so.

Then, referring to (d) of FIG. 5 , the mask metal film 110 may be pasted on the template 50 and the template supporting part 60 . As an example, after heating the liquid wax to above 85°C 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 are passed between rollers. and paste it.

According to an embodiment, by baking the template 50 [and the template supporting part 60 ] at about 120° C. for 60 seconds, the solvent of the temporary bonding part 55 is vaporized, and then the lamination of the mask metal film 110 can be performed immediately. (lamination) process. Lamination can be performed by loading the mask metal film 110 on the template 50 and the template support 60 with the temporary bonding part 55 formed on one side, and passing it through an upper roll at about 100° C. ℃ between the lower rolls. Alternatively, the mask metal film 110 is loaded on the template 50 and the template supporting part 60 having the temporary bonding part 55 formed on one side thereof, and vacuum lamination is further performed at normal temperature or higher. As a result, the mask metal film 110 can be placed on the template 50 and the template support part 60 with the temporary adhesive part 55 interposed therebetween.

In addition, one side of the mask metal film 110 may be further planarized. The mask metal film 110 manufactured using a rolling process may be reduced in thickness through a planarization process. In addition, in order to control surface characteristics and thickness, a planarization process may also be performed on the mask metal film 110 manufactured by the electroforming process. Thus, the thickness of the mask metal film 110 gradually becomes thinner, and the thickness of the mask metal film 110 may be about 5㎛ to 20㎛. Needless to say, the mask metal film 110 having a reduced thickness can be loaded onto the template 50 and the template support 60 .

Then, referring to (e) of FIG. 6 , a patterned insulating part 25 may be formed on the mask metal film 110 . The insulating portion 25 can be formed of a photoresist material by a printing method or the like.

Next, the mask metal film 110 may be etched. Methods of dry etching, wet etching, and the like can be used without limitation. As a result of the etching, the portion of the mask metal film 110 exposed from the empty space 26 between the insulating portions 25 is etched. The etched portion of the mask metal film 110 may constitute a mask pattern P, so that the mask 100 formed with a plurality of mask patterns P may be fabricated.

The edge of the mask metal film 110 may also be etched (EC) while the mask pattern P is etched. If the blank portion of the insulating portion 25 is formed in a form corresponding to the template 50, and the portion of the mask metal film 110 exposed from the blank space is etched, the edge portion 111 of the mask metal film 110 can be cut to have the same size as the template 50. . Next, a process of removing the insulating part 25 may be further performed.

Then, referring to (f) of FIG. 6 , the template 50 and the mask 100 may be debonded from the template support part 60 . Separation may be performed by at least any one of heating, chemical treatment, application of ultrasonic waves, and application of UV (UV) to the temporary bonding portion 65 . However, in order to easily separate a specific region, it is preferable to use a method of irradiating UV to the URT temporary bonding portion 65 .

Then, referring to (g) of FIG. 6 , the process temperature of the template 50 supporting the mask 100 may be lowered to normal temperature or a temperature T2 at which the temporary adhesive part 55 becomes viscous so as to be partially solidified. As a result, the mask 100 is applied with the tensile force IT in the lateral direction, and can be attached to the template 50 in a tense state, thereby completing the manufacture of the template 50 supporting the mask 100 . The principle that the mask 100 is applied with the tensile force IT in the lateral direction will be described in detail in the subsequent FIGS. 9 and 10 .

Since the frame 200 has a plurality of mask unit regions CR (CR11˜CR56), it may also have a plurality of masks 100 having mask units corresponding to each mask unit region CR (CR11˜CR56). C (C11~C56). Also, there may be a plurality of templates 50 for respectively supporting a plurality of masks 100 .

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

Referring to FIG. 7 , a form support part 60' according to another embodiment may include additional members such as a bottom plate 61' and a frame plate 62'. The bottom plate 61 ′ is in the shape of a flat plate, and the frame plate 62 ′ is in the shape of a square ring with a hollow area 66 . A frame plate 62 ′ is pasted on the bottom plate 61 ′ with a predetermined sticking portion 67 sandwiched therebetween. The hollow area 66 of the frame plate 62 ′ can form a groove of the template support portion 60 ′. The sticking part 67 may correspond to the adhesive or the temporary bonding part 55 .

In particular, the frame plate 62' and the formwork 50 can be made by using the same circular disc. If the same disc is used to manufacture the frame plate 62' and the template 50, the thickness and material are the same, and there will be no processing tolerance due to different heights. Therefore, there is an advantage that the planarization process for making the heights of the template 50 and the template support portion 60 uniform can be omitted in step (b) of FIG. 5 . Also, as the frame plate 62' is separated from the bottom plate 61', the template 50 supporting the mask 100 is protrudingly formed on the bottom plate 61', thereby having an advantage that the template 50 can be more easily separated from the bottom plate 61'.

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

Referring to FIG. 8 , the template 50 may be transferred by a vacuum chuck 90 . The surface opposite to the surface of the template 50 on which the mask 100 is attached can be sucked and transported by the vacuum chuck 90 . The vacuum chuck 90 can be connected to a moving means (not shown) that moves along the x, y, z, and θ axes. In addition, the vacuum chuck 90 may also be connected to a flipping means (not shown) that flips (flips) by suctioning the template 50 . As shown in (b) of FIG. 8 , in the process of transferring the template 50 to the frame 200 after the vacuum chuck 90 absorbs the template 50 and flips it over, the sticking state and alignment state of the mask 100 will not be affected.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a state in which a template is loaded into a frame and the mask corresponds to a unit area of the frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the mask 100 may correspond to one mask cell region CR of the frame 200 . The mask 100 may correspond to the mask unit region CR by loading the template 50 onto the frame 200 [or the mask unit sheet part 220 ]. Whether the mask 100 corresponds to the mask unit region CR can be observed by using a microscope while controlling the positions of the template 50/vacuum chuck 90 . Since the template 50 presses the mask 100 , the mask 100 can be in close contact with the frame 200 .

A plurality of templates 50 may be loaded onto the frame 200 [or the mask unit sheet part 220 ] sequentially or simultaneously so that each mask 100 corresponds to each mask unit region CR. Since the template 50 has the same size as the mask 100, no interference/non-overlap occurs before the template 50 corresponding to the specific mask cell region CR11 and the template 50 corresponding to the adjacent mask cell regions CR12, CR21 and have a predetermined interval. The predetermined interval may be less than 1/2 of the widths of the first grid sheet part 223 and the second grid sheet part 225 .

In addition, the lower support body 70 may also be disposed at the lower portion of the frame 200 . The lower supporter 70 may press the reverse side of the mask cell region CR in contact with the mask 100 . Meanwhile, since the lower support 70 and the template 50 press the edge of the mask 100 and the frame 200 [or the mask unit sheet part 220 ] in mutually opposite directions, the alignment state of the mask 100 can be maintained without occurrence of distortion.

Next, the mask 100 is irradiated with laser L, and the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 by laser welding. Weld beads WB are locally formed on the welded portion of the mask subjected to laser welding, and the weld beads WB may have the same material as the mask 100/frame 200 and be integrated.

Next, the material selection based on the thermal expansion coefficients of the template 50 and the mask 100 and the thermal behavior after the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 will be further described.

In the prior art, when the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50 ′ made of material such as glass is greater than that of the mask 100 [or the mask metal film 110 ] made of material such as invar, the following problems may occur. In the prior art, materials such as glass and borosilicate glass are used for the template 50 ′. Among them, BOROFLOAT ^® 33, which is a borosilicate glass, has a thermal expansion coefficient of about 3.3X10 ^-6 /℃, compared with the invar mask metal film 110, which has a thermal expansion coefficient of about 1.5~3X10 ^-6 /℃ , the thermal expansion coefficient difference is small, and it is easy to control the mask metal film 110, so it is widely used.

Since the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50' is greater than that of the mask 100, after raising the temperature and pasting the mask 100 on the template 50', when the temperature is lowered again, the shrinkage of the mask 100 is relatively small based on the temperature change. On the contrary, the template The degree of shrinkage at 50' is relatively large. At the same time, the template 50 ′ and the mask 100 are sandwiched by the temporary adhesive portion 55 and are in a well-adhesive and fixed state, so the mask 100 will be subjected to a contraction force greater than the original contraction degree. The force to further shrink is generated because the shrinkage of the template 50 ′ is greater than that of the mask 100 . Accordingly, the mask 100 is attached to the template 50 ′ in a state where a compressive force is applied in the side direction (inside of the mask 100 ).

As described above, the mask 100 is loaded on the frame 200 with the mask 100 in the state where the compressive force is applied in the lateral direction, so that the mask 100 corresponds to the mask cell region CR, and the mask 100 is attached to the frame by welding. 200 [refer to FIG. 4]. Then, the template 50 ′ is separated from the mask 100 . However, the compressive force applied to the mask 100 is released as the template 50 ′ is separated from the mask 100 , thereby disturbing the alignment of the mask 100 . In other words, due to the compressive force applied to the mask 100 , the mask 100 cannot be attached to the frame 200 in a state where both sides are pulled in an outward direction, but is attached to the frame 200 in a wrinkled or sagging state. This will result in an alignment error of the mask 100, a PPA error between cells C, etc., eventually leading to product failure.

Therefore, the present invention is characterized in that the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50 is smaller than that of the mask 100 [or the mask metal film 110 ]. Also, the thermal expansion coefficient of the template support part 60 may be smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the mask 100 . As shown in (c) or (d) of FIG. 5 , the process temperature is increased to a temperature T1 higher than normal temperature, and the mask metal film 110 is pasted on the template 50 and the template support portion 60 . Also, after manufacturing the mask 100 on the template 50, the process temperature may be lowered to a temperature T2 at which the temporary adhesive part 55 becomes so viscous that a part is solidified as a solid.

The material of the mask metal film 110 [or the mask 100 ] can be Invar alloy, super Invar alloy, nickel, nickel-cobalt, etc. with a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than 1 at least. Conversely, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the template 50 [and the template support 60 ] may be less than 1 (greater than 0). Preferably, the template 50 [and the template support part 60 ] of quartz material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.55 may be used, but not limited thereto.

Since the thermal expansion coefficient of the template 50 is smaller than that of the mask 100, as shown in (g) of FIG. Although the shrinkage of the mask 100 is relatively large, since the mask 100 is well pasted and fixed on the template 50 with the temporary adhesive part 55 in between, the shrinkage does not occur but the internal force IT intended to shrink is applied. In other words, the mask 100 can be attached to the template 50 in a tensioned state by applying a lateral tensile force IT.

In this state, the template 50 is loaded on the frame 200 so that the mask 100 corresponds, and the bead WB is formed by welding so that the mask 100 can be attached to the frame 200 .

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

Referring to FIG. 10 , after the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 , the mask 100 and the template 50 may be debonded. The separation of the mask 100 from the template 50 may be performed by at least any one of heating ET, chemical treatment CM, application of ultrasonic waves US, and application of ultraviolet rays UV to the temporary bonding part 55 . Since the mask 100 can maintain a state of being attached to the frame 200, only the template 50 can be lifted. As an example, if heat ET at a temperature higher than 85° C. to 100° C. is applied, the viscosity of the temporary bonding portion 55 decreases, and the adhesive force between the mask 100 and the template 50 becomes weak, so that the mask 100 and the template 50 can be separated. . As another example, the mask 100 and the template 50 may be separated by immersing the temporary bonding part 55 in chemical substances such as IPA, acetone, ethanol, etc. to dissolve, remove, etc. the temporary bonding part 55 . As another example, if ultrasonic waves US or ultraviolet rays UV are applied, the adhesive force between the mask 100 and the template 50 becomes weak, so that the mask 100 and the template 50 can be separated.

The tensile force IT acting on the mask 100 is released when the template 50 is separated from the mask 100 , and thus can be converted into tension TS that tightens both sides of the mask 100 . In other words, the mask 100 is in a state of being stretched to a length greater than the original lowering temperature T2 of the mask 100 and pasted to the template 5, and is welded and attached to the frame 200 as it is in this state, thereby The tensioned state [the state in which the tension TS is applied to the surrounding mask unit sheet portion 220 by itself] can be maintained. Accordingly, the mask 100 is attached to the frame 200 in a tensioned state, so that wrinkles, deformation, etc. do not occur. Accordingly, there is an effect of reducing the alignment error of the mask 100 and the PPA error between the cells C.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a state where a mask 100 is attached to a frame 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows a state where all the masks 100 are attached to the cell region CR of the frame 200. Referring to FIG. The template 50 may be separated after attaching the masks 100 one by one, or all the templates 50 may be separated after attaching all the masks 100 .

The existing mask 10 in FIG. 1 has a relatively long length because it includes 6 units C1 to C6. On the contrary, the mask 100 of the present invention has a short length because it includes 1 unit C. Therefore, the pixel position accuracy (pixel position accuracy, PPA) may be less distorted. Moreover, since the present invention only needs to correspond to one unit C of the mask 100 and confirm the alignment state, it is compared with the existing method that needs to correspond to multiple units C (C1-C6) and confirm all the alignment states at the same time[ Referring to Fig. 1], the manufacturing time can be significantly shortened.

If the template 50 and the mask 100 are separated after each mask 100 is attached to the corresponding mask unit region CR, since the plurality of masks 100 apply tensions TS that shrink in opposite directions, the tensions cancel each other out, Therefore, deformation does not occur on the mask unit sheet portion 220 . For example, in the first grid sheet part 223 between the mask 100 attached to the CR11 cell area and the mask 100 attached to the CR12 cell area, the mask 100 attached to the CR11 cell area acts in the right direction. The tension TS and the tension TS acting in the left direction of the mask 100 attached to the CR12 cell area can cancel each other out. Therefore, by minimizing the deformation of the frame 200 [or the mask unit sheet portion 220 ] due to the tension TS, there is an advantage that an alignment error of the mask 100 [or the mask pattern P] can be minimized.

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

Referring to FIG. 12 , the OLED pixel deposition apparatus 1000 includes: a magnetic plate 300 containing a magnet 310 and arranged with a cooling water pipe 350 ;

A target substrate 900 such as glass for depositing the organic substance source 600 may be inserted between the magnetic plate 300 and the deposition source supply unit 500 . The frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 (or FMMs) for depositing the organic source 600 in different pixels may be placed on the target substrate 900 in close contact or very close to each other. The magnet 310 can generate a magnetic field, and be closely attached to the target substrate 900 through the magnetic field.

The deposition source supply unit 500 can reciprocate the left and right paths and supply the organic source 600 , and the organic source 600 supplied by the deposition source supply unit 500 can be attached to one side of the target substrate 900 through the pattern P formed on the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 . The organic source 600 deposited after passing through the pattern P of the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 can be used as the pixel 700 of the OLED.

In order to prevent uneven deposition of the pixels 700 due to shadow effects, the patterns of the frame-integrated masks 100 and 200 may be formed obliquely S (or formed in a tapered shape S). Along the inclined surface, the patterned organic source 600 passing in a diagonal direction may also contribute to the formation of the pixel 700, and thus, the pixel 700 can be deposited uniformly in thickness as a whole.

As described above, the present invention has been illustrated and described with preferred embodiments, but is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such modifications and changes all fall within the scope of the present invention and the scope of the appended patent applications.

50:Template 51:Laser through the hole 55,65: Temporary bonding part 60,60': formwork support 100: mask 110: mask film; mask metal film 200: frame 210: Edge frame part 220: Mask unit sheet department 221: Edge sheet department 223:The first grid sheet part 225: Second grid sheet part C: unit; mask unit CR: mask cell area DM: dummy part; mask dummy part L: Laser P: mask pattern WB: welding bead

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional process for attaching a mask to a frame. 2 is a front view and a side sectional view of a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a schematic top view and side sectional view of a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention and a mask supporting template according to a comparative example. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a process of loading a mask supporting template according to a comparative example onto a frame. 5 to 6 are schematic views of a manufacturing process of a mask supporting template according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a template support part according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a process of loading a mask support template onto a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a state in which a template is loaded onto a frame and the mask corresponds to a frame unit area according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a schematic diagram of a process of peeling off the mask and stencil after attaching the mask to the frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a state in which a mask is loaded to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a schematic diagram of an OLED pixel deposition apparatus using a frame-integrated mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

50:Template

51:Laser through the hole

55,65: Temporary bonding part

60: formwork support

64: slot

110: mask film; mask metal film

T1: temperature

Claims (12)

A method of manufacturing a template supporting a mask for supporting a mask for OLED pixel formation and corresponding the mask to a frame, the method comprising: (a) a step of inserting the template into a groove formed on the template support portion (b) a step of sticking a mask metal film on at least one side of the template and the template support; and (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film, and cutting off the edge of the mask metal film to manufacture the same size as the template The step of the mask, in the step (a), at least a part of the groove of the template support part forms a temporary adhesive part, and sticks and fixes the inserted template, and after the step (c), the formed on the template support part The adhesive force of the temporary bonding part in the groove is weakened so that the template is separated from the template support part. After step (c), when the template is separated from the template support part, the mask stuck on one side of the template is also separated from the template support part. mold. The method for manufacturing a template supporting a mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein, between step (a) and step (b), a step of raising the process temperature is included, and between step (b) and step (c) Or after step (c), it also includes the step of lowering the process temperature. The method of manufacturing a template supporting a mask as described in Claim 2, wherein if the process temperature is increased and the mask metal film is attached to the template, and then the process temperature is lowered, the shrinkage of the template is smaller than that of the mask , so that the mask is subjected to a tensile force in the side direction. The method of manufacturing a template supporting a mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the template and the template support portion is smaller than that of the mask. The method of manufacturing a mask-supported stencil according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (b), a temporary bonding portion is formed on one side of the stencil and the stencil support portion corresponding to the mask metal film. The method for manufacturing a mask-supported template as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in step In step (a), a temporary adhesive part is formed on the groove of the template support part, and the other side of the template is pasted on the template support part by interposing the temporary adhesive part in the middle. The method of manufacturing a mask-supported template according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the temporary adhesive part is an adhesive detachable by heating or an adhesive detachable by UV irradiation. The method of manufacturing a mask-supporting template according to Claim 1, wherein in step (a), position adjustment is further performed so that the template and the template support are aligned. The method for manufacturing a mask-supported template as claimed in claim 1, wherein after step (a), a planarization process is performed to make the template and one side of the template support part have the same height. The manufacturing method of a template supporting a mask according to Claim 1, wherein the template support part includes a base plate and a frame plate connected to one edge of the base plate and having a hollow area, and the hollow area corresponds to the groove of the template support part. A method of manufacturing a frame-integrated mask integrally formed of at least one mask and a frame for supporting the mask, the method comprising: (a) inserting a template into a groove formed on a template support portion (b) a step of sticking a mask metal film on at least one side of the template and the template support; (c) forming a mask pattern on the mask metal film, and cutting off the edge of the mask metal film to make the same as the template the step of the mask of the size; (d) the step of loading the template on the frame having at least one mask unit area so that the mask corresponds to the mask unit area of the frame; and (e) the step of attaching the mask to the frame , in step (a), at least a part of the groove of the template support part forms a temporary bonding part, and pastes and fixes the inserted template, and after step (c), makes the temporary bonding part formed in the groove of the template support part The adhesive force of the part is weakened so that the formwork is separated from the formwork support part, After step (c), when the template is separated from the template support part, the mask stuck on one side of the template is also separated from the template support part. A method for manufacturing a frame-integrated mask, wherein the frame-integrated mask is integrally formed by at least one mask and a frame for supporting the mask, the method comprising: (a) forming a frame with at least one mask unit area a step of loading the mask-supporting template manufactured based on the manufacturing method described in claim 1, and making the mask correspond to the mask unit area of the frame; and (b) a step of attaching the mask to the frame.