Base material thinning method for producing OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) metal mask plate

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) metal mask plate, and relates to the technical field of metal mask plates. The base material thinning method for producing the OLED metal mask plate comprises the following steps: cleaning and drying a rolled steel strip; the steel strip is subjected to acid pickling, and cleaning is conducted after acid pickling; the steel strip is etched and thinned through a ferric trichloride solution, the specific gravity of ferric trichloride in the ferric trichloride solution ranges from 1.3 g / cm < 3 > to 1.4 g / cm < 3 >, and the temperature of the ferric trichloride solution ranges from 58 DEG C to 65 DEG C; and after etching, cleaning and drying are carried out. The technical effect that the thickness of the steel plate can be below 20 microns is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of metal mask plates, and in particular to a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate. Background Art

[0002] Many film structures in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are formed by evaporation using a metal mask assembly (MFA). A complete set of metal mask assemblies (MFA) usually consists of a mask frame (Frame), a fine metal mask (FMM), and an alignment mask (AlignMask). Among them, the quality of the fine metal mask (FMM) plays a decisive role in the evaporation effect of the film structure.

[0003] The substrate for producing OLED metal masks today is stainless steel strip, which plays a vital role in several key industries due to its extraordinary corrosion resistance, strength and processing performance. Although stainless steel strip has been widely used in these fields, the traditional rolling process usually limits its thickness to 20 microns, which limits its potential in industries with more stringent requirements on material thickness. For example, the microelectronics and semiconductor industries require thinner stainless steel foils when manufacturing fine chips and sensors, and flexible display technology is looking for ultra-thin stainless steel foils that can serve as the substrate for bendable display devices. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate, so as to alleviate the technical problem in the prior art that the thickness of the rolled steel plate is limited to 20 microns.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate, comprising the following steps: Cleaning and drying the rolled steel strip; The steel strip is pickled and then cleaned; The steel strip is etched and thinned using a ferric chloride solution, wherein the specific gravity of ferric chloride in the ferric chloride solution is between 1.3 g / cm³ and 1.4 g / cm³, and the temperature of the ferric chloride solution is between 58 and 65 degrees Celsius; After etching, the film is cleaned and dried.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the rolled steel strip is cleaned with pure water, and the temperature of the pure water is between 58-65 degrees Celsius.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the steel strip is dried using an air knife to avoid residual liquid on the steel strip; The working pressure of the air knife is between 0.1-0.12MPa.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the steel strip is pickled in a pickling tank, and the pickling liquid is a hydrochloric acid solution.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the pickling tank is provided with an acid mist suppression device and an exhaust system, and the solubility of hydrochloric acid is set between 4.5% and 5.5%.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein when the pickled steel strip is cleaned, the cleansing pure water has a flow direction.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein a ferric chloride solution is sprayed onto the steel strip to be etched by a fixed nozzle and a swing nozzle.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the etched steel strip is cleaned with pure water at 55-65 degrees Celsius, and then cleaned with cold water at 15-25 degrees Celsius.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the cleaned steel strip is blown by an air knife and then dried in an oven, and the oven temperature is set to 50 degrees Celsius.

[0014] Beneficial effects: The present invention provides a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate, comprising the following steps: cleaning and drying a rolled steel strip; pickling the steel strip, and washing it after pickling; etching and thinning the steel strip using a ferric chloride solution, wherein the specific gravity of the ferric chloride in the ferric chloride solution is between 1.3 g / cm³ and 1.4 g / cm³, and the temperature of the ferric chloride solution is between 58 and 65 degrees Celsius; and washing and drying it after etching.

[0015] Specifically, in the production process, the 20-micron rolled steel strip is first cleaned to ensure that the dust, stains and grease on the surface of the rolled steel strip are effectively removed, providing ideal pretreatment conditions for subsequent cleaning and chemical treatment, and then the cleaned steel strip is cleaned and dried, and then the steel strip is pickled, and the oxide film on the surface of the steel strip is removed by pickling, so as to avoid the oxide film on the surface of the steel strip from causing adverse effects on etching during the subsequent etching process, and then the pickling is followed by cleaning, and then etching is performed after cleaning, and the steel strip is etched and thinned by ferric chloride solution, so that the steel strip is uniformly thinned to 10 microns, and then the etching is followed by cleaning and drying, so as to complete the thinning of the steel strip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 Thickness measurement diagram of a steel strip before and after thinning according to a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask provided in an embodiment of the present invention (wherein the 20 micron curve is before thinning and the 10 micron curve is after thinning); Figure 3 A diagram of the appearance and composition data of the steel strip after thinning according to the substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present invention (wherein the upper left corner is the appearance of the steel strip, the lower left corner is the image under a scanning electron microscope, the upper right corner is the image under an optical microscope, and the lower right corner is a composition analysis table). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0021] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like 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 a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0022] The present invention is further described in detail below through specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0023] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate, comprising the following steps: cleaning and drying the rolled steel strip; pickling the steel strip and washing it after pickling; etching and thinning the steel strip using a ferric chloride solution; and washing and drying it after etching.

[0024] Specifically, in the production process, the 20-micron rolled steel strip is first cleaned to ensure that the dust, stains and grease on the surface of the rolled steel strip are effectively removed, providing ideal pretreatment conditions for subsequent cleaning and chemical treatment, and then the cleaned steel strip is cleaned and dried, and then the steel strip is pickled, and the oxide film on the surface of the steel strip is removed by pickling, so as to avoid the oxide film on the surface of the steel strip from causing adverse effects on etching during the subsequent etching process, and then the pickling is followed by cleaning, and then etching is performed after cleaning, and the steel strip is etched and thinned by ferric chloride solution, so that the steel strip is uniformly thinned to 10 microns, and then the etching is followed by cleaning and drying, so as to complete the thinning of the steel strip.

[0025] First, the rolled steel strip is cleaned with pure water in a cleaning pool, and the temperature of the pure water can be set to 58 degrees Celsius, or the temperature of the pure water can be set to 60 degrees Celsius, or the temperature of the pure water can be set to 62 degrees Celsius, or the temperature of the pure water can be set to 65 degrees Celsius.

[0026] In addition, the cleaning pool is equipped with a circulating hot water system to heat the pure water to 60°C and maintain a constant water temperature through a high-precision constant temperature control system to ensure effective removal of dust, stains and grease on the surface of the steel strip, providing ideal pretreatment conditions for subsequent cleaning and chemical treatment. In addition, the cleaning pool is equipped with automatic water replenishment and temperature monitoring functions to ensure the stability of water quality and temperature during continuous production.

[0027] Then, use the wind knife to dry the steel strip to avoid residual liquid on the steel strip; the wind knife working pressure can be set to 0.1MPa, or, the wind knife working pressure can be set to 0.11MPa, or, the wind knife working pressure can be set to 0.12MPa. Use the wind knife for drying to ensure that the wind force is uniform and strong, quickly dry the surface of the stainless steel strip, prevent water droplets from remaining, and avoid adverse effects on the subsequent chemical etching effect. In addition, the wind knife system can adjust the wind direction and wind speed to adapt to stainless steel strips of different widths and thicknesses to ensure efficient drying.

[0028] After that, the steel strip is pickled in the pickling tank. The pickling liquid is hydrochloric acid solution, and the solubility of hydrochloric acid is set between 4.5% and 5.5%. The chemical metering pump and automatic adjustment system are used to maintain a constant concentration of hydrochloric acid solubility to ensure the consistency of the pickling effect of the stainless steel strip. In addition, the pickling tank is equipped with an acid mist suppression device and an exhaust system to reduce the impact of acid mist on the health of operators and the environment.

[0029] For example, the hydrochloric acid solubility may be set to 4.5%, or the hydrochloric acid solubility may be set to 5%, or the hydrochloric acid solubility may be set to 5.5%.

[0030] It should be pointed out that the oxide film on the surface of stainless steel can be evenly removed through the hydrochloric acid pretreatment process. By controlling the concentration of hydrochloric acid and the treatment time, it can be ensured that the oxide film is effectively removed while avoiding excessive corrosion of the stainless steel substrate, thereby significantly improving the uniformity and efficiency of the subsequent ferric chloride thinning process and effectively avoiding the occurrence of pitting defects on the steel strip after etching.

[0031] The pickled steel strips are then cleaned again in multiple pure water tanks. Each tank is equipped with a filtration system and a circulation pump to ensure clean water quality and effectively remove residual hydrochloric acid on the surface of the stainless steel. The cleaning section can adjust the water flow speed and direction to improve cleaning efficiency and quality.

[0032] Then, the steel strip is etched in the etching tank, the specific gravity of ferric chloride in the ferric chloride solution is set to 1.3g / cm³, the temperature of the ferric chloride solution is set to 65 degrees Celsius, or the specific gravity of ferric chloride is set to 1.35g / cm³, the temperature of the ferric chloride solution is set to 60 degrees Celsius, or the specific gravity of ferric chloride is set to 1.4g / cm³, and the temperature of the ferric chloride solution is set to 58 degrees Celsius. The etching tank is made of corrosion-resistant materials (such as PVC), and is equipped with a temperature control system, a circulation pump and a stirring system to ensure the consistency and uniformity of the etching effect.

[0033] Specifically, a fixed nozzle and a swing nozzle are provided on the etching tank, and both the fixed nozzle and the swing nozzle spray ferric chloride solution toward the steel strip to be etched.

[0034] In the uniform thinning process of stainless steel strips, fixed nozzles and swing nozzles are used to meet the specific thinning requirements of stainless steel materials of different widths. Multiple swing nozzles are set on both sides of the fixed nozzle, and both the fixed nozzle and the swing nozzle are located above the etching groove. When dealing with the thinning of steel strips of different widths, fixed nozzles and different numbers of swing nozzles can be turned on according to needs to achieve precise control of the thinning process. During the thinning process, the fixed nozzle plays a core etching role. The fixed nozzle provides a stable and uniform etching effect to ensure that the thinning effect of the material is consistent across the entire width. The swing nozzle covers a wider area through its dynamic swing, further optimizing the thickness distribution of the stainless steel strip.

[0035] Finally, the etched steel strip is cleaned at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, and a circulating hot water system is used for final cleaning to ensure that residual chemicals are completely removed. After the warm water cleaning is completed, the stainless steel strip is further cleaned with cold water at 20 degrees Celsius to remove residual chemicals in the ferric chloride etching tank. After the cleaning is completed, the high-pressure air knife system is used again to quickly dry the surface of the stainless steel strip in preparation for subsequent processing or packaging. The material is then dried in an oven at 50 degrees Celsius to ensure uniform drying and avoid contamination.

[0036] The temperature of the first pure water for cleaning the etched steel strip can be set between 55-65 degrees Celsius, for example, the pure water temperature can be set to 55 degrees Celsius, or the pure water temperature can be set to 60 degrees Celsius, or the pure water temperature can be set to 65 degrees Celsius. The cold water temperature can be set between 15-25 degrees Celsius, for example, the cold water temperature can be set to 15 degrees Celsius, or the cold water temperature can be set to 20 degrees Celsius, or the cold water temperature can be set to 25 degrees Celsius.

[0037] After production is completed, the staff can use a high-precision film thickness detector to test the uniformity of the film thickness of the thin strip in real time to ensure that the thinning effect meets the specification requirements.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Cleaning and drying the rolled steel strip; The steel strip is pickled and then cleaned; The steel strip is etched and thinned using a ferric chloride solution, wherein the specific gravity of ferric chloride in the ferric chloride solution is between 1.3 g / cm³ and 1.4 g / cm³, and the temperature of the ferric chloride solution is between 58 and 65 degrees Celsius; After etching, the film is cleaned and dried.

2. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rolled steel strip is cleaned with pure water, the temperature of which is between 58 and 65 degrees Celsius.

3. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: Use air knife to dry the steel belt to avoid residual liquid on the steel belt; The working pressure of the air knife is between 0.1-0.12MPa.

4. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steel strip is pickled in a pickling tank, and the pickling liquid is a hydrochloric acid solution.

5. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pickling tank is equipped with an acid mist suppression device and an exhaust system, and the hydrochloric acid solubility is set between 4.5% and 5.5%.

6. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: When cleaning the pickled steel strip, the cleaning pure water has a flow direction.

7. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ferric chloride solution is sprayed onto the steel strip to be etched through a fixed nozzle and a swing nozzle.

8. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask according to claim 7, characterized in that: The etched steel strip is cleaned with pure water at 55-65 degrees Celsius, and then cleaned with cold water at 15-25 degrees Celsius.

9. The substrate thinning method for producing an OLED metal mask plate according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cleaned steel strip is blown by an air knife and then dried in an oven with the oven temperature set at 50 degrees Celsius.

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