Mask plate and method of using the same, mask plate assembly

Abstract

The application discloses a mask plate and a use method and a mask plate assembly thereof. The mask plate comprises a body part, a plurality of preset areas are arranged at intervals in the body part, and an evaporation opening is arranged in each preset area. The mask plate further comprises a first weight-reducing part, a first supporting part and a second weight-reducing part in the preset area. The first weight-reducing part is arranged around at least part of the edge of the evaporation opening and is in contact with the edge of the evaporation opening. The first supporting part is arranged around the evaporation opening and is located on the side of the first weight-reducing part away from the evaporation opening. The second weight-reducing part is located on the side of the first supporting part away from the evaporation opening and is annular and arranged around the first supporting part. The thicknesses of the first weight-reducing part and the second weight-reducing part are smaller than that of the first supporting part. The mask plate provided by the application can reduce the gap between the mask plate and a precision mask plate, improve the wrinkle between the mask plate and the precision mask plate, and help improve the evaporation quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of display technology, and in particular relates to a mask plate and its usage method, and a mask plate assembly. Background Technology

[0002] OLED display technology is now widely used in the display industry. There are various technologies for manufacturing OLED displays, including vapor deposition, inkjet printing, and spin coating, but vapor deposition is currently the most mature technology. Vapor deposition uses a precision metal mask (FMM) to deposit organic light-emitting materials onto a designated location on a substrate.

[0003] In the industry, traditional strip masks are used to support precision masks. These strip masks, extending along rows or columns, can be intersected to form rectangular evaporation areas. However, for irregularly shaped OLED screens, the traditional strip masks are insufficient in terms of masking accuracy and support, failing to meet the requirements. Therefore, planar masks (similar to combining traditional strip masks along rows or columns into a single mesh) are used to support and mask the precision mask (FMM). However, planar masks are prone to defects during the meshing process, affecting evaporation yield. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a photomask and its usage method, as well as a photomask assembly, which can reduce the gap between the photomask and the precision photomask, and at the same time improve the wrinkles between the photomask and the precision photomask, thus helping to improve the evaporation quality.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a mask, comprising:

[0006] The main body has multiple pre-defined regions arranged at intervals within it, and each pre-defined region has a vapor deposition opening.

[0007] A first weight-reducing part is located within the preset area and is disposed around at least a portion of the edge of the vapor deposition opening, wherein the first weight-reducing part is in contact with the edge of the vapor deposition opening;

[0008] A first support portion is located within the preset area and is arranged around the vapor deposition opening. The first support portion is located on the side of the first weight reduction portion away from the vapor deposition opening.

[0009] The second weight-reducing part is located within the preset area. The second weight-reducing part is located on the side of the first support part away from the vapor deposition opening and is a ring-shaped part arranged around the first support part.

[0010] The thickness of the first weight-reducing part and the second weight-reducing part is less than the thickness of the first support part.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the first weight-reducing portion is annular around the edge of the vapor deposition opening; or,

[0012] The number of the first weight-reducing parts is multiple, and they are evenly distributed along the edge of the vapor deposition opening. A portion of the first support extends between adjacent first weight-reducing parts.

[0013] Preferably, the edge of the vapor deposition opening includes a corner area, and the first weight reduction portion is disposed at the edge of the corner area away from the vapor deposition opening.

[0014] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the thicknesses of the first weight-reducing portion and the second weight-reducing portion are equal, or the thickness of the first weight-reducing portion is greater than the thickness of the second weight-reducing portion;

[0015] The thickness of the first support portion is equal to the thickness of the body portion.

[0016] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the preset regions are arranged in rows and columns, and a third weight-reducing part and / or a fourth weight-reducing part are further formed in the body portion. The third weight-reducing part is disposed between the preset regions adjacent in the row direction, and the fourth weight-reducing part is disposed between the preset regions adjacent in the column direction.

[0017] Preferably, the entire body portion is continuously provided.

[0018] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, a third weight-reducing section is formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the row direction, and a fourth weight-reducing section is formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the column direction; or;

[0019] Multiple third weight-reducing sections are formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the row direction, and the multiple third weight-reducing sections are arranged along the column direction or the row direction. Multiple fourth weight-reducing sections are formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the column direction, and the multiple fourth weight-reducing sections are arranged along the row direction or the column direction.

[0020] Preferably, it further includes a fifth weight-reducing section, which is disposed between adjacent third weight-reducing sections and / or adjacent fourth weight-reducing sections.

[0021] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the minimum distance between adjacent first and second preset areas along the row or column direction is a preset value, wherein the first preset area is any one of the preset region, the third weight-reducing part, the fourth weight-reducing part, and the fifth weight-reducing part, and the second preset area is any one of the preset region, the third weight-reducing part, the fourth weight-reducing part, and the fifth weight-reducing part.

[0022] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the mask plate includes a first surface and a second surface, and the first weight reduction portion and / or the second weight reduction portion are formed after etching the first surface and / or the second surface;

[0023] Preferably, the first weight-reducing portion formed after etching the first surface and the first weight-reducing portion formed after etching the second surface have the same dimensions along the thickness direction of the mask; the second weight-reducing portion formed after etching the first surface and the second weight-reducing portion formed after etching the second surface have the same dimensions along the thickness direction of the mask.

[0024] According to any of the foregoing embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the edge of the vapor deposition opening includes a straight area and a corner area, the first weight reduction portion includes a first arc-angle area disposed opposite to the corner area, and the side of the second weight reduction portion facing the vapor deposition opening includes a second arc-angle area disposed opposite to the first arc-angle area.

[0025] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application also provides a mask assembly, characterized in that it includes any of the mask provided in the first aspect of this application; it also includes a precision mask, which is stacked on one side surface of the mask in which the first weight reduction portion is disposed.

[0026] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application also provides a method of using a mask, characterized in that it includes:

[0027] A substrate to be vapor-deposited is provided, the substrate including a display area;

[0028] Provide any of the photomasks provided in the first aspect of this application, the photomask including evaporation openings, wherein, with the evaporation openings coinciding with the center of the display area, the minimum distance between the straight area of ​​the edge of the evaporation opening and the edge of the display area is 'a', and the minimum distance between the corner area of ​​the edge of the evaporation opening and the edge of the display area is 'A', where 'a' is a. <A;

[0029] The evaporation side of the substrate to be evaporated is attached to the mask, so that the display area is aligned with the evaporation opening, and the evaporation material is sprayed from the side of the mask away from the substrate to be evaporated onto the substrate.

[0030] Preferably, 0.12mm ≤ a < 0.2mm, 0.12mm <A≤0.2mm。

[0031] The photomask provided in this application is used to support a precision photomask. The photomask includes a body, a first weight-reducing section, a first support section, and a second weight-reducing section. Multiple pre-defined regions are formed within the body, each pre-defined region having a vapor deposition opening. Each vapor deposition opening corresponds to a display area of ​​a display panel, and the shape of the vapor deposition opening matches the shape of the display area. The multiple identical pre-defined regions within the body are spaced apart, thereby ensuring uniform stress distribution. The pre-defined regions can be regular areas, thus enabling the regularization of the areas surrounding irregularly shaped vapor deposition openings when they are irregularly shaped, which helps improve the uniformity of stress distribution across the body. Each preset area includes a first weight-reducing part, a first support part, and a second weight-reducing part. The first weight-reducing part is disposed around at least a portion of the edge of the vapor deposition opening and is in contact with the edge of the vapor deposition opening, i.e., the first weight-reducing part is disposed adjacent to the vapor deposition opening. The thickness of the first weight-reducing part is less than the thickness of the first support part. On the one hand, this can reduce the weight of the mask plate, improve its sinking phenomenon, and reduce the probability of wrinkles during screen stretching. On the other hand, it can improve the problem of the mask plate and the precision mask plate being too tightly attached, thereby helping the mask plate to stretch and improving wrinkles. At the same time, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part is less than the thickness of the first support part, thereby forming a receiving space that can be used to accommodate foreign objects, improving the scratch phenomenon caused by foreign objects being located between the mask plate and the precision mask plate, thereby helping to protect the precision mask plate and the mask plate. The first support portion is located on the side of the first weight-reducing portion away from the vapor deposition opening, and is arranged around the vapor deposition opening. The first support portion provides good support for the precision mask in the circumferential direction of the vapor deposition opening, and also helps to increase the bonding pressure between the mask and the precision mask, thereby ensuring the tightness of the bonding and reducing the probability of gaps or wrinkles forming between the mask and the precision mask due to mask sinking. The second weight-reducing portion is located on the side of the first support portion away from the vapor deposition opening, and is arranged in a ring around the first support portion. That is, the second weight-reducing portion surrounds the first weight-reducing portion from the edge of the first weight-reducing portion away from the vapor deposition opening, forming a ring structure around the first weight-reducing portion and the vapor deposition opening. This achieves uniform weight reduction in the direction around the vapor deposition opening, reducing the weight of the mask, improving the phenomenon of mask sinking, and reducing the probability of wrinkles occurring during screen stretching. The photomask provided in this application can reduce the gap between the photomask and the precision photomask, and at the same time improve the wrinkles between the photomask and the precision photomask, which helps to improve the evaporation quality and increase the display yield. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mask provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of P-P';

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Another sectional view of P-P';

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 12 yes Figure 1 Another sectional view of P-P';

[0045] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another mask plate structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mask assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 15 This is a reference diagram showing the usage state of a mask assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the alignment of a mask assembly in use, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] In the attached image:

[0050] 1-Mask plate; 11-Body part; 111-Preset area; 112-Evaporation opening; 121-First arc corner area; 141-Second arc corner area; 1121-Straight area; 1122-Corner area; 12-First weight reduction part; 13-First support part; 14-Second weight reduction part; 15-Third weight reduction part; 16-Fourth weight reduction part; 17-Fifth weight reduction part; x-Row direction; y-Column direction; A1-First surface; A2-Second surface; 2-Mask plate assembly; 21-Precision mask plate; 3-Substrate to be vaporized; 31-Display area; 41-Magnetic suction part; 42-Evaporation source. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will now be described in detail. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples thereof.

[0052] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0053] The inventors discovered that defects easily occur during the meshing process of planar photomasks, affecting the evaporation yield. This is because planar photomasks have a large area, and due to their weight, the center of the solid area tends to sink, easily forming wrinkles during meshing. Alternatively, the gap between the center of the planar photomask and the substrate may be larger than the gap between the edge and the substrate. This causes organic light-emitting material (OLED) to easily seep through the gaps or wrinkles between the center of the planar photomask and the substrate, resulting in additional OLED material around the designated location. This leads to evaporation defects, and because this additional OLED material is located between adjacent designated locations, it can cause color mixing, resulting in display defects and affecting display yield. Based on this research, the inventors provide a photomask, its usage method, and a photomask assembly to improve evaporation yield.

[0054] To better understand this application, the following will be combined with... Figures 1 to 16 The mask plate and its usage method, as well as the mask plate assembly, according to embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0055] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides a mask 1, including a body portion 11, a first weight-reducing portion 12, a first support portion 13, and a second weight-reducing portion 14. The body portion 11 has a plurality of spaced-apart predetermined regions 111, each region 111 having a vapor deposition opening 112. The first weight-reducing portion 12 is located within the predetermined regions 111 and is disposed around at least a portion of the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112, contacting the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112. The first support portion 13 is located within the predetermined regions 111 and is disposed around the vapor deposition opening 112, with the first support portion 13 located on the side of the first weight-reducing portion 12 away from the vapor deposition opening 112. The second weight-reducing portion 14 is located within the predetermined regions 111, with the second weight-reducing portion 14 located on the side of the first support portion 13 away from the vapor deposition opening 112 and forming a ring around the first support portion 13; wherein the thickness of the first weight-reducing portion 12 and the second weight-reducing portion 14 is less than the thickness of the first support portion 13.

[0056] The mask 1 provided in this application is used to support a precision mask 21. The mask 1 includes a body portion 11, a first weight-reducing portion 12, a first support portion 13, and a second weight-reducing portion 14. Multiple pre-defined regions 111 are formed within the body portion 11, each pre-defined region 111 having a vapor deposition opening 112. Each vapor deposition opening 112 can correspond to a display area of ​​a display panel, and the shape of the vapor deposition opening 112 matches the shape of the display area. Multiple identical pre-defined regions 111 are spaced apart within the body portion 11, thereby ensuring uniform stress distribution. The pre-defined regions 111 can be regular regions, thus enabling the regularization of the surrounding areas of irregularly shaped vapor deposition openings 112 when they are irregularly shaped, which helps improve the uniformity of stress distribution in each region of the body portion 11. Each preset area 111 includes a first weight-reducing part 12, a first support part 13, and a second weight-reducing part 14. The first weight-reducing part 12 is disposed around at least a portion of the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112 and is in contact with the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112, i.e., the first weight-reducing part 12 is disposed adjacent to the vapor deposition opening 112. The thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 is less than the thickness of the first support part 13. On the one hand, this can reduce the weight of the mask plate 1, improve its sinking phenomenon, and reduce the probability of wrinkles during screen stretching. On the other hand, it can improve the problem of the mask plate 1 and the precision mask plate 21 being too tightly attached, thereby helping the mask plate 1 to stretch and improving wrinkles. At the same time, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 is less than the thickness of the first support part 13, thereby forming a receiving space that can be used to receive foreign objects, improving the scratch phenomenon caused by foreign objects being located between the mask plate 1 and the precision mask plate 21, thereby helping to protect the precision mask plate 21 and the mask plate 1. The first support portion 13 is located on the side of the first weight reduction portion 12 away from the vapor deposition opening 112, and the first support portion 13 is arranged around the vapor deposition opening 112. The first support portion 13 can provide good support for the precision mask plate 21 in the circumferential direction of the vapor deposition opening 112, and at the same time help to increase the bonding pressure between the mask plate 1 and the precision mask plate 21, thereby ensuring the tightness of the bonding between the two, thereby reducing the probability of gaps or wrinkles between the mask plate 1 and the precision mask plate 21 due to the sinking of the mask plate 1. The second weight-reducing part 14 is located on the side of the first support part 13 away from the vapor deposition opening 112. The second weight-reducing part 14 is arranged in a ring around the first support part 13, that is, the second weight-reducing part 14 surrounds the first weight-reducing part 13 from the edge of the first weight-reducing part 13 away from the vapor deposition opening, and forms a ring structure around the first weight-reducing part 14 and the vapor deposition opening. This achieves uniform weight reduction around the vapor deposition opening 112, reduces the weight of the mask 1, improves the phenomenon of mask 1 sinking, and reduces the probability of wrinkles during screen stretching. In other words, the mask 1 provided in this application can reduce the gap between the mask 1 and the precision mask 21, and improve the wrinkles between the mask 1 and the precision mask 21, which helps to improve the vapor deposition quality and increase the display yield.

[0057] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first weight reduction part 12 is annular around the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the first support 12 is designed as an annular shape around the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112, thereby providing a uniform weight reduction effect in the direction of the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112. This helps the mask plate 1 to extend along the circumference of the vapor deposition opening 112, thereby reducing the probability of wrinkles appearing on the precision mask plate 21. This avoids the mask plate 1 from being unable to extend due to excessively tight adhesion between the mask plate 1 and the precision mask plate, thus preventing wrinkles from appearing. Under the tight adhesion, the wrinkles are fixed, thereby affecting the screen forming effect.

[0059] In another feasible implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, there are multiple first weight-reducing parts 12, which are evenly distributed along the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112, and a portion of the first support part 13 extends between adjacent first weight-reducing parts 12.

[0060] In the above embodiment, there are multiple first weight-reducing portions 12, which are evenly distributed along the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112. A portion of the first support portion 13 extends between adjacent first weight-reducing portions 12, thereby providing relatively uniform support for the precision mask 21 in the circumferential direction of the vapor deposition opening 112. This prevents tilting and helps improve alignment accuracy, thus enhancing the vapor deposition effect. Simultaneously, the multiple first weight-reducing portions 12, evenly distributed along the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112, improve the extensibility of the mask 1 near the vapor deposition opening 112 and make the extension position more uniform, thereby reducing the probability of wrinkles.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112 includes a corner area 1122, which is more prone to wrinkles. The first weight reduction part 12 is disposed at the edge of the corner area 1122 away from the vapor deposition opening 112, which can further reduce the probability of wrinkles in the corner area 1122.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the first weight reduction portion 12 may be partially located in the corner area, partially located in the straight area 1121, or may be located entirely in the straight area 1121. This application does not make any particular limitation, as long as the first weight reduction portion 12 is evenly distributed along the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112.

[0063] In another feasible implementation, such as Figure 4As shown, there are multiple first weight-reducing parts 12, and they are set in the corner area 1122 corresponding to the vapor deposition opening 112. The corner area 1122 is more prone to wrinkles during the screen stretching process than the straight area 1121. The first weight-reducing parts 12 are set in the corner area 1122, which can reduce the tightness of the fit between the corner area 1122 and the precision mask 21, thereby improving the extensibility of the mask 1 in the corner area 1122 and reducing wrinkles during the screen stretching process.

[0064] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 and the second weight-reducing part 14 is equal, or, as... Figure 5 As shown, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 is greater than the thickness of the second weight-reducing part 14.

[0065] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first weight-reducing part 12 and the second weight-reducing part 14 have the same thickness, so they can be prepared using the same process and the same step, which can save on preparation costs.

[0066] Or, such as Figure 5 As shown, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 is greater than the thickness of the second weight-reducing part 14, meaning the first weight-reducing part 12 is thicker and the second weight-reducing part 14 is thinner. The greater thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 allows it to provide stronger support in the circumferential direction of the vapor deposition opening 112, improving the mesh-forming effect. The smaller thickness of the second weight-reducing part 14 further reduces the weight of the mask plate 1, further mitigating the sinking phenomenon caused by the mask plate 1's own weight, thus contributing to improved mesh-forming performance.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 and the second weight-reducing part 14 can be 50%-85% of the thickness of the main body part 11, and this application does not make any special limitation.

[0068] In the above embodiments, the width of the first weight-reducing part 12 can be 0.5mm-4mm; the width of the first support part 13 can be 1mm-4mm; and the width of the second weight-reducing part 14 can be 1mm-8mm. The above widths are the distances between the edge of each part facing the vapor deposition opening 112 and the edge of each part away from the vapor deposition opening 112.

[0069] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the dimension of the first support portion 13 along the thickness direction of the mask plate is equal to the dimension of the body portion 11 along the thickness direction of the mask plate. This improves the support effect of the mask plate 1.

[0070] In one feasible implementation, the preset regions 111 are arranged in rows and columns, and a third weight reduction part 15 and / or a fourth weight reduction part 16 are also formed in the main body 11. The third weight reduction part 15 is disposed between adjacent preset regions 111 along the row direction x, and the fourth weight reduction part 16 is disposed between adjacent preset regions 111 along the column direction y.

[0071] In the above embodiments, the preset regions 111 are arranged in rows and columns, which can improve the uniformity of stress distribution in the mask plate 1 and improve the flatness of the tension mesh.

[0072] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, a third weight-reducing part 15 may also be formed in the main body 11. The third weight-reducing part 15 is disposed between adjacent preset areas 111 along the x-direction, thereby further reducing the weight of the mask plate 1. At the same time, it can further improve the uniformity of stress distribution in the mask plate 1, that is, reduce the difference in volume per unit area in the mask plate 1, thereby improving the phenomenon of wrinkles during the mesh stretching process.

[0073] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, a fourth weight-reducing part 16 may also be formed within the main body 11, and the fourth weight-reducing part 16 is disposed between adjacent preset regions 111 along the column direction y. This can further reduce the weight of the mask plate 1, and at the same time, further improve the uniformity of stress distribution in the mask plate 1, that is, reduce the difference in volume per unit area in the mask plate 1, thereby improving the phenomenon of wrinkles occurring during the mesh stretching process.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the main body 11 is continuously arranged on its entire surface. The third weight-reducing part 15 and the fourth weight-reducing part 16 are located inside the main body 11. The main body 11 is retained between the third weight-reducing part 15 and the adjacent preset area 111, and the main body 11 is retained between the fourth weight-reducing part 16 and the adjacent preset area 111. That is, the main body 11 between the rows and columns of the adjacent preset areas 111 is retained. The main body 11 in the mask plate 1 plays an important supporting role. The continuous arrangement of the main body 11 on its entire surface can improve the supporting effect of the mask plate 1 on the precision mask plate 21. On the other hand, during the mesh stretching process, the mask plate 1 stretches the positions between the rows and columns of the preset areas 111 and fixes them with the support frame. Retaining the main body 11 located between the rows and columns of the adjacent preset areas 111 can facilitate the transmission of tension during the stretching process.

[0075] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 8 As shown, a third weight reduction section 15 is formed between any two adjacent preset regions 111 along the row direction x, and a fourth weight reduction section 16 is formed between any two adjacent preset regions 111 along the column direction y.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the third weight-reducing part 15 and the fourth weight-reducing part 16 are evenly distributed in the mask plate 1, thereby helping to improve the stress distribution uniformity of the mask plate 1 and improve its flatness after the mesh is stretched.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the distance between the third weight-reducing part 15 and the preset region 111 can be greater than or equal to 2 mm, and the width of the third weight-reducing part 15 along the direction between adjacent preset regions 111 can be less than or equal to the distance between adjacent preset regions 111 minus 4 mm. The distance between the fourth weight-reducing part 16 and the preset region 111 can be greater than or equal to 2 mm, and the width of the fourth weight-reducing part 16 along the direction between adjacent preset regions 111 can be less than or equal to the distance between adjacent preset regions 111 minus 4 mm. This ensures both the manufacturing yield and the support effect of the main body 11.

[0078] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 9 As shown, multiple third weight-reducing sections 15 are formed between any two adjacent preset regions 111 along the row direction x, and the multiple third weight-reducing sections 15 are arranged along the column direction y or the row direction x. Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, multiple fourth weight reduction sections 16 are formed between any two adjacent preset regions 111 along the column direction y, and the multiple fourth weight reduction sections 16 are arranged along the row direction x or the column direction y.

[0079] In the above embodiments, the shapes of the third weight-reducing part 15 and the fourth weight-reducing part 16 can be rectangular, circular, elliptical, etc., and this application does not make any special limitation.

[0080] In the above embodiment, when multiple third weight-reducing portions 15 are formed between any two adjacent preset regions 111 along the row direction x, and these multiple third weight-reducing portions 15 are arranged along the column direction y or the row direction x, that is, when the multiple third weight-reducing portions 15 located between two adjacent preset regions 111 along the row direction x are arranged in a regular pattern, it helps to improve the uniformity of stress distribution of the mask plate 1 and improve its flatness after tensioning. At the same time, the body portion 11 is retained between adjacent third weight-reducing portions 15, thereby improving the support effect of the mask plate 1 on the precision mask plate 21, and also facilitating the transmission of tension force along the column direction y.

[0081] In the above embodiment, when multiple fourth weight-reducing parts 16 are formed between any two adjacent preset regions 111 along the column direction y, and these multiple fourth weight-reducing parts 16 are arranged along the row direction x or column direction y, that is, when the multiple fourth weight-reducing parts 16 located between two adjacent preset regions 111 along the row direction x are arranged in a regular pattern, it helps to improve the uniformity of stress distribution of the mask plate 1 and improve its flatness after tensioning. At the same time, the body part 11 is retained between adjacent fourth weight-reducing parts 16, thereby improving the support effect of the mask plate 1 on the precision mask plate 21, and also facilitating the transmission of tension force along the row direction x.

[0082] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 8 As shown, it also includes a fifth weight reduction section 17, which is disposed between adjacent third weight reduction sections 15 and / or adjacent fourth weight reduction sections 16. That is, the fifth weight reduction section 17 is disposed at the center of the four preset regions 111 arranged in a grid pattern, thereby reducing the weight at the aforementioned center position and further improving the stress distribution uniformity of the mask plate 1.

[0083] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and, Figure 11 As shown, the minimum distance between adjacent first and second preset areas along the row or column direction is a preset value d. The first preset area is any one of preset area 111, third weight-reducing section 15, fourth weight-reducing section 16, and fifth weight-reducing section 17, and the second preset area is any one of preset area 111, third weight-reducing section 15, fourth weight-reducing section 16, and fifth weight-reducing section 17. The preset value d measured at different locations within the same mask plate is the same. This helps to improve the uniformity of stress distribution at various locations on the mask plate 1.

[0084] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 2 and Figure 12 As shown, the mask plate 1 includes a first surface A1 and a second surface A2, and a first weight reduction portion 12 and / or a second weight reduction portion 14 are formed after etching the first surface A1 and / or the second surface A2.

[0085] In the above embodiments, the first weight reduction portion 12 is formed on the mask after being etched by the first surface A1 and / or the second surface A2, and the second weight reduction portion 14 is formed on the first surface A1 and / or the second surface A2. The first weight reduction portion 12 and the second weight reduction portion 14 can be formed by etching different surfaces of the mask, and this application does not make any particular limitation.

[0086] The first weight-reducing part 12 reduces the tightness of the bonding between the mask 1 and the precision mask 21, and also accommodates impurities. Therefore, the precision mask 21 contacts the surface of the mask 1 on the side where the first weight-reducing part 12 is provided. When both the first surface A1 and the second surface A2 are provided with the first weight-reducing part 12, errors can be prevented during the alignment and bonding process of the precision mask 21 and the mask 1, thus achieving a foolproof effect and saving assembly time.

[0087] When the first surface A1 is provided with the first weight reduction part 12 / second weight reduction part 14 and the second surface A2 is provided with the first weight reduction part 12 / second weight reduction part 14, the uniformity of both sides of the mask plate 1 can be improved, the probability of the mask plate 1 curling to one side can be reduced, and it helps to keep the mask plate 1 flat and improve the meshing effect.

[0088] In one feasible implementation, the first weight-reducing portion 12 formed after etching the first surface A1 and the first weight-reducing portion 12 formed after etching the second surface A2 have the same dimensions along the thickness direction of the mask plate; the second weight-reducing portion 14 formed after etching the first surface A1 and the second weight-reducing portion 14 formed after etching the second surface A2 have the same dimensions along the thickness direction of the mask plate. This further improves the uniformity of both sides of the mask plate 1, reduces the probability of the mask plate 1 curling to one side, helps maintain the flatness of the mask plate 1, and improves the mesh-stretching effect.

[0089] In one feasible embodiment, the vapor deposition opening 112 is in the shape of a regular polygon or an irregular shape. The irregular shape includes irregular polygons or irregular shapes.

[0090] The shape of the vapor deposition opening 112 can be irregular, thus it can be used to fabricate irregularly shaped display panels. For example, display panels with notches (areas for placing front-facing cameras and sensors) or display panels with irregular shapes (wristbands, VR and AR), this application does not make any special limitations.

[0091] In one feasible implementation, such as Figure 13 As shown, the edge of the vapor deposition opening 112 includes a straight area 1121 and a corner area 1122. The first weight reduction part 12 includes a first arc corner area 121 disposed opposite to the corner area 1122. The side of the second weight reduction part 14 facing the vapor deposition opening 112 includes a second arc corner area 141 disposed opposite to the first arc corner area 121.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the area of ​​the first weight-reducing part 12 opposite to the corner area 1122 of the vapor deposition opening 112 is formed into a first arc-angle area 121, and the side of the second weight-reducing part 14 facing the vapor deposition opening 112 is formed into a second arc-angle area 141 opposite to the first arc-angle area 121. On the one hand, this can reduce stress concentration and prevent cracks from appearing in the corner area 1122 of the mask 1 during the mesh stretching process, thereby helping to improve the service life of the mask 1. On the other hand, after actual vapor deposition, the mask 1 needs to be ultrasonically cleaned and air-dried. Forming the area of ​​the first weight-reducing part 12 opposite to the corner area 1122 of the vapor deposition opening 112 into the first arc-angle area 121 and forming the side of the second weight-reducing part 14 facing the vapor deposition opening 112 into the second arc-angle area 141 opposite to the first arc-angle area 121 can reduce the cleaning damage rate, thereby helping to improve the service life of the mask 1 and reduce the replacement cost of the mask 1.

[0093] The radii of the first arc angle region 121 and the second arc angle region 141 can be selected to be greater than or equal to 0.25 mm, thereby ensuring the preparation yield and playing a good role in smooth transition.

[0094] This application provides a mask assembly 2, such as Figure 14 As shown, it includes any of the mask plates 1 provided in the above embodiments of this application; it also includes a precision mask plate 21, which is stacked on the side surface of the mask plate 1 where the first weight reduction part 12 is provided.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the mask assembly 2 includes a mask 1 and a precision mask 21. The precision mask 21 is disposed on the surface layer of the side of the mask 1 where the first weight-reducing part 12 is disposed, which can improve the problem of the mask 1 and the precision mask 21 being too tightly attached, thereby helping the mask 1 to extend and improve wrinkles; at the same time, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part 12 is less than the thickness of the first support part 13, thereby forming a receiving space that can be used to accommodate foreign objects, improving the scratch phenomenon caused by foreign objects being located between the mask 1 and the precision mask 21, thereby helping to protect the precision mask 21 and the mask 1.

[0096] This application also provides a method for using the mask 1, such as... Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, it includes:

[0097] S100 provides a substrate 3 to be vapor-deposited, the substrate 3 including a display area 31.

[0098] The substrate 3 to be vapor-deposited can be used to form multiple display panels, and therefore may include multiple display areas 31.

[0099] S200, provide any one of the mask plates 1 provided in the above embodiments of the present application. The mask plate 1 includes an evaporation opening 112. When the evaporation opening 112 coincides with the center of the display area 31, the minimum distance between the straight area 1121 at the edge of the evaporation opening 112 and the edge of the display area 31 is a, and the minimum distance between the corner area 1122 at the edge of the evaporation opening 112 and the edge of the display area 31 is A, where a < A, and 0.12 mm ≤ a < 0.2 mm, 0.12 mm < A ≤ 0.2 mm.

[0100] Among them, the evaporation opening 112 is larger than the area of the display area 31, so as to ensure the yield of evaporation onto the display area 31 and avoid the problem of poor evaporation caused by the evaporation opening 112 blocking the display area 31. At the same time, the evaporation opening 112 being larger than the area of the display area 31 can improve the error tolerance rate during the alignment of the two. And when the evaporation opening 112 coincides with the center of the display area 31, the minimum distance between the straight area 1121 at the edge of the evaporation opening 112 and the edge of the display area 31 is a, and the minimum distance between the corner area 1122 at the edge of the evaporation opening 112 and the edge of the display area 31 is A, where a < A. Since the processing difficulty of the corner area 1122 is large, setting a to be less than A can reduce the problem of poor quality caused by processing errors.

[0101] Among them, 0.12 mm ≤ a < 0.2 mm, 0.12 mm < A ≤ 0.2 mm. Specifically, a can be 0.12 mm, 0.13 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.16 mm, 0.17 mm, 0.19 mm, etc., and the present application does not make special limitations. A can be 0.13 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.16 mm, 0.17 mm, 0.19 mm, 0.20 mm, etc., and the present application does not make special limitations. It only needs to ensure that a < A.

[0102] S300,贴合设置待蒸镀基板3的蒸镀侧与掩膜板1,使得显示区31与蒸镀开口112对位,由掩膜板1背离待蒸镀基板3侧向待蒸镀基板3喷射蒸镀材料。 Attach the evaporation side of the substrate 3 to be evaporated to the mask plate 1 so that the display area 31 is aligned with the evaporation opening 112, and spray evaporation materials from the side of the mask plate 1 facing away from the substrate 3 to be evaporated onto the substrate 3 to be evaporated.

[0103] 在蒸镀过程中,如 During the evaporation process, as Figure 15 所示,蒸镀装置包括磁吸部41和蒸镀源42,蒸镀过程中,精密掩膜板21位于掩膜板1与磁吸部之间,待蒸镀基板3位于磁吸部41与精密掩膜板21之间,磁吸部41与掩膜板1磁吸固定,从而将待蒸镀基板3与精密掩膜板21夹紧固定。蒸镀源位于掩膜板1背离磁吸部一侧。 shown, the evaporation device includes a magnetic attraction part 41 and an evaporation source 42. During the evaporation process, the precision mask plate 21 is located between the mask plate 1 and the magnetic attraction part, the substrate 3 to be evaporated is located between the magnetic attraction part 41 and the precision mask plate 21, and the magnetic attraction part 41 is magnetically fixed to the mask plate 1, thereby clamping and fixing the substrate 3 to be evaporated and the precision mask plate 21. The evaporation source is located on the side of the mask plate 1 away from the magnetic attraction part.

[0104] In the above embodiments of this application, the flatness of the mask plate 1 is better, which can reduce the probability of wrinkles and reduce the gap between the mask plate 1 and the precision mask plate 21 caused by the weight of the mask plate 1, thereby improving the evaporation quality and reducing color mixing defects.

[0105] The embodiments described above are not exhaustive and do not limit the invention to specific examples. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the above description. These embodiments are selected and specifically described in this specification to better explain the principles and practical applications of this application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to effectively utilize this application and its modifications. This application is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A photomask, characterized in that, include: The main body has multiple pre-defined regions arranged at intervals within it, and each pre-defined region has a vapor deposition opening. A first weight-reducing part is located within the preset area and is disposed around at least a portion of the edge of the vapor deposition opening, wherein the first weight-reducing part is in contact with the edge of the vapor deposition opening; A first support portion is located within the preset area and is arranged around the vapor deposition opening. The first support portion is located on the side of the first weight reduction portion away from the vapor deposition opening. The second weight-reducing part is located within the preset area. The second weight-reducing part is located on the side of the first support part away from the vapor deposition opening and is a ring-shaped part arranged around the first support part. Wherein, the thickness of the first weight-reducing part and the second weight-reducing part is less than the thickness of the first support part; The edge of the vapor deposition opening includes a straight area and a corner area. The first weight reduction part includes a first arc-shaped area opposite to the corner area. The side of the second weight reduction part facing the vapor deposition opening includes a second arc-shaped area opposite to the first arc-shaped area.

2. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first weight-reducing portion is annular around the edge of the vapor deposition opening; or, The number of the first weight-reducing parts is multiple, and they are evenly distributed along the edge of the vapor deposition opening. A portion of the first support extends between adjacent first weight-reducing parts.

3. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first weight reduction section is located at the edge of the corner area away from the vapor deposition opening.

4. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the first weight-reducing part and the second weight-reducing part are equal, or the thickness of the first weight-reducing part is greater than the thickness of the second weight-reducing part; The thickness of the first support portion is equal to the thickness of the body portion.

5. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset regions are arranged in rows and columns. The main body also has a third weight-reducing part and / or a fourth weight-reducing part. The third weight-reducing part is disposed between adjacent preset regions along the row direction, and the fourth weight-reducing part is disposed between adjacent preset regions along the column direction.

6. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body is continuously arranged across its entire surface.

7. The mask plate according to claim 5, characterized in that, A third weight-reduction section is formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the row direction, and a fourth weight-reduction section is formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the column direction; or, Multiple third weight-reducing sections are formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the row direction, and the multiple third weight-reducing sections are arranged along the column direction or the row direction. Multiple fourth weight-reducing sections are formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the column direction, and the multiple fourth weight-reducing sections are arranged along the row direction or the column direction.

8. The mask plate according to claim 5, characterized in that, A plurality of third weight-reducing sections are formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the row direction, and the plurality of third weight-reducing sections are arranged along the column direction or the row direction. A plurality of fourth weight-reducing sections are formed between any two adjacent preset regions along the column direction, and the plurality of fourth weight-reducing sections are arranged along the row direction or the column direction. The mask plate also includes a fifth weight-reducing section, which is disposed between adjacent third weight-reducing sections and / or adjacent fourth weight-reducing sections.

9. The mask plate according to claim 8, characterized in that, The minimum distance between adjacent first and second preset areas along the row or column direction is a preset value, wherein the first preset area is any one of the preset area, the third weight reduction section, the fourth weight reduction section, and the fifth weight reduction section, and the second preset area is any one of the preset area, the third weight reduction section, the fourth weight reduction section, and the fifth weight reduction section.

10. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mask plate includes a first surface and a second surface, and the first weight reduction portion and / or the second weight reduction portion are formed after etching the first surface and / or the second surface.

11. The mask plate according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first weight reduction portion formed after etching the first surface and the first weight reduction portion formed after etching the second surface have the same dimensions along the thickness direction of the mask plate; the second weight reduction portion formed after etching the first surface and the second weight reduction portion formed after etching the second surface have the same dimensions along the thickness direction of the mask plate.

12. A mask assembly, characterized in that, It includes a mask as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; it also includes a precision mask stacked on one side surface of the mask in which the first weight reduction portion is disposed.

13. A method of using a photomask, characterized in that, include: A substrate to be vapor-deposited is provided, the substrate including a display area; A photomask as described in any one of claims 1-11 is provided, the photomask comprising a vapor deposition opening, wherein, with the vapor deposition opening coinciding with the center of the display area, the minimum distance between the straight area of ​​the edge of the vapor deposition opening and the edge of the display area is 'a', and the minimum distance between the corner area of ​​the edge of the vapor deposition opening and the edge of the display area is 'A', where 'a' is a. <A, The evaporation side of the substrate to be evaporated is attached to the mask, so that the display area is aligned with the evaporation opening, and the evaporation material is sprayed from the side of the mask away from the substrate to be evaporated onto the substrate.

14. The method of use according to claim 13, characterized in that, 0.12mm≤a<0.2mm, 0.12mm<A≤0.2mm.

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