Mask plate, manufacturing method thereof and net stretching device

Abstract

The invention relates to a mask, a manufacturing method thereof and a net stretching device. The mask comprises: a frame; the plurality of sub mask plates are fixed on the frame, and the plurality of sub mask plates are positioned in the same plane and are sequentially arranged along a preset direction; and the at least one supporting strip is fixed on the frame, the supporting strip is located between two adjacent sub-mask plates, and the splicing side edge, close to the other sub-mask plate, of one sub-mask plate is fixed on the supporting strip at the corresponding position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a mask plate and a manufacturing method thereof, and a mesh stretching device. Background Art

[0002] Masks are an indispensable part of semiconductor manufacturing processes. The mask carries opening design patterns, and light passes through the openings to project the opening design patterns onto the product, thereby transferring the opening pattern information to the product. Masks are widely used in the production of products in the fields of semiconductors, flat panel displays, circuit boards, touch screens, etc., such as the production of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels.

[0003] Due to the limitation of plate width, the mask used to make large-size products, such as the mask used to make G8 and above high-generation OLED display panels, needs to be made by splicing, that is, by splicing multiple sub-masks.

[0004] In the related art, the sub-mask splicing process is a welding splicing process performed before the mesh is stretched. When the mesh is stretched, the opening position accuracy around the splicing area is often difficult to control, which leads to an increase in manufacturing difficulty and a decrease in manufacturing accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a mask plate and a manufacturing method thereof, and a mesh stretching device, which are used to solve the problems of high manufacturing difficulty and low precision when manufacturing a mask plate by splicing sub-masks.

[0006] In a first aspect, a mask is provided, comprising: a plurality of sub-masks fixed on a frame, the plurality of sub-masks being located in the same plane and arranged in sequence along a preset direction; at least one support bar fixed on the frame, the support bar being located between two adjacent sub-masks, and a splicing side of the sub-mask close to another sub-mask being fixed on the support bar at a corresponding position.

[0007] In a second aspect, a stretching device for the above-mentioned mask is provided, wherein the mask includes a plurality of sub-masks, each of which includes a mounting side fixed to a frame and a splicing side fixed to a support bar, and the stretching device includes: a first clamping mechanism, configured to clamp the mounting side of the sub-mask; an external stretching system, configured to drive the first clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask; a second clamping mechanism, configured to clamp the splicing side of the sub-mask; and an internal stretching system, configured to drive the second clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask.

[0008] In a third aspect, a method for preparing the above-mentioned mask is provided, wherein the mask includes a plurality of sub-masks, and the sub-masks include mounting sides fixed to a frame and splicing sides fixed to a support bar, and the preparation method includes: fixing at least one support bar to a second preset position on the frame; placing a plurality of sub-masks on the frame and the support bar respectively, wherein the plurality of sub-masks are located in the same plane and are arranged in sequence along a preset direction, and at least one support bar is located between two adjacent sub-masks; clamping the sub-masks using a first clamping mechanism; Installing side edges; clamping the splicing side edges of the sub-mask using a second clamping mechanism; controlling the external stretching system to drive the first clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask; and controlling the internal stretching system to drive the second clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask, so that after the external stretching system and the internal stretching system stretch the multiple openings of the sub-mask to the corresponding first preset positions and the flatness of the sub-mask meets the requirements, the installing side edges and the splicing side edges of the sub-mask are fixed to the frame and the support bars respectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] 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.

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mask in some embodiments of the present application;

[0011] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram within the middle dotted circle;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a working schematic diagram of a net-stretching device in some embodiments of the present application;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a mask in some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The technical solution of the present application will be described clearly and in detail below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the embodiments described below are part of the embodiments of the present application rather than all of the embodiments, and are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application. Therefore, they are only used as examples, and the protection scope of the present application cannot be limited by this. Based on the described embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments that can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0015] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein shall have the meanings commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of this application; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the embodiments of this application and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of this application are only used to distinguish different objects and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means more than two.

[0016] The mask of the present application can be widely used in the preparation of products in the fields of semiconductors, flat panel displays, circuit boards, touch screens, etc. The mask can be used in a photolithography process or a vapor deposition process to transfer the opening pattern information of the mask to the product. Since the flatness of the mask directly affects the effect of photolithography or vapor deposition, the mask is stretched by a stretching device during the photolithography process or the vapor deposition process to ensure the flatness of the mask.

[0017] Due to the limitation of plate width, masks used for large-size product production, such as masks used for G8 and above high-generation OLED display panels, need to be produced by splicing, that is, by splicing multiple sub-masks to make large-size masks.

[0018] In the related art, the sub-mask splicing process is a welding splicing process performed before the mesh is stretched. When the mesh is stretched, the opening position accuracy of the mask at the splicing point is often difficult to control, which increases the difficulty of mask production and reduces production accuracy.

[0019] Based on this, the present application provides a mask plate obtained by splicing multiple sub-masks. By setting a support bar 13 between two adjacent sub-masks, and fixing the splicing side of the sub-mask plate close to the other sub-mask plate on the support bar at the corresponding position, the flatness and strength of the sub-mask plate at the splicing point can be improved, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the opening position at the splicing point when the net is stretched, reducing the difficulty of mask plate production, and improving the mask plate production accuracy.

[0020] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to a mask obtained by splicing two or more sub-masks.

[0021] The technical solution of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. For ease of understanding and description, the following embodiments are described by taking a mask obtained by splicing two sub-masks as an example.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present application, a mask is provided. Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the mask includes: a frame 10, and a plurality of sub-masks (including adjacent first sub-masks 11 and second sub-masks 11) and at least one support bar 13 fixed on the frame 10. The plurality of sub-masks are located in the same plane and are arranged in sequence along a preset direction. At least one support bar 13 is located between two adjacent sub-masks, and the splicing side of the sub-mask close to another sub-mask is fixed on the support bar 13 at the corresponding position.

[0023] Thus, multiple sub-masks are spliced ​​together through at least one support bar to form a large-sized mask. The support bar can improve the flatness and strength of the mask at the splicing point, thereby ensuring the opening position accuracy of the splicing point when the mask is stretched, reducing the difficulty of mask production and improving the mask production accuracy.

[0024] It should be noted that although Figure 1 In the illustrated example, the mask is composed of two sub-masks, and the mask composed of more than two sub-masks is implemented in a similar manner to the mask composed of two sub-masks. The number of sub-masks can be reasonably selected according to the required size of the mask.

[0025] The mask may include a row of sub-masks, and a plurality of sub-masks in a row are arranged in sequence along a preset direction. The mask may also include multiple rows of sub-masks.

[0026] In the case where the mask includes multiple rows of sub-masks, support bars can be set between two adjacent columns of sub-masks, and the splicing side of each column of sub-masks close to another column of sub-masks is fixed on the support bars at the corresponding position. Similarly, support bars can also be set between two adjacent rows of sub-masks, and the implementation method can be the same as setting support bars between two adjacent columns of sub-masks. In the case where support bars are set between two adjacent rows of masks and between two adjacent columns of sub-masks, support bars extending along the row direction and support bars extending along the column direction can be set and connected at the intersection, for example, by a snap-on method, so that the surfaces of the support bars extending along the row direction and the support bars extending along the column direction are located in the same plane, ensuring that multiple sub-masks are located in the same plane and have good flatness.

[0027] The sub-mask may be, for example but not limited to, a metal mask.

[0028] In some embodiments, a plurality of sub-masks may be fixed on the same surface of the frame 10 to ensure that the plurality of sub-masks are located in the same plane, which is helpful to ensure the flatness of the mask.

[0029] The multiple sub-masks being located in the same plane may mean that the distance between the center of each opening on the sub-mask and the same reference plane is less than a preset value along a direction perpendicular to the sub-mask, that is, a certain error range is allowed, as long as the flatness of the entire mask meets the accuracy requirements. In the case where the multiple sub-masks are fixed on the same surface of the frame 10, the reference plane may be, for example, the surface of the frame 10.

[0030] In some embodiments, when multiple sub-masks can be fixed on the same surface of the frame 10, the surface of the frame 10 and the surface of the support bar 13 can be located in the same plane, and the multiple sub-masks are fixed on the surfaces of both the frame 10 and the support bar 13, which facilitates the multiple sub-masks to be located in the same plane.

[0031] In some embodiments, the length direction of the support bar 13 disposed between two adjacent sub-masks may be perpendicular to the preset direction (the arrangement direction of the multiple masks), and the splicing side of the sub-mask close to another sub-mask is parallel to the length direction of the support bar 13. In other words, the splicing side of the first sub-mask 11 close to the second sub-mask 12 is parallel to the length direction of the support bar 13, and the splicing side of the second sub-mask 12 close to the first sub-mask 11 is parallel to the length direction of the support bar 13.

[0032] The support bar 13 may be an integral structure extending from one side of the frame 10 to the other opposite side, which has better strength and makes it easier to stably fix the support bar 13 at a preset position on the frame 10 .

[0033] The preset position on the frame 10 for fixing the support bar 13 can be the position corresponding to the splicing side edges of the two adjacent sub-masks on both sides of the support bar 13 after the net is fully stretched, so that the splicing side edges of the sub-masks fixed on the support bar 13 can maintain the state of full stretching.

[0034] Adequate stretching of the sub-mask may mean that the flatness of the sub-mask meets the requirements and the openings on the sub-mask are all aligned to corresponding positions.

[0035] A support bar 13 may be provided between two adjacent sub-masks, and the splicing sides of the two adjacent sub-masks are fixed on the same support bar 13. Two support bars 13 may also be provided between two adjacent sub-masks, and the splicing sides of the two adjacent sub-masks are fixed on the two support bars 13 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0036] According to some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of splicing flanges are provided on the splicing side of the sub-mask, and the plurality of splicing flanges are evenly distributed on the splicing side. The splicing side of the sub-mask is fixed to the support bar 13 through the plurality of splicing flanges.

[0037] exist Figure 1-3 In the illustrated example, a plurality of first splicing flanges 110 are provided on the splicing side of the first sub-mask 11, and the plurality of first splicing flanges 110 are evenly distributed on the splicing side, and the splicing side of the first sub-mask 11 is fixed to the support bar 13 through the plurality of first splicing flanges 110. Similarly, a plurality of second splicing flanges 120 are provided on the splicing side of the second sub-mask 12, and the plurality of second splicing flanges 120 are evenly distributed on the splicing side, and the splicing side of the second sub-mask 12 is fixed to the support bar 13 through the plurality of second splicing flanges 120.

[0038] Thus, the net stretching device can stretch the sub-mask from the side where the splicing side is located by clamping the multiple splicing flanges on the splicing side. By setting the splicing flanges on the splicing side, an adjustment margin can be provided for the net stretching process, which is convenient for realizing the opening alignment of the sub-mask (the position of the opening on the frame 10 is preset, and the opening alignment is to align the position of the opening to the preset position). In addition, by setting multiple splicing flanges evenly distributed on the splicing side, the tensile force F1 of the net stretching can be evenly applied to the splicing side, which is conducive to improving the net stretching quality of the sub-mask.

[0039] In some embodiments, the splicing side of the sub-mask can be fixed to the support bar 13 by welding, for example but not limited to. In this case, the splicing flange of the splicing side can include a splicing welding portion, and the sub-mask is stretched by a net stretching device. After the net is fully stretched, the splicing welding portion of the splicing side can be overlapped on the support bar 13, and the splicing welding portion of the splicing side and the support bar 13 can be welded by laser welding.

[0040] exist Figure 1-3 In the illustrated example, the first splicing flange 110 of the first sub-mask 11 includes a first splicing welding portion 111. The first sub-mask 11 is stretched by a net stretching device. After the net is fully stretched, the first splicing welding portion 111 of the splicing side can be overlapped on the support bar 13. Laser welding can be used to weld the first splicing welding portion 111 of the splicing side and the support bar 13. The second splicing flange 120 of the second sub-mask 12 includes a second splicing welding portion 121. The second sub-mask 12 is stretched by a net stretching device. After the net is fully stretched, the second splicing welding portion 121 of the splicing side can be overlapped on the support bar 13. Laser welding can be used to weld the second splicing welding portion 121 of the splicing side and the support bar 13.

[0041] Similarly, multiple evenly distributed mounting flanges may also be provided on the mounting side of the sub-mask except the splicing side. In the case where the mounting side of the sub-mask is fixed to the frame 10 by welding, the mounting flange of the mounting side may include a mounting welding portion, and the sub-mask is stretched by the net stretching device. After the net is fully stretched, the mounting welding portion of the mounting side may be overlapped on the frame 10, and the mounting welding portion of the mounting side and the frame 10 may be welded by laser welding.

[0042] exist Figure 1-3 In the illustrated example, a plurality of evenly distributed first mounting flanges 130 and second mounting flanges 140 may be respectively provided on the mounting sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 except the splicing sides. In the case where the mounting sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 are fixed to the frame 10 by welding, the first mounting flange 130 may include a first mounting welding portion 131, and the second mounting flange 140 may include a second mounting welding portion 141. The first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 are stretched by a net stretching device. After the net is fully stretched, the first mounting welding portion 131 and the second mounting welding portion 141 may be overlapped on the frame 10. The first mounting welding portion 131 and the frame 10, and the second mounting welding portion 141 and the frame 10 may be welded by laser welding.

[0043] In some embodiments, the splicing flange of the splicing side of the sub-mask may further include a splicing stretching portion, for example Figure 1 The first splicing stretching portion 112 on the first sub-mask 11 and the second splicing stretching portion 122 on the second sub-mask 12 are located on one side of the back ion mask center of the splicing welding portion, so that the net stretching device can stretch the sub-mask by clamping the splicing stretching portion of the splicing side. After welding is completed, the splicing stretching portion (the first splicing stretching portion 112 and the second splicing stretching portion 122) on the splicing side can be removed. In other words, the splicing side of the mask finally manufactured may not include the splicing stretching portion.

[0044] Likewise, the flange 110 of the mounting side of the sub-mask may also include a mounting stretching portion, for example Figure 1The first installation stretching portion 132 on the first sub-mask 11 and the second installation stretching portion 142 on the second sub-mask 12 are located on the side of the installation welding portion away from the center of the frame 10, and the installation stretching portion protrudes from the outer side of the frame 10, so that the net stretching device can stretch the sub-mask by clamping the installation stretching portion of the installation side. After welding is completed, the installation stretching portion on the installation side (the first installation stretching portion 132 on the first sub-mask 11 and the second installation stretching portion 142 on the second sub-mask 12) can be removed. In other words, the installation side of the mask finally manufactured may not include the installation stretching portion.

[0045] According to some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of sub-masks include adjacent first and second sub-masks 11, and the plurality of splicing flanges 110 include a plurality of first splicing flanges 110 on the splicing side of the first sub-mask 11 and a plurality of second splicing flanges 120 on the splicing side of the second sub-mask 12. The positions of the plurality of first splicing flanges 110 correspond to the positions of the plurality of second splicing flanges 120 one by one, and there is a preset spacing distance between the first splicing flanges 110 and the second splicing flanges 120 that correspond one by one. Therefore, by arranging the splicing flanges that correspond one by one on the splicing sides of the two adjacent sub-masks, it is helpful to ensure the stretching symmetry of the two adjacent sub-masks at the splicing location and improve the splicing quality.

[0046] Exemplarily, a plurality of first splicing flanges 110 may be evenly distributed on the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11, and a plurality of second splicing flanges 120 may be evenly distributed on the splicing sides of the second sub-mask 12, so that the tensile force of the tensioning net can be evenly applied to the splicing sides of the mask, which is beneficial to improving the tensioning quality of the sub-masks.

[0047] According to some embodiments of the present application, a preset spacing distance may be provided between two corresponding splicing flanges on the splicing sides of the adjacent first sub-mask 11 and second sub-mask 12, that is, a preset spacing distance may be provided between the corresponding first splicing flanges 110 and second splicing flanges 120, so as to provide an adjustment margin for the net stretching process of the sub-mask, and facilitate the opening alignment of the sub-mask. The preset spacing distance may be, for example, greater than 0.2 mm.

[0048] In some embodiments, the widths of the first splicing flange 110 and the second splicing flange 120 corresponding to each other on the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 11 are consistent. The widths of the first splicing flange 110 and the second splicing flange 120 may be the extension lengths of the first splicing flange 110 and the second splicing flange 120 in a direction parallel to the splicing sides, thereby facilitating symmetry in the stretching of two adjacent sub-masks at the local position of the splicing, thereby improving the splicing quality.

[0049] According to some embodiments of the present application, for the adjacent first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 among the multiple sub-masks 11 and 12, the positions of the multiple first splicing flanges 110 of the first sub-mask 11 and the positions of the multiple second splicing flanges 120 of the second sub-mask 12 correspond one-to-one, and the first splicing flanges 110 and the second splicing flanges 120 with corresponding positions are cross-arranged, which is more conducive to ensuring that the stretching of the two adjacent sub-masks at the local position of the splicing can also be symmetrical, thereby improving the splicing quality.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first splicing flange 110 can be set to include a first sub-splicing flange 1111 and a second sub-splicing flange 1112 spaced apart along the length direction of the support bar 13, and the second splicing flange 120 is located between the first sub-splicing flange 1111 and the second sub-splicing flange 1112, so that the first splicing flange 110 and the second splicing flange 120 corresponding in position can be cross-set.

[0051] It is understandable that the cross-setting of the first splicing flange 110 and the second splicing flange 120 can also be achieved by other means, for example, the first splicing flange includes a first sub-splicing flange and a second sub-splicing flange arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support bar, and the second splicing flange includes a third sub-splicing flange and a fourth sub-splicing flange arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support bar, wherein the third sub-splicing flange is located between the first sub-splicing flange and the second sub-splicing flange, and the second sub-splicing flange is located between the third sub-splicing flange and the fourth sub-splicing flange.

[0052] According to some embodiments of the present application, along the preset direction in which the plurality of sub-masks are arranged, there may be a splicing gap between the splicing side of the sub-mask and the support bar. Thus, by setting the splicing gap between the splicing side and the support bar of the sub-mask, on the one hand, it is possible to provide an adjustment margin for the net stretching process, so as to facilitate the opening alignment of the sub-mask, and on the other hand, during the net stretching process, it is convenient for the splicing stretching portion of the splicing side of the sub-mask to pass over the support bar and through the splicing gap to be located below another adjacent sub-mask, so that the net stretching device can clamp the splicing stretching portion of the splicing side below another adjacent sub-mask to stretch the sub-mask from the side where the splicing side is located, and after the net is fully stretched, for example, the welding portion of the splicing side and the support bar can be welded by laser welding. After welding is completed, the splicing stretching portion of the splicing side can be removed.

[0053] exist Figure 1-3In the illustrated example, along the preset direction in which the plurality of sub-masks are arranged, there may be a splicing gap between the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 and the support bar 13, and the first splicing stretching portion 112 of the first sub-mask 11 may cross the support bar 13 and pass through the splicing gap between the splicing sides of the second sub-mask 12 and the support bar 13 to be located below the second sub-mask 12; the second splicing stretching portion 122 of the second sub-mask 12 may cross the support bar 13 and pass through the splicing gap between the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the support bar 13 to be located below the first sub-mask 11. Thus, it is convenient for the net stretching device to stretch the net of another sub-mask through the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask below it.

[0054] In some embodiments, along a preset direction in which the plurality of sub-masks are arranged, the width of the joint gap may be greater than 0.2 mm, so that the stretched portion of the sub-mask can pass through the joint gap during the stretching process.

[0055] According to some embodiments of the present application, a screen stretching device for preparing the mask in the above embodiments is also provided, the mask includes a plurality of sub-masks arranged along a preset direction and located in the same plane, the sub-masks include mounting sides fixed to a frame and splicing sides fixed to a support bar.

[0056] like Figure 3 As shown, the net stretching device may include a first clamping mechanism 21, a second clamping mechanism 31, an external stretching system 20, and an internal stretching system 30. The first clamping mechanism 21 is configured to clamp the mounting side of the sub-mask; the external stretching system 30 is configured to drive the first clamping mechanism 21 to stretch the sub-mask in a direction parallel to the sub-mask; the second clamping mechanism 31 is configured to clamp the splicing side of the sub-mask; and the internal stretching system 30 is configured to drive the second clamping mechanism 31 to stretch the sub-mask in a direction parallel to the sub-mask.

[0057] Stretching the sub-mask refers to applying a certain external force to the sub-mask so that the sub-mask is tensioned and has a higher flatness.

[0058] Therefore, by setting up two sets of clamping mechanisms and stretching systems, the installation side and splicing side of the sub-mask can be stretched at the same time to ensure the flatness and tensioning accuracy of the sub-mask, and the installation side and splicing side of the sub-mask can be fixed to the frame and support bar respectively while the sub-mask is being stretched, thereby reducing the difficulty of splicing and improving the splicing accuracy.

[0059] According to some embodiments of the present application, the splicing side of the sub-mask may be provided with a plurality of splicing flanges, and the splicing side of the sub-mask is fixed to the support bar through the plurality of splicing flanges, and the splicing flange may include a splicing stretching portion. Along the preset direction in which the plurality of sub-masks are arranged, there may be a splicing gap between the splicing side of the sub-mask and the support bar 13, and the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask can pass through the splicing gap between another adjacent sub-mask and the support bar 13 and be located below the other sub-mask. The second clamping mechanism 31 is configured to clamp the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask below the other sub-mask. Thus, it is convenient for the net stretching device to stretch the net through the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask below the other sub-mask. In addition, by stretching the splicing side of another adjacent sub-mask below the sub-mask, the splicing sides of the two adjacent sub-masks can be stretched simultaneously, and the splicing flanges of the splicing sides are tightly fitted to the support bar during stretching, making it easier to fix the splicing flanges of the splicing sides to the support bar 13.

[0060] exist Figure 1-3 In the illustrated example, along a preset direction in which multiple sub-masks are arranged, there may be a splicing gap between the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 and the support bar 13, the first splicing stretching portion 112 of the first sub-mask 11 may cross the support bar 13 and pass through the splicing gap between the splicing sides of the second sub-mask 12 and the support bar 13 and be located below the second sub-mask 12, and the second clamping mechanism 31 is used to clamp the first splicing stretching portion 112 of the first sub-mask 11 below the second sub-mask 12; the second splicing stretching portion 122 of the second sub-mask 12 may cross the support bar 13 and pass through the splicing gap between the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the support bar 13 and be located below the first sub-mask 11, and the second clamping mechanism 31 is used to clamp the second splicing stretching portion 122 of the second sub-mask 12 below the first sub-mask 11. The second clamping mechanism 31 is driven by the inner stretching system 30 to stretch the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 from the side where the splicing side is located.

[0061] That is to say, a second clamping mechanism 31 can be set below each sub-mask and near the splicing point to clamp the stretching part of another adjacent sub-mask, and the second clamping mechanism 31 can be driven by the internal stretching system 30 to stretch the sub-mask from the side where the splicing side of the sub-mask is located.

[0062] Since the thickness of the sub-mask is relatively thin, the stretching portion located below the sub-mask naturally droops under the action of gravity and is separated from the sub-mask by a certain distance, thereby facilitating the clamping of the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask under another sub-mask.

[0063] In some embodiments, the stretching device may also include a shearing mechanism (not shown in the figure), which is configured to remove the stretching portion after the splicing flange on the splicing side of the sub-mask is fixed to the support bar to avoid affecting the subsequent semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0064] According to some embodiments of the present application, the net stretching device may further include: a fixing mechanism 40, which is configured to fix the installation side and the splicing side of the sub-mask to the frame 10 and the support bar 13 respectively after the external stretching system 20 and the internal stretching system 30 stretch the multiple openings of the sub-mask to the corresponding first preset positions and the flatness of the sub-mask meets the requirements.

[0065] Exemplarily, the fixing mechanism 40 may be a laser welding mechanism, which is used to weld the mounting flange on the mounting side to the frame 10, and to weld the splicing flange on the splicing side to the support bar 13. It is understandable that the mounting side and the splicing side of the sub-mask may be fixed to the frame and the support bar respectively by other fixing methods (such as bolt and nut fixing method, clamping fixing method, etc.), and an appropriate fixing mechanism may be configured.

[0066] According to some embodiments of the present application, a method for preparing the mask in the above embodiment is also provided, wherein the mask includes a plurality of sub-masks, and the sub-masks include mounting sides fixed to a frame and splicing sides fixed to a support bar. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the preparation method comprises:

[0067] Step S410, fixing at least one support bar 13 to a second preset position on the frame 10;

[0068] Step S420, placing a plurality of sub-masks on the frame 10 and the support bar 13 respectively, wherein the plurality of sub-masks are located in the same plane and are arranged in sequence along a preset direction, and the support bar 13 is located between two adjacent sub-masks 11 and 12;

[0069] Step S430, using the first clamping mechanism 21 to clamp the mounting side of the sub-mask;

[0070] Step S440, using the second clamping mechanism 31 to clamp the splicing side edges of the sub-mask;

[0071] Step S450, controlling the external stretching system 20 to drive the first clamping mechanism 21 to stretch the sub-mask in a direction parallel to the sub-mask; and

[0072] Step S460, control the internal stretching system 30 to drive the second clamping mechanism 31 to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask, so that after the external stretching system 20 and the internal stretching system 30 stretch the multiple openings of the sub-mask to the corresponding first preset positions and the flatness of the sub-mask meets the requirements, the installation side and the splicing side of the sub-mask are fixed to the frame 10 and the support bar 13 respectively.

[0073] Thus, by first fixing at least one support bar 13 to a preset position of the frame 10, it is possible to provide support for the splicing side of the sub-mask at the splicing position, so as to facilitate the subsequent stretching of the splicing side of the sub-mask. And by setting two sets of clamping mechanisms and stretching systems to apply forces F2 and F1 to the installation side and splicing side of the sub-mask for stretching, it is possible to provide an adaptive clamping mechanism for each side to improve the stretching effect. In addition, multiple sub-masks are spliced ​​by at least one support bar 13, and the support bar 13 can improve the flatness and strength of the mask at the splicing position, so as to ensure the accuracy of the opening position at the splicing position when the mask is stretched. And after the net is fully stretched, the installation side and splicing side of the sub-mask are fixed to the frame 10 and the support bar 13 respectively, which can reduce the difficulty of making the mask and improve the accuracy of making the mask.

[0074] According to some embodiments of the present application, the splicing side edges of the sub-mask may be provided with a plurality of splicing flanges (eg Figure 2 The first splicing flange 110 of the first sub-mask 11 and the second splicing flange 120 of the second sub-mask 12 are fixed to the support bar by a plurality of splicing flanges, and the splicing flanges may include a splicing stretching portion (e.g. Figure 3 Similarly, the mounting side edge of the sub-mask may be provided with a plurality of mounting flanges (eg, Figure 3 The mounting flange 130 of the first sub-mask 11 and the second mounting flange 140 of the second sub-mask 12 are fixed to the frame by a plurality of mounting flanges. The mounting flanges may include mounting stretching portions (e.g. Figure 3 In this case, the first clamping mechanism and the second clamping mechanism can clamp the installation stretching portion and the splicing stretching portion respectively, so as to clamp the sub-masks and then perform the net stretching.

[0075] The first clamping mechanism can clamp all the installation sides of the sub-mask except the splicing sides and then stretch the mesh to improve the stretching quality of the sub-mask.

[0076] In some embodiments, the preparation method may further include: after fixing the installation side and the splicing side of the sub-mask plate to the frame 10 and the support bar 13 respectively, removing the splicing stretching portion of multiple splicing flanges and the installation stretching portion of multiple installation flanges to avoid the protruding stretching portion affecting the subsequent semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0077] According to some embodiments of the present application, along the preset direction in which the plurality of sub-masks are arranged, there may be a splicing gap between the splicing side edges of the sub-masks and the support bar 13, and along the direction parallel to the splicing side edges, there is a preset spacing distance between the two splicing flanges of the adjacent two sub-masks that correspond to each other. For the adjacent first sub-mask 11 and second sub-mask 12, the first splicing extension 112 on the splicing side edge of the first sub-mask 11 may pass over the support bar 13 and pass through the splicing gap between the second sub-mask 12 and the support bar 13 to be located below the second sub-mask 12. Similarly, the splicing extension 122 on the splicing side edge of the second sub-mask 12 may pass over the support bar 13 and pass through the splicing gap between the first sub-mask 11 and the support bar 13 to be located below the first mask 11.

[0078] In this case, placing the plurality of sub-masks on the support bar 13 respectively includes:

[0079] Place the splicing flange on the splicing side of the sub-mask on the surface of the support bar 13, and the splicing stretching portion on the splicing side passes through the splicing gap to the bottom of another adjacent sub-mask;

[0080] The splicing side edges of the sub-mask plate are clamped by the second clamping mechanism 31, including:

[0081] A second clamping mechanism located below another adjacent sub-mask is conducive to clamping the splicing extension portion on the splicing side of the sub-mask;

[0082] The angle between the direction of the clamping force applied by the second clamping mechanism 31 and the sub-mask is less than 90°.

[0083] Thus, the second clamping mechanism 31 can be configured to clamp the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask below another adjacent sub-mask, and then drive the second clamping mechanism through the inner stretching system 30 to stretch the sub-mask from the side where the splicing side of the sub-mask is located. In addition, by stretching the splicing side of the sub-mask below another adjacent sub-mask, the splicing sides of two adjacent sub-masks can be stretched at the same time, and the splicing flange of the splicing side is tightly attached to the support bar during the stretching, so as to facilitate the splicing flange of the splicing side to be fixed to the support bar 13.

[0084] That is to say, a second clamping mechanism can be set below each sub-mask and near the splicing position to clamp the splicing stretching part of another adjacent sub-mask, and the second clamping mechanism 31 can be driven by the internal stretching system 30 to stretch the sub-mask from the side where the splicing side of the sub-mask is located.

[0085] Since the thickness of the sub-mask is relatively thin, the stretching portion below the sub-mask naturally droops under the action of gravity and is spaced a certain distance from the sub-mask, thereby facilitating clamping of the splicing stretching portion on the splicing side of the sub-mask.

[0086] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the mask includes a first sub-mask 11 and a second sub-mask 12, and the mask manufacturing method is as follows:

[0087] 1. Stretch the support bar 13 and place it at the second preset position of the frame 10, and fix both ends of the support bar 13 to the frame 10;

[0088] 2. Use the clamping claws of the first clamping mechanism 21 to clamp the first installation stretching portion 132 on all installation sides of the first sub-mask 11 except the splicing side, and make the first installation welding portion 131 overlap the frame 10;

[0089] 3. Use the clamping claws of the first clamping mechanism 21 to clamp the second installation stretching portion 142 on all installation sides of the second sub-mask 12 except the splicing side, and make the second installation welding portion 141 overlap the frame 10;

[0090] 4. Through the reserved splicing gap, the first splicing stretching portion 112 on the splicing side of the first sub-mask 11 passes through the splicing gap to the bottom of the second sub-mask 12, and the second splicing stretching portion 122 on the splicing side of the second sub-mask 12 passes through the splicing gap to the bottom of the first sub-mask 11;

[0091] 5. Use the clamping claws of the second clamping mechanism 31 to clamp the first splicing stretching portion 112 and the second splicing stretching portion 122 on the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12, and overlap the first splicing welding portion 111 and the second splicing welding portion 121 on the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 on the support bar 13;

[0092] 6. The inner stretching system 30 and the outer stretching system 20 drive the second clamping mechanism 31 and the first clamping mechanism 21 to apply forces F1 and F2 to the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 to stretch the network, and stretch the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12 until the openings are aligned and the flatness meets the requirements;

[0093] 7. Use laser to weld the first mounting welding part 131 of the first sub-mask 11 and the second mounting welding part 141 of the second sub-mask 12 to the frame 10 , and weld the first splicing welding part 111 of the first sub-mask 11 and the second splicing welding part 121 of the second sub-mask 12 to the support bar 13 .

[0094] 8. After welding is completed, release the clamping jaws, remove the first splicing stretching portion 112 and the second splicing stretching portion 122 on the splicing sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12, and the first installation stretching portion 132 and the second installation stretching portion 142 on the installation sides of the first sub-mask 11 and the second sub-mask 12.

[0095] This completes the production of the splicing mask.

[0096] Although the embodiments or examples of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above-mentioned methods, systems and devices are merely exemplary embodiments or examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments or examples, but only by the claims after authorization and their equivalent scope. Various elements in the embodiments or examples can be omitted or replaced by their equivalent elements. In addition, each step can be performed in an order different from that described in the present disclosure. Further, the various elements in the embodiments or examples can be combined in various ways. It is important that with the evolution of technology, many elements described herein can be replaced by equivalent elements that appear after the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A mask, characterized in that: include: frame; A plurality of sub-masks are fixed on the frame, and the plurality of sub-masks are located in the same plane and are arranged in sequence along a preset direction; At least one support bar is fixed on the frame, the support bar is located between two adjacent sub-masks, and a splicing side edge of the sub-mask close to another sub-mask is fixed on the support bar at a corresponding position.

2. The mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of splicing flanges are arranged on the splicing side of the sub-mask, and the plurality of splicing flanges are evenly distributed on the splicing side. The splicing side of the sub-mask is fixed to the support bar through the plurality of splicing flanges.

3. The mask according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple sub-masks include an adjacent first sub-mask and a second sub-mask, the multiple splicing flanges include a multiple first splicing flanges on a splicing side of the first sub-mask and a multiple second splicing flanges on a splicing side of the second sub-mask, the positions of the multiple first splicing flanges of the first sub-mask correspond one-to-one to the positions of the multiple second splicing flanges of the second sub-mask, and a preset spacing distance exists between the first splicing flanges and the second splicing flanges that correspond one-to-one.

4. The mask according to claim 3, characterized in that: The preset spacing distance is greater than 0.2 mm.

5. The sub-mask according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first and second splicing flanges corresponding to each other on the splicing sides of the first and second sub-masks have the same width, and the width of the first splicing flange is the extension length of the first splicing flange in a direction parallel to the splicing side.

6. The mask according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple sub-masks include adjacent first and second sub-masks, the positions of the multiple first splicing flanges of the first sub-mask correspond one-to-one to the positions of the multiple second splicing flanges of the second sub-mask, and the first splicing flanges and the second splicing flanges that correspond one-to-one are cross-arranged.

7. The mask according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first splicing flange includes a first sub-splicing flange and a second sub-splicing flange which are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the support bar, and the second splicing flange is located between the first sub-splicing flange and the second sub-splicing flange.

8. The mask according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: Along the preset direction, a splicing gap is provided between the splicing side edges of the sub-mask and the supporting strips.

9. The mask according to claim 8, characterized in that: Along the preset direction, the width of the splicing gap is greater than 0.2 mm.

10. The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The surface of the frame and the surface of the support bar are located in the same plane, and the plurality of sub-masks are fixed on the surfaces of both the frame and the support bar.

11. A stretching device for preparing a mask according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the mask comprises a plurality of sub-masks, each of which comprises a mounting side fixed to a frame and a splicing side fixed to a support bar, wherein: The net stretching device comprises: A first clamping mechanism, configured to clamp a mounting side edge of the sub-mask; an external stretching system, configured to drive the first clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask; A second clamping mechanism is configured to clamp the spliced ​​side edges of the sub-mask; The inner stretching system is configured to drive the second clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask.

12. The net stretching device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The splicing side edge of the sub-mask is provided with a plurality of splicing flanges, the splicing side edge of the sub-mask is fixed to the support bar through the plurality of splicing flanges, and the splicing flange includes a splicing stretching portion; Along the preset direction in which the plurality of sub-masks are arranged, there may be a splicing gap between the splicing side edges of the sub-masks and the support bar, and the splicing stretching portion of the sub-mask may pass through the splicing gap between another adjacent sub-mask and the support bar and be located below the other sub-mask; The second clamping mechanism is configured to clamp the splicing and stretching portion of the sub-mask below the other sub-mask.

13. The net stretching device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The net stretching device further comprises a shearing mechanism configured to remove the splicing stretching portion after the splicing flange is fixed to the support bar.

14. The net stretching device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: Also includes: The fixing mechanism is configured to fix the mounting side and the splicing side of the sub-mask to the frame and the support bar respectively after the external stretching system and the internal stretching system stretch the multiple openings of the sub-mask to the corresponding first preset positions and the flatness of the sub-mask meets the requirements.

15. A method for preparing a mask according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the mask comprises a plurality of sub-masks, and the sub-masks comprise mounting sides fixed to a frame and splicing sides fixed to a support bar, wherein: The preparation method comprises: securing at least one support bar to a second predetermined position on the frame; Placing a plurality of sub-masks on the frame and the support bars respectively, wherein the plurality of sub-masks are located in the same plane and are arranged in sequence along a preset direction, and the at least one support bar is located between two adjacent sub-masks; Clamping the mounting side edge of the sub-mask by using a first clamping mechanism; Clamping the spliced ​​side edges of the sub-mask using a second clamping mechanism; controlling the external stretching system to drive the first clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask; and The inner stretching system is controlled to drive the second clamping mechanism to stretch the sub-mask along a direction parallel to the sub-mask, so that after the outer stretching system and the inner stretching system stretch the multiple openings of the sub-mask to the corresponding first preset positions and the flatness of the sub-mask meets the requirements, the mounting side and the splicing side of the sub-mask are fixed to the frame and the support bar respectively.

16. The preparation method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The splicing side of the sub-mask is provided with a plurality of splicing flanges, and the mounting side is provided with a plurality of mounting flanges, the splicing side of the sub-mask is fixed to the support bar through the plurality of splicing flanges, and the mounting side of the sub-mask is fixed to the frame through the plurality of mounting flanges; The splicing flange includes a splicing stretching portion, the installation flange includes an installation stretching portion, and the first clamping mechanism and the second clamping mechanism clamp the installation stretching portion and the splicing stretching portion respectively.

17. The preparation method according to claim 16, characterized in that: The preparation method further comprises: After the mounting side and the splicing side of the sub-mask are fixed to the frame and the support bar respectively, the splicing stretching parts of the plurality of splicing flanges and the mounting stretching parts of the plurality of mounting flanges are removed.

18. The preparation method according to claim 16, characterized in that: Along the preset direction, there is a splicing gap between the splicing side of the sub-mask and the support bar; and along the direction parallel to the splicing side, there is a preset spacing distance between two splicing flanges corresponding to each other on two adjacent sub-masks; Placing a plurality of sub-masks on the support bars respectively comprises: Placing the splicing flange on the splicing side of the sub-mask on the surface of the support bar, and the splicing stretching portion on the splicing side passes through the splicing gap to the bottom of another adjacent sub-mask; Using the second clamping mechanism to clamp the spliced ​​side edge of the sub-mask plate comprises: A second clamping mechanism located below another adjacent sub-mask is conducive to clamping the splicing extension portion on the splicing side edge of the sub-mask; Wherein, the angle between the direction of the clamping force applied by the second clamping mechanism and the sub-mask is less than 90°.

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