Mask plate and mask device

Abstract

The present invention provides a mask plate and a mask device. The mask plate is used for vapor deposition on a substrate to be vapor deposited. The mask plate includes a main body, an alignment region, and an evaporation region. The evaporation region is used to vapor deposit the substrate to be vapor deposited. The alignment region is provided with an alignment mark, which is used to align the main body with the substrate to be vapor deposited. An auxiliary layer is provided in the alignment region of the main body and surrounds at least a portion of the alignment mark. By adding the auxiliary layer to the alignment region, the embodiment of the present invention can more clearly observe the position of the alignment mark, which is conducive to accurately determining the alignment of the mask plate and the substrate to be vapor deposited, and is conducive to improving the alignment accuracy of the mask plate and the substrate to be vapor deposited, thereby improving the evaporation yield and the manufacturing yield of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of display device preparation, and in particular to a mask plate and a mask device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of display technology, more and more display panels and display devices are used in people's daily life and work.

[0003] Currently, display panels consist of multiple film layers, some of which require evaporation to deposit materials at predetermined locations on the substrate. For example, luminescent materials must be deposited at predetermined locations on the substrate to form light-emitting units. During the evaporation process, a mask must be aligned with the substrate to be deposited. Currently, poor alignment between the mask and the substrate can lead to poor evaporation results, severely impacting the yield of display panels. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a mask plate and a mask device, aiming to improve the evaporation yield.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a mask plate for vapor-depositing a substrate to be vapor-deposited, the mask plate includes a main body, an alignment area and a vapor-deposition area, the vapor-deposition area is used to vapor-deposit the substrate to be vapor-deposited, the alignment area is provided with an alignment mark, the alignment mark is used to align the main body and the substrate to be vapor-deposited; an auxiliary layer is arranged in the alignment area of the main body and surrounds at least part of the alignment mark.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the auxiliary layer includes a viewing window provided therethrough, and the alignment mark is exposed through the viewing window.

[0007] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, one or more alignment marks are exposed through the viewing window.

[0008] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the shape of the viewing window is at least one of circular, elliptical, and polygonal.

[0009] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the auxiliary layer includes an inner edge facing the alignment mark and an outer edge away from the alignment mark, and the minimum distance between the inner edge and the alignment mark is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0010] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the minimum distance between the inner edge and the alignment mark is 0.2 mm.

[0011] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the minimum distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is greater than or equal to the minimum width of the alignment mark.

[0012] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the minimum distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the minimum width of the alignment mark.

[0013] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the main body includes a bonding surface for bonding with the substrate to be evaporated, and the auxiliary layer is arranged on the bonding surface.

[0014] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the thickness of the auxiliary layer is 20 μm to 50 μm.

[0015] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the material of the auxiliary layer includes an opaque material.

[0016] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the material of the auxiliary layer includes steel.

[0017] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, the auxiliary layer and the main body are connected by welding.

[0018] According to any of the aforementioned embodiments of the first aspect of the present application, there are multiple alignment marks, and an auxiliary layer is provided on the circumference of each alignment mark.

[0019] The present application also provides a mask device, comprising: a frame, and the mask plate provided by any of the above-mentioned first aspect embodiments is arranged on the frame.

[0020] In the mask plate provided in the embodiment of the present application, the mask plate includes two parts: a main body and an auxiliary layer. The main body includes an evaporation area, and the evaporation area is used to evaporate the substrate to be evaporated, that is, the evaporation material is evaporated on the substrate to be evaporated through the evaporation area. The alignment area is provided with an alignment mark, and the alignment mark is used to align with the substrate to be evaporated, that is, by observing the position of the alignment mark to judge whether the alignment of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated is accurate. Therefore, whether the position of the alignment mark can be clearly observed is very important for judging whether the alignment of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated is accurate. The auxiliary layer can increase the thickness and structural strength of the alignment area, so that the alignment area is better fitted with the substrate to be evaporated, and improve the optical interference of the alignment mark caused by the misfit between the alignment mark and the substrate to be evaporated, so that interference ripples appear in the alignment area and affect the observation of the alignment mark. Therefore, by adding an auxiliary layer in the alignment area, the embodiment of the present application can more clearly observe the position of the alignment mark, which is conducive to accurately judging the alignment of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated, and is conducive to improving the alignment accuracy of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated, thereby helping to improve the evaporation yield and the display panel preparation yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar features.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a mask plate provided by an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a local enlarged structure;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at AA in the middle;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a mask device provided in an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application.

[0026] Description of reference numerals:

[0027] 10. Mask plate; 20. Frame;

[0028] 100, body; 110, evaporation area; 120, alignment area; 121, alignment mark; 130, lamination surface;

[0029] 200, auxiliary layer; 210, viewing window; 220, inner edge; 230, outer edge;

[0030] X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, thickness direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. In the detailed description below, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the present application by illustrating examples of the present application. In the accompanying drawings and the following description, at least some of the well-known structures and technologies are not shown in order to avoid unnecessary ambiguity in the present application; and, for clarity, the sizes of some structures may be exaggerated. In addition, the features, structures, or characteristics described below may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means more than two; terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer" indicating directions or positional relationships are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of this application and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application. Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] The directional words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structure of the embodiments of this application. In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] Display panels consist of multiple film layers, some of which require evaporation to deposit materials onto predetermined locations on the substrate. For example, luminescent materials must be deposited onto predetermined locations on the substrate to form light-emitting units. During the evaporation process, the mask plate must be aligned with the substrate to be deposited. Currently, poor alignment between the mask plate and the substrate can lead to poor evaporation results, seriously affecting the yield of display panels.

[0035] The inventors discovered that during the alignment process of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated, the mask plate has the problem of not fitting tightly to the substrate to be evaporated due to the large area of the mask plate or insufficient structural strength. Near the alignment mark, when the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated are not tightly aligned, light entering the mask plate will be reflected or interfered in the gap between the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated, and finally the mask plate of the alignment mark may show "water ripples" and other display conditions. When the user visually inspects or uses a lens to capture the alignment mark, the water ripples seriously affect the observation of the alignment mark, and thus affect the alignment accuracy of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated, which may lead to inaccurate alignment of the mask plate and the substrate to be evaporated, or require repeated alignment work, seriously affecting the evaporation yield and evaporation efficiency.

[0036] This application is proposed to solve the above technical problems. In order to better understand this application, Figures 1 to 4 The mask plate and the mask device according to the embodiments of the present application are described in detail.

[0037] See also Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a mask plate 10 provided in an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the local enlarged structure, Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at AA in the middle.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the mask plate 10 of the embodiment of the present application is used for vapor deposition of a substrate to be vapor deposited. The mask plate 10 includes a main body 100 and an auxiliary layer 200 arranged on the main body 100. The main body 100 includes an alignment area 120 and an evaporation area 110. The evaporation area 110 is used for vapor deposition of the substrate to be vapor deposited. The alignment area 120 is provided with an alignment mark 121. The alignment mark 121 is used to align the main body 100 and the substrate to be vapor deposited; the auxiliary layer 200 is arranged in the alignment area 120 of the main body 100 and is arranged around at least part of the alignment mark 121.

[0039] In the mask plate 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the mask plate 10 includes two parts: a main body 100 and an auxiliary layer 200. The main body 100 includes an evaporation area 110, and the evaporation area 110 is used to evaporate the substrate to be evaporated, that is, the evaporation material is evaporated onto the substrate to be evaporated through the evaporation area 110. The alignment area 120 is provided with an alignment mark 121, and the alignment mark 121 is used to align with the substrate to be evaporated, that is, by observing the position of the alignment mark 121, it is judged whether the alignment of the mask plate 10 and the substrate to be evaporated is accurate. Therefore, whether the position of the alignment mark 121 can be clearly observed is very important for judging whether the alignment of the mask plate 10 and the substrate to be evaporated is accurate. The auxiliary layer 200 can increase the thickness and structural strength of the alignment region 120, allowing the alignment region 120 to better adhere to the substrate to be evaporated, and improve the optical interference of the alignment mark 121 caused by the misalignment between the alignment mark 121 and the substrate to be evaporated, which causes interference ripples in the alignment region 120 and affects the observation of the alignment mark 121. Therefore, by adding the auxiliary layer 200 to the alignment region 120, the embodiment of the present application can more clearly observe the position of the alignment mark 121, which is conducive to accurately determining the alignment of the mask plate 10 and the substrate to be evaporated, and is conducive to improving the alignment accuracy of the mask plate 10 and the substrate to be evaporated, thereby improving the evaporation yield and the production yield of the display panel.

[0040] Optionally, the evaporation region 110 is provided with an evaporation opening, and the evaporation material can be deposited at a preset position of the substrate to be evaporated through the evaporation opening.

[0041] Optionally, there may be one or more evaporation regions 110, and a single evaporation region 110 is used to form the display region of a single display panel by evaporation deposition, that is, the mask plate 10 is used to form the display region of the display panel by evaporation deposition through the evaporation region 110. The mask plate 10 may have only one evaporation region 110, or the mask plate 10 may be provided with multiple evaporation regions 110, for example, the multiple evaporation regions 110 are distributed in rows and columns along the first direction X and the second direction Y on the mask plate 10.

[0042] Optionally, the mask plate 10 further includes a non-evaporation region, and the alignment region 120 is located in the non-evaporation region. Figure 1 The dot-dash line indicates the position of the alignment area 120, which does not constitute a structural limitation on the embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Optionally, the marking area is located on a peripheral side of the evaporation area 110 .

[0044] Optionally, there may be multiple marking areas, each of which is provided with an alignment mark 121, with the multiple marking areas spaced apart around the evaporation area 110. Optionally, there may also be multiple auxiliary layers 200, each of which is located in each marking area and disposed around each alignment mark 121 within each marking area.

[0045] Optionally, one or more alignment marks 121 may be provided in the same marking area. When multiple alignment marks 121 are provided in the same marking area, the auxiliary layer 200 may surround the same alignment mark 121, or the auxiliary layer 200 may surround multiple alignment marks 121 in the same marking area, or multiple auxiliary layers 200 may be provided in the same marking area, with each auxiliary layer 200 surrounding each alignment mark 121.

[0046] In some optional embodiments, the auxiliary layer 200 includes a viewing window 210 extending therethrough, and the alignment mark 121 is exposed through the viewing window 210. That is, the auxiliary layer 200 is in a closed ring shape and is disposed around the alignment mark 121. The fact that the alignment mark 121 is exposed through the viewing window 210 means that the alignment mark 121 is located within the orthographic projection of the viewing window 210 on the main body 100, that is, the alignment mark 121 is located within the area enclosed by the projection of the edge of the auxiliary layer 200 facing the viewing window 210 on the main body 100.

[0047] In these embodiments, auxiliary layers 200 are provided at different positions around the alignment mark 121, so that the alignment mark 121 can be observed more clearly from different directions, thereby improving the water ripple problem generated at different positions around the auxiliary mark.

[0048] Optionally, one or more alignment marks 121 are exposed from the viewing window 210. When multiple alignment marks 121 are provided in the same alignment area 120, the auxiliary layer 200 surrounds the multiple alignment marks 121, so that different alignment marks 121 can be observed more clearly.

[0049] The shape of the viewing window 210 can be configured in a variety of ways. The viewing window 210 can be regular or irregular, as long as the alignment mark 121 can be exposed through the viewing window 210. For example, the viewing window 210 can be at least one of circular, elliptical, and polygonal. The shape of the viewing window 210 refers to the shape of the area enclosed by the projection of the edge of the auxiliary layer 200 toward the viewing window 210 onto the body 100.

[0050] Optionally, the viewing window 210 is in the shape of a circle or a regular polygon. The shape of the viewing window 210 is relatively regular and easier to process and shape.

[0051] In some optional embodiments, the auxiliary layer 200 includes an inner edge 220 facing the alignment mark 121 and an outer edge 230 away from the alignment mark 121 , and the minimum distance between the inner edge 220 and the alignment mark 121 is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0052] In these optional embodiments, when the minimum distance between the inner edge 220 and the alignment mark 121 is within the above range, it can not only improve the problem that the auxiliary layer 200 may block the alignment mark 121 when observing the alignment mark 121 at a wide angle due to the distance between the inner edge 220 and the alignment mark 121 being too small, but also improve the problem that water ripples still exist around the side of the alignment mark 121 due to the distance between the inner edge 220 and the alignment mark 121 being too large.

[0053] Optionally, the minimum distance between the inner edge 220 and the alignment mark 121 is 0.2 mm. When the distance between the inner edge 220 and the alignment mark 121 is 0.2 mm, the auxiliary layer 200 can better improve the water ripple problem without blocking the alignment mark 121.

[0054] In some optional embodiments, the minimum distance between the inner edge 220 and the outer edge 230 is greater than or equal to the minimum width of the alignment mark 121 .

[0055] In these optional embodiments, when the minimum distance between the inner edge 220 and the outer edge 230 is greater than or equal to the minimum width of the alignment mark 121, that is, when the width of the auxiliary layer 200 surrounding the alignment mark 121 is greater than or equal to the minimum width of the alignment mark 121, the observation effect within a larger range around the alignment mark 121 can be improved, and the alignment mark 121 can be observed more clearly.

[0056] Optionally, the minimum distance between the inner edge 220 and the outer edge 230 is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the minimum width of the alignment mark 121. This further increases the distribution area of the auxiliary layer 200 and improves the viewing effect around the alignment mark 121, making the alignment mark 121 more clearly visible.

[0057] Optionally, the auxiliary layer 200 is in the alignment area 120 and does not extend to the evaporation area 110 , so as to prevent the auxiliary layer 200 from affecting the evaporation effect.

[0058] Optionally, the minimum distance between the outer edge 230 of the auxiliary layer 200 and the evaporation region 110 in the second direction Y is greater than or equal to 5 mm to prevent the auxiliary layer 200 from being too close to the evaporation region 110 and affecting the evaporation effect.

[0059] In some optional embodiments, the main body 100 includes a bonding surface 130 for bonding with a substrate to be evaporated, and the auxiliary layer 200 is disposed on the bonding surface 130. The bonding surface 130 is located on one side of the main body 100 in the thickness direction Z thereof.

[0060] In these optional embodiments, the auxiliary layer 200 is arranged on the main body 100 for bonding with the surface of the substrate to be evaporated, which not only improves the structural strength of the alignment area 120, but also reduces the distance between the alignment area 120 and the substrate to be evaporated, reduces the gap between the alignment area 120 and the substrate to be evaporated, and better improves the water ripple problem around the alignment mark 121, making it easier to observe the alignment mark 121.

[0061] There are many ways to set the thickness of the auxiliary layer 200. In some optional embodiments, the thickness of the auxiliary layer 200 is 20 μm to 50 μm.

[0062] In these optional embodiments, when the thickness of the auxiliary layer 200 is within the above range, it can improve the problem that the structural strength of the alignment area 120 is difficult to improve due to the thickness of the auxiliary layer 200 being too small, or that there is still a large gap between the alignment area 120 and the substrate to be evaporated, and the alignment mark 121 cannot be well observed; it can also improve the problem that the gap between the evaporation area 110 and the substrate to be evaporated is too large due to the thickness of the auxiliary layer 200 being too large, thereby affecting the evaporation effect.

[0063] There are many ways to configure the material of the auxiliary layer 200. The auxiliary layer 200 can be made of a light-transmitting material.

[0064] Alternatively, the auxiliary layer 200 is made of an opaque material. In these embodiments, the auxiliary layer 200 is adhered to the main body 100, i.e., the gap between the auxiliary layer 200 and the main body 100 is small, and the auxiliary layer 200 is made of an opaque material, so light is difficult to propagate between the main body 100 and the auxiliary layer 200, and the water ripple phenomenon is difficult to form.

[0065] Optionally, the auxiliary layer 200 is made of steel, which provides good structural strength and is not easily light-transmitting. For example, the auxiliary layer 200 is made of stainless steel (SUS), which prevents the auxiliary layer 200 from corroding or deforming.

[0066] Optionally, when the auxiliary layer 200 is made of steel, the auxiliary layer 200 may be connected to the main body 100 by welding to improve the stability of the relative positions of the main body 100 and the auxiliary layer 200 .

[0067] In some optional embodiments, there are multiple alignment marks 121 , and the auxiliary layer 200 is provided around each alignment mark 121 .

[0068] In these optional embodiments, an auxiliary layer 200 is provided around each alignment mark 121, so that the auxiliary layer 200 can improve the observation environment around each alignment mark 121, facilitate clearer observation of multiple alignment marks 121, and help improve the alignment accuracy between the mask plate 10 and the substrate to be evaporated, thereby helping to improve the evaporation yield and improve the preparation yield of the display panel.

[0069] The plurality of alignment marks 121 may be located in the same alignment region 120 , or the plurality of alignment marks 121 may be located in different alignment regions 120 .

[0070] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a mask device provided in an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, the mask device provided in the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application includes: a frame 20, and a mask plate 10, which is disposed on the frame 20. The mask plate 10 can be the mask plate 10 in any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the first aspect. Since the evaporation device provided in the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application includes the mask plate 10 provided in any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the first aspect, the mask device provided in the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application has the beneficial effects of the mask plate 10 provided in any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0072] Optionally, one mask plate 10 may be disposed in the frame 20 of the mask device, or more than two mask plates 10 may be disposed in the frame 20 of the mask device.

[0073] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A mask plate for evaporating a substrate to be evaporated, characterized in that: The mask plate includes: The main body includes an alignment area and a vapor deposition area, wherein the vapor deposition area is used to vapor-deposit the substrate to be vapor-deposited, and the alignment area is provided with an alignment mark, and the alignment mark is used to align the main body and the substrate to be vapor-deposited; an auxiliary layer, disposed in the alignment region of the main body and surrounding at least a portion of the alignment mark; the auxiliary layer is bonded to the main body, and the auxiliary layer is used to increase the thickness and structural strength of the alignment region and enable the alignment region to be bonded to the substrate to be evaporated; Wherein, the material of the auxiliary layer includes opaque steel; The thickness of the auxiliary layer is 20 μm to 50 μm; The auxiliary layer includes an inner edge facing the alignment mark and an outer edge away from the alignment mark, and a minimum distance between the inner edge and the alignment mark is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

2. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: The auxiliary layer includes a viewing window provided therethrough, and the alignment mark is exposed from the viewing window.

3. The mask according to claim 2, wherein: One or more alignment marks are exposed from the viewing window.

4. The mask according to claim 2, wherein: The shape of the viewing window is at least one of a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.

5. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: The minimum distance between the inner edge and the alignment mark is 0.2 mm.

6. The mask according to claim 5, characterized in that: A minimum distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is greater than or equal to a minimum width of the alignment mark.

7. The mask according to claim 6, wherein: The minimum distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the minimum width of the alignment mark.

8. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: The main body includes a bonding surface for bonding with the substrate to be evaporated, and the auxiliary layer is arranged on the bonding surface.

9. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: The auxiliary layer and the main body are connected by welding.

10. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: There are a plurality of alignment marks, and the auxiliary layer is provided on the periphery of each alignment mark.

11. A mask device, characterized in that: include: frame, The mask plate according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is arranged on the frame.

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