Mask, method for manufacturing the same, mask assembly, and evaporation apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a mask and a preparation method thereof, a mask assembly and an evaporation equipment. The mask comprises a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support part defining the plurality of first openings. At least one support structure is arranged on a support surface of the support part. One end of the support structure is located on one side of the first opening, and the other end of the support structure is inclined in a direction away from the center of the first opening and a direction away from the support surface. Thus, the inclined support structure can provide an inclined support force for the supported object. The inclined support force can stretch the supported object and improve the wrinkle problem of the supported object while improving the color mixing problem caused by the drooping of the supported object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a photomask and its preparation method, photomask assembly, and vapor deposition equipment. Background Technology

[0002] OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is gradually replacing LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) due to its advantages such as being thin and light, self-emissive, having a wide viewing angle, fast response speed, low brightness, and low power consumption.

[0003] In OLED manufacturing technology, the mask used for vacuum evaporation is a crucial component. To reduce defects such as color mixing caused by evaporation, magnetic fields are used in the evaporation equipment to improve the tightness of the bond between the mask and the substrate to be evaporated. However, it is still impossible to avoid defects such as color mixing caused by mask sagging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a photomask and its preparation method, photomask assembly, and vapor deposition equipment to solve or partially solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, this application provides a photomask, including a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings. At least one support structure is disposed on the support surface of the support portion, one end of the support structure is located on one side of the first opening, and the other end of the support structure extends obliquely in a direction away from the center of the first opening and away from the support surface.

[0006] A second aspect of this application provides a photomask assembly, comprising:

[0007] A first mask, comprising the mask as described in the first aspect;

[0008] A frame, wherein the first mask is fixed on the frame, the frame including opposing first and second borders;

[0009] Multiple second masks are stacked on top of the first mask, and the multiple second masks are arranged sequentially along the direction of the first border and the second border. The two ends of each second mask are fixed to the first border and the second border, respectively.

[0010] A third aspect of this application provides a method for fabricating a photomask, the photomask comprising an array of a plurality of first openings and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings, the fabrication method comprising:

[0011] At least one support structure is formed on the support surface of the support portion, one end of the support structure is located on one side of the first opening, and the other end of the support structure extends obliquely away from the center of the first opening and away from the support surface.

[0012] As can be seen from the above description, this application provides a photomask, its preparation method, a photomask assembly, and a vapor deposition apparatus. The photomask includes a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings. By providing at least one support structure on the support surface of the support portion, with one end of the support structure located on one side of a first opening and the other end inclined away from the center of the first opening and away from the support surface, the inclined support structure can provide an inclined support force to the supported object. This not only improves problems such as color mixing caused by the sagging of the supported object, but also provides a stretching effect on the supported object, improving wrinkles on the supported object. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary vapor deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic plate according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0016] Figure 3A A top view of an exemplary mask assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0017] Figure 3B A schematic diagram of an exemplary second mask according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0018] Figure 4A A schematic diagram of an exemplary mask assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0019] Figure 4B A schematic diagram of an exemplary support structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0020] Figure 4C A partially enlarged schematic diagram of an exemplary support structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0021] Figure 5A A schematic diagram of another exemplary support structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0022] Figure 5B A schematic diagram of the structure of yet another exemplary mask assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0023] Figure 5C A partially enlarged schematic diagram of an exemplary support structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of an exemplary method for preparing a photomask according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in the embodiments of this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0027] In the fabrication process of OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display panels, the organic layer of the display panel is typically fabricated using vacuum evaporation. Vacuum evaporation coating refers to a process in which the material to be coated is heated and evaporated or sublimated in a vacuum environment, and then condensed or deposited on the low-temperature surface of the substrate through an opening in a evaporation mask (fine metal mask (FMM)) to form a film layer.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an exemplary vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0029] like Figure 1As shown, the vapor deposition apparatus 100 may include a mask assembly 102 and a magnetic plate 104, which may be composed of one or more magnetic blocks. The substrate 106 to be vapor deposited is placed between the mask assembly 102 and the magnetic plate 104. The vapor deposition apparatus 100 may also include a substrate holder 114 for holding the mask assembly 102, the magnetic plate 104 and the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited.

[0030] Mask assembly 102 may include a supporting mask 1022 and a vapor deposition mask 1024 stacked on the supporting mask 1022. Vapor deposition apparatus 100 may also include a touch plate 110, such as... Figure 1 As shown, before vapor deposition, the vapor deposition mask 1024 needs to be welded onto the support mask 1022 and moved into the vapor deposition chamber 112. Then, the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited is transported into the vapor deposition chamber 112 by a robotic arm, and the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited is pressed down onto the mask assembly 102 by the upper pressing plate 110.

[0031] During vapor deposition, the magnetic plate 104 can generate a magnetic field, causing the vapor deposition mask in the mask assembly 102 to be adsorbed onto the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited along direction A.

[0032] The magnetic plate 104 is usually a strip or block of permanent magnet. Under the action of the magnetic force of the magnetic plate 104, the vapor deposition mask 1024 is attracted and moved upward (along direction A), so that the vapor deposition mask 1024 and the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited are tightly attached, avoiding gaps or gaps between the vapor deposition mask 1024 and the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited, so as to avoid shadows at the locations where gaps or gaps exist during vapor deposition.

[0033] The vapor deposition equipment 100 may further include an evaporation source 108, on which the vapor deposition material is disposed. The evaporation source 108 heats the vapor deposition material, causing atoms or molecules of the material to vaporize from its surface, forming a vapor stream that is incident on the surface of the substrate 106 to be vaporized, and condenses to form a solid thin film. It is understood that... Figure 1 This is merely an illustrative representation of several important mechanisms in a vapor deposition apparatus and does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0034] By adjusting the distance between the magnetic plate 104 and the vapor deposition mask 1024, the magnetic force exerted by the magnetic plate 104 on the vapor deposition mask 1024 can be controlled.

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic plate 104 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0036] like Figure 2As shown, the magnetic plate 104 can be composed of multiple strip magnetic blocks 1042. The magnetic force of each strip magnetic block 1042 is different, and the spacing 1044 between adjacent strip magnetic blocks 1042 is also different, resulting in an uneven distribution of magnetic force on the magnetic plate 104. Even if the magnetic plate 104 is made from a single piece of magnetic block, the distribution of magnetic force on the magnetic plate 104 is still uneven.

[0037] Because the magnetic force on the magnetic plate 104 is not evenly distributed, the center of the vapor deposition mask 1024 adsorbed on the magnetic plate 104 will sag to a certain extent under the action of gravity.

[0038] The magnetic plate 104 can correspond to multiple substrates 106 of different sizes to be vapor-deposited. As mentioned above, the magnetic force distribution on the magnetic plate 104 is uneven. For a smaller substrate to be vapor-deposited, it may correspond to a region of weaker magnetic force on the magnetic plate 104. In this case, due to the weaker magnetic force in this region, the attraction force is insufficient, which will cause a gap between the second mask corresponding to the smaller substrate and the substrate to be vapor-deposited. After vapor deposition, a shadow will be generated at the location of the gap.

[0039] To at least address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a photomask and its preparation method, a photomask assembly, and a vapor deposition apparatus. The photomask includes a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings. By providing at least one support structure on the support surface of the support portion, with one end of the support structure located on one side of a first opening and the other end inclined away from the center of the first opening and away from the support surface, the inclined support structure can provide an inclined support force to the supported object. This not only improves problems such as color mixing caused by the sagging of the supported object, but also provides a stretching effect on the supported object, improving wrinkle problems on the supported object.

[0040] Figure 3A A top view of an exemplary mask assembly 102 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3B A schematic diagram of an exemplary second mask 1024 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0041] like Figure 3AAs shown, the mask assembly 102 may include a frame 202, a first mask 1022 (e.g., a support mask), and a second mask 1024 (e.g., a vapor deposition mask) stacked on top of the first mask 1022. The first mask 1022 is fixed to the frame 202, which may include opposing first and second borders 2022 and opposing third and fourth borders 2028. Grippers 204 at the edges of the first mask 1022 can be soldered to the borders of the frame 202 to fix the first mask 1022 to the frame 202. The first mask 1022 can be used to support the second mask 1024 and define multiple vapor deposition areas (display areas) of the substrate 106 to be vapor deposited through multiple first openings.

[0042] The second mask 1024 may be elongated, including two opposing long sides 206 extending along a first direction X and two opposing short sides 208 extending along a second direction Y. Multiple second masks 1024 are arranged sequentially along the directions extending from the first border 2022 to the second border 2024, and the two ends (i.e., the opposing short sides 208) of each second mask 1024 can be fixed to the first border 2022 and the second border 2024 respectively. In some embodiments, the support structure 302 of the first mask 1022 can provide the second mask 1024 with a supporting force away from the first mask 1022 along the inclined direction of the support structure 302, to prevent the second mask 1024 from sagging, thereby avoiding problems such as color mixing caused by sagging. Simultaneously, the inclined supporting force provided along the inclined direction can also stretch the second mask 1024, preventing wrinkles from forming.

[0043] The first mask 1022 may include a plurality of first openings arranged in an array, and the second mask 1024 may include a plurality of second openings 210, each corresponding one-to-one with the plurality of first openings of the first mask 1022. The second mask 1024 may include opposing first edges 2062 and second edges 2064. In some embodiments, the third side 3022 and the fourth side 3024 of the support structure 302 of the first mask 1022 may contact the first edges 2062 and the second edges 2064. The contact between the support structure 302 and the edges of the second mask 1024 allows the two long sides 206 of the second mask 1024 to be stretched along directions Y and Y', respectively. Figure 3B As shown.

[0044] like Figure 3A As shown, in some embodiments, the first mask plate 1022 may further include a support portion 402 defining a plurality of first openings, and at least one support structure 302 may be provided on the support surface of the support portion 402.

[0045] Figure 4A A schematic diagram of an exemplary mask assembly 102 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The mask 400 in the mask assembly 102 may be a first mask 1022.

[0046] like Figure 4A As shown, in some embodiments, at least one support structure 302 may be provided on the support surface 4022 of the support portion 402. One end of the support structure 302 is located on one side of the first opening 404, and the other end of the support structure 302 extends obliquely away from the center 4042 of the first opening 404 and away from the support surface 4022. In this way, the support structure 302 can provide an oblique support force for the second mask 1024. The oblique support force can not only avoid problems such as color mixing caused by the sag of the supported object (e.g., the second mask 1024), but also stretch the second mask 1024 to prevent wrinkles from appearing on the second mask 1024.

[0047] Figure 4B A schematic diagram of an exemplary support structure 302 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Exemplarily, Figure 4A The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the support structure 302 shown can be along... Figure 4B A schematic diagram of the cross section obtained by cutting along the AA' direction.

[0048] like Figure 4B As shown, in some embodiments, the shape of the support structure 302 can match the shape of the first opening 404. The support structure 302 may include opposing first sides 3022 and second sides 3024, as well as opposing third sides 3026 and fourth sides 3028. The first sides 3022, third sides 3026, second sides 3024, and fourth sides 3028 are connected sequentially, and the connection points have chamfers 406. By using a support structure 302 that matches the shape of the first opening 404, the force around the first opening 404 can be made uniform.

[0049] Back Figure 4A In some embodiments, the thickness a of the support portion 402 in a direction perpendicular to the mask 400 (e.g., along direction B) may be greater than or equal to the thickness b of at least one support structure 302 in a direction perpendicular to the mask 400, so that the support portion 402 provides a stable base for the support structure 302.

[0050] As described above, the other end of the support structure 302 extends obliquely away from the center 4042 of the first opening 404 and away from the support surface 4022. If the oblique angle of the support structure 302 is too small, it cannot provide effective oblique support force; if the oblique angle is too large, the support structure 302 is prone to breakage under the attraction force of the magnetic plate 104 or the gravity of the substrate 106 to be vapor-deposited. Therefore, in some embodiments, the oblique angle of the support structure 302 can be 50 degrees to 70 degrees to ensure that the support structure 302 provides effective oblique support force while remaining stable and not easily broken.

[0051] like Figure 4A As shown, the number of support structures 302 can be adjusted according to the size of the display panel and the spacing between the multiple first openings 404. In some embodiments, at least one support structure 302 may include two or more support structures 302, which can be arranged concentrically around the center 4042 of the first opening 404 in a direction away from the center 4042 of the first opening 404. In this way, the two or more support structures 302 can provide more support around the first opening 404, which is more conducive to the stretching of the second mask 1024.

[0052] Figure 4C A partially enlarged schematic diagram of an exemplary support structure 302 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0053] Combination Figure 4A and Figure 4C In some embodiments, the cross-sections of two or more support structures 302 along a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g.) Figure 4A The cross-section shown has a uniform width H1. The support structure 302 can be formed by etching or laser processing of the mask 400. The etching process can include steps such as pretreatment, coating, exposure, development, etching, and stripping. Multiple support structures 302 with equal width H1 are more convenient to form because they do not require multiple width adjustments.

[0054] Combination Figure 4A and Figure 4C In some embodiments, adjacent support structures 302 are provided with a gap 408, the gap 408 being a cross-section perpendicular to the direction of the mask 400 (e.g., Figure 4A The width H2 of the cross section shown is smaller than the cross section of the support structures 302 located on both sides of it along the direction perpendicular to the mask 400 (e.g., Figure 4AThe width H1 of the cross-section shown is greater than or equal to the width H2 of the gap 408, thus ensuring that the support structure 302 has high stability. At the same time, the wider support structure 302 can have a larger contact area with the second mask 1024, and a larger contact area is more conducive to the stretching of the second mask 1024.

[0055] Combination Figure 4A and Figure 4C In some embodiments, two or more support structures 302 may include a first support structure 3022, a second support structure 3024, and a third support structure 3026. The first support structure 3022, the second support structure 3024, and the third support structure 3026 are arranged concentrically in sequence along a direction away from the center 4042 of the first opening 404. A first gap 4082 is formed between the first support structure 3022 and the second support structure 3024, and a second gap 4084 may be formed between the second support structure 3024 and the third support structure 3026. The first gap 4082 and the second gap 4084 are defined along a cross-section perpendicular to the mask 400 (e.g., ...). Figure 4A The cross-section shown has an equal width H2. Multiple gaps 408 with equal width H2 are more convenient to form because they do not require multiple width adjustments.

[0056] like Figure 4A As shown, in some embodiments, the depth H3 of the first gap 4082 or the second gap 4084 along the inclined direction of the support structure 302 can be 50 micrometers to 60 micrometers to ensure that the support portion 402 has sufficient thickness to provide a stable base for the support structure 302.

[0057] like Figure 4A As shown, in some embodiments, the sum of the thicknesses of the support portion 402 and the support structure 302 along the direction perpendicular to the mask 400 (e.g., the sum of thickness a and thickness b) is 100 micrometers to 200 micrometers, and the height H4 of the support structure 302 along its inclined direction is 50 micrometers to 60 micrometers, to ensure that the support portion 402 has sufficient thickness to provide a stable base for the support structure 302. At the same time, this avoids the support structure 302 from being too large, which could easily break under the attraction force of the magnetic plate 104 and the gravity of the substrate 106 to be vapor-deposited.

[0058] In some embodiments, the support portion 402 and at least one support structure 302 are made of Invar alloy. The support structure 302 made of Invar alloy can have good mechanical properties and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

[0059] Figure 5A A schematic diagram of another exemplary support structure 302 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0060] During vapor deposition, multiple substrates 106 of different sizes can be vapor deposited. In this case, such as Figure 5A As shown, in some embodiments, the width of the two or more support structures 302 can also increase in a direction away from the center of the first opening 404. With the width of the two or more support structures 302 increasing, the oblique supporting force on the support structures 302 can also increase in a direction away from the center of the first opening 404. This allows the second mask 1024 to gradually unfold in a direction away from the center of the first opening 404 during the adsorption process, avoiding the problem of the second mask 1024 sagging and solving the problem of color mixing at the edges of the display panel caused by sagging.

[0061] Figure 5B A schematic diagram of the structure of yet another exemplary mask assembly 102 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Exemplarily, Figure 5B The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the support structure 302 shown can be along... Figure 5A A schematic diagram of the cross section obtained by cutting along the CC' direction.

[0062] Figure 5C A partially enlarged schematic diagram of an exemplary support structure 302 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0063] Combination Figure 5B and Figure 5C In some embodiments, the cross-sections of two or more support structures 302 along a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g.) Figure 5B The width of the cross-section shown increases in a direction away from the center of the first opening, for example, width H5 < width H6 < width H7. The support structure 302 with increasing width allows the second mask 1024 to gradually unfold in a direction away from the center of the first opening 404, avoiding the problem of the second mask 1024 sagging and solving the problem of color mixing at the edge of the display panel caused by sagging.

[0064] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart of an exemplary photomask fabrication method 600 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The photomask may include a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings (e.g., Figure 3A (The support portion 402 in the middle). The preparation method 600 may include the following steps.

[0065] In step 602, on the support surface of the support portion (e.g., Figure 4A At least one support structure (e.g., in the support surface 4022) is formed on the support surface 4022. Figure 4A The support structure 302 in the middle), one end of the support structure is located at the first opening (e.g., Figure 4AOn one side of the first opening 404), the other end of the support structure is away from the center of the first opening (e.g., Figure 4A The first opening 404 (center 4042) extends obliquely in the direction of the center and away from the support surface. In this way, the support structure can provide oblique support for the second mask. The oblique support can not only avoid problems such as color mixing caused by the sag of the supported object (e.g., the second mask), but also stretch the second mask to prevent wrinkles from forming.

[0066] In some embodiments, the shape of the support structure matches the shape of the first opening, and the support structure includes opposing first sides (e.g., Figure 4B The first side (3022) and the second side (e.g., Figure 4B The second side (3024) and the opposite third side (e.g., Figure 4B The third side (3026) and the fourth side (e.g., Figure 4B The fourth side 3028 in the middle), the preparation method 600 may further include: sequentially connecting the first side, the third side, the second side and the fourth side and forming a chamfer at the connection point (e.g., Figure 4B (Chamfer 406 in the middle). A support structure that matches the shape of the first opening can make the force around the first opening uniform.

[0067] In some embodiments, the thickness of the support portion along a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., Figure 4A The thickness a) of the at least one support structure is greater than or equal to the thickness of the support structure in a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., Figure 4A The thickness of the support (b) is such that the support provides a stable base for the support structure.

[0068] In some embodiments, the tilt angle of the support structure is 50 to 70 degrees to ensure that the support structure provides effective tilted support force while being stable and not prone to breakage.

[0069] In some embodiments, the at least one support structure includes two or more support structures; the two or more support structures are all arranged concentrically around the center of the first opening and in a direction away from the center of the first opening. This allows the two or more support structures to provide more support around the first opening, which is more conducive to the stretching of the second mask.

[0070] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the two or more support structures along a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., as shown in the figure) Figure 4A The width of the cross section shown (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4CThe widths (H1) in the two or more support structures are equal; or, the cross-sectional widths of the two or more support structures along a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., Figure 5B and Figure 5C The widths (H5, H6, H7) of the support structures increase progressively away from the center of the first opening. Multiple support structures of equal width eliminate the need for repeated width adjustments, making the manufacturing process more convenient. The progressively wider support structures allow the second mask to gradually unfold away from the center of the first opening, preventing sagging and resolving the color mixing problem at the edges of the display panel caused by sagging.

[0071] In some embodiments, there is a gap between adjacent support structures (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The gap 408), the cross-sectional width of the gap along a direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The width H1 in the middle is smaller than the cross-sectional width of the support structures located on both sides of it along the direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The width H2 in the gap is used to ensure the support structure has high stability. Simultaneously, a wider support structure allows for a larger contact area with the second mask, which is more conducive to the stretching of the second mask.

[0072] In some embodiments, the two or more support structures include a first support structure (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The first support structure 3022), the second support structure (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C Second support structure 3024) and third support structure (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The third support structure 3026 in the middle, the first support structure, the second support structure and the third support structure are arranged concentrically in sequence along a direction away from the center of the first opening, and a first gap is formed between the first support structure and the second support structure (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The first gap 4082), a second gap is formed between the second support structure and the third support structure (e.g., Figure 4A and Figure 4C The second gap 4084 in the first gap and the second gap are cross-sectional widths (e.g., in a direction perpendicular to the mask) along a direction perpendicular to the mask. Figure 4A and Figure 4C The width H2) is equal to the width of the first gap; and / or, the depth of the first gap or the second gap along the inclined direction of the support structure (e.g., Figure 4A The depth (H3) is 50 to 60 micrometers to ensure sufficient thickness of the support portion, providing a stable base for the support structure. Multiple gaps of equal width are more convenient in the manufacturing process because they eliminate the need for repeated width adjustments.

[0073] In some embodiments, the sum of the thicknesses of the support portion and the support structure along the direction perpendicular to the mask (e.g., the sum of thickness a and thickness b) is 100 micrometers to 200 micrometers, and the height of the support structure along its inclined direction (e.g., Figure 4A The height H4 in the support portion is 50 to 60 micrometers to ensure sufficient thickness and provide a stable base for the support structure. This also prevents the support structure from being too tall, which could lead to breakage under the attraction of the magnetic plate and the gravity of the substrate to be vapor-deposited. And / or, the support portion and the at least one support structure are made of Invar alloy. Support structures made of Invar alloy possess good mechanical properties and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

[0074] This application provides a photomask and its preparation method, a photomask assembly, and a vapor deposition apparatus. The photomask includes a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings. By providing at least one support structure on the support surface of the support portion, with one end of the support structure located on one side of a first opening and the other end of the support structure inclined away from the center of the first opening and away from the support surface, the inclined support structure can provide an inclined support force to the supported object. In this way, while improving the color mixing and other defects caused by the sagging of the supported object, the inclined support force can also have a stretching effect on the supported object, improving the wrinkle problem on the supported object.

[0075] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this application (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the framework of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in the details for the sake of brevity.

[0076] Additionally, to simplify the description and discussion, and to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, the well-known power / ground connections to integrated circuit (IC) chips and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. Furthermore, the apparatus may be shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram apparatuses are highly dependent on the platform on which the embodiments of this application will be implemented (i.e., these details should be fully understood by those skilled in the art). While specific details (e.g., circuits) have been set forth to describe exemplary embodiments of this application, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of this application can be implemented without these specific details or with variations thereof. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0077] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many substitutions, modifications, and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may be used with the embodiments discussed.

[0078] The embodiments of this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A mask, comprising: a plurality of first openings arranged in an array, and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings, wherein at least one support structure is disposed on a support surface of the support portion, one end of the support structure is located at one side of the first opening, and the other end of the support structure extends obliquely away from the center of the first opening and away from the support surface; the support structure is shaped to match the shape of the first opening, and the support structure comprises opposite first and second edges and opposite third and fourth edges, the first, third, second and fourth edges are sequentially connected and the connection has a chamfer.

2. The mask of claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the support portion in a direction perpendicular to the mask is greater than or equal to the thickness of the at least one support structure in a direction perpendicular to the mask.

3. The mask of claim 1, wherein, The oblique angle of the support structure is 50-70 degrees.

4. The mask of claim 1, wherein, The at least one support structure comprises two or more support structures; the two or more support structures are concentrically arranged in sequence away from the center of the first opening.

5. The mask of claim 4, wherein, The cross-sectional width of the two or more support structures in a direction perpendicular to the mask is equal; or the cross-sectional width of the two or more support structures in a direction perpendicular to the mask increases away from the center of the first opening.

6. The mask of claim 4, wherein, The gap between adjacent support structures has a cross-sectional width in a direction perpendicular to the mask that is less than the cross-sectional width of the support structures on both sides thereof in a direction perpendicular to the mask.

7. The mask of claim 6, wherein, The two or more support structures comprise a first support structure, a second support structure and a third support structure, the first, second and third support structures are concentrically arranged in sequence away from the center of the first opening, a first gap is formed between the first and second support structures, a second gap is formed between the second and third support structures, and the cross-sectional width of the first and second gaps in a direction perpendicular to the mask is equal. The depth of the first or second gap in the oblique direction of the support structure is 50-60 microns.

8. The mask of claim 1, wherein, The sum of the thicknesses of the support portion and the support structure in a direction perpendicular to the mask is 100-200 microns, the height of the support structure in the oblique direction thereof is 50-60 microns; and / or the manufacturing material of the support portion and the at least one support structure is Invar. 9.A mask assembly, comprising: a first mask, wherein the first mask comprises the mask according to any one of claims 1-8; a frame, wherein the first mask is fixed on the frame, and the frame comprises opposite first and second frames; a plurality of second masks stacked on the first mask, wherein the plurality of second masks are arranged in sequence along the direction in which the first and second frames extend, and the two ends of each second mask are fixed on the first and second frames, respectively. The support structure of the first mask provides a support force to the second mask away from the first mask along a tilting direction of the support structure.

10. The mask assembly of claim 9, wherein, The second mask includes a plurality of second openings, and the plurality of second openings and the plurality of first openings of the first mask correspond to each other one by one. The second mask includes opposite first and second edges, and a third edge and a fourth edge of the support structure of the first mask are in contact with the first and second edges.

11. An evaporation apparatus comprising the mask assembly of claim 9 or 10.

12. A method for manufacturing a mask, the mask including a plurality of first openings arranged in an array and a support portion defining the plurality of first openings, the method comprising: forming at least one support structure on a support surface of the support portion, one end of the support structure being located at one side of the first opening, and the other end of the support structure extending in a direction away from the center of the first opening and in a direction away from the support surface; wherein the shape of the support structure matches the shape of the first opening, and the support structure includes opposite first and second edges and opposite third and fourth edges, the method further comprising: sequentially connecting the first edge, the third edge, the second edge, and the fourth edge and forming a chamfer at the connection.

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