Fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fine metal mask for preventing a deformation defect and removing a protrusion residue, and a method for manufacturing the same, which can prevent the deformation defect of a mask sheet part in advance by cutting a gap between a short side of the mask sheet part and a mask scrap part by a laser cutting method, and also can remove the protrusion residue from the mask sheet part by cutting the gap between the short side and the mask scrap part. Protruding portion residues of the mask sheet portion can be removed to improve product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and a manufacturing method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and a manufacturing method thereof, which can not only prevent deformation defects of a mask sheet portion in advance by cutting between a short side of the mask sheet portion and a mask waste portion through a laser cutting method, but also remove protrusion residues of the mask sheet portion to improve product quality. Background Art

[0002] Generally, display devices are applied to various devices. Such display devices are applied not only to small devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, but also to large devices such as televisions, monitors, and public displays (PDs).

[0003] Recently, the demand for ultra-high definition (UHD) resolutions of 500 pixels per inch (PPI) or more has been gradually increasing, and high-resolution display devices are applied to small devices and large devices. Therefore, technologies for achieving low power and high resolution have attracted much attention.

[0004] Generally used display devices can be roughly classified into liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) according to the driving method. As a display device driven by liquid crystal, a liquid crystal display has a light source including a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) or a light-emitting diode (LED) or the like disposed below the liquid crystal, and refers to a display device that drives by adjusting the amount of light released from the light source using the liquid crystal disposed on the light source.

[0005] On the contrary, an organic light-emitting diode, as a display device driven by an organic substance, does not require an additional light source, and the organic substance itself serves as a light source and can be driven at low power. In addition, an organic light-emitting diode can exhibit infinite contrast, has a response speed about 1000 times faster than that of a liquid crystal display, and has attracted much attention as a display device that can replace a liquid crystal display due to its excellent viewing angle.

[0006] In particular, in an organic light-emitting diode display device, the organic substances included in the light-emitting layer can be deposited on a substrate through a fine metal mask (FMM, Fine Metal Mask), and the deposited organic substances form a pattern corresponding to the mask pattern holes formed in the fine metal mask, thereby enabling the function of pixels to be performed.

[0007] In the case of an existing fine metal mask, after a cutting line and a cutting-off line are formed together during the process of forming mask panel holes in a mask sheet, it is necessary to remove the mask waste from the mask sheet by a worker peeling the mask waste along the cutting-off line.

[0008] However, the problem of the existing fine metal mask is that, during the process of forcibly peeling and removing the mask waste from the mask sheet, as the mask sheet bears physical force, deformation defects may occur in the mask sheet.

[0009] The related prior art document is Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0076008 (published on June 30, 2016), which describes a mask frame assembly, an evaporation device including the same, and a method for manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device using the same. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a fine metal mask and a manufacturing method thereof for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues, which can not only prevent deformation defects of a mask sheet portion in advance by laser cutting between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion, but also remove the protrusion residues of the mask sheet portion to improve product quality.

[0012] Solution for Solving the Technical Problem

[0013] To achieve the above object, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a mask sheet part, which forms a rectangular shape with a long side and a short side; a mask waste part, which surrounds the outside of the mask sheet part; cutting lines, which are respectively formed along the two long-side boundary parts of the mask sheet part and the mask waste part, and are respectively provided on the two long sides of the mask sheet part; and a laser cutting line, which is formed by laser cutting between the short side of the mask sheet part connected to the long-side end of the cutting line and the boundary part of the mask waste part. The cutting lines are respectively formed along the two long-side boundary parts of the mask sheet part and the mask waste part. A horizontal part and a vertical part are formed on the cutting line. The length of the horizontal part is respectively greater than the length of the two long sides of the mask sheet part. The vertical part extends along the vertical direction from the horizontal part and extends along the short-side direction of the mask sheet part. The long side of the mask sheet part has a first length, and the cutting line has a second length greater than the first length. Thus, a protruding area protruding to the outside of the cutting line is removed. The cutting line exposes the short-side side wall of the mask sheet part to the outside through the vertical part.

[0014] The cutting line is etched into a rectangular hole shape, and the cutting line has a width of 1 μm to 10 mm.

[0015] The laser cutting line makes the cut surface of the laser cutting line smooth through removal by laser cutting using an ultrashort pulse laser, thereby preventing deformation defects from occurring in the mask sheet part.

[0016] When laser cutting is performed on the mask sheet part and the mask waste part along the laser cutting line, there is no waste in the mask sheet part cut by the laser cutting.

[0017] To achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: step (a) of preparing a metal mask sheet including a mask sheet portion, a mask waste portion, and a cutting line, wherein the mask sheet portion forms a rectangular shape having a long side and a short side, the mask waste portion surrounds the outside of the mask sheet portion, and the cutting lines are respectively formed along both long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion and are respectively provided on both long sides of the mask sheet portion; step (b) of positioning a laser cutting device above the metal mask sheet at a distance; and step (c) of performing laser cutting on a boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion connected to the long side end of the cutting line and the mask waste portion by using the laser cutting device to separate the mask sheet portion from the mask waste portion. The cutting lines are respectively formed along both long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion, and a horizontal portion and a vertical portion are formed in the cutting line. The length of the horizontal portion is respectively greater than the length of both long sides of the mask sheet portion, the vertical portion extends in a vertical direction from the horizontal portion and extends along the short side direction of the mask sheet portion. The long side of the mask sheet portion has a first length, and the cutting line has a second length greater than the first length, so as to remove a protruding area protruding to the outside of the cutting line. The cutting line exposes the short side sidewall of the mask sheet portion to the outside through the vertical portion.

[0018] In the step (a), the cutting line is etched into a rectangular hole shape, and the cutting line has a width of 1 μm to 10 mm.

[0019] In the step (c), the laser cutting is performed using an ultrashort pulse laser so that the cut surface of the laser cutting line formed between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion becomes smooth, thereby preventing deformation defects from occurring in the mask sheet portion.

[0020] In the step (c), when performing laser cutting on the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion along the laser cutting line, there is no waste in the mask sheet portion cut by the laser cutting.

[0021] In the step (c), when performing the laser cutting, the ultrashort pulse laser used is a femtosecond (pemtosencond) pulse laser or a picosecond (pico second) pulse laser.

[0022] Advantages of the Invention

[0023] The fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and its manufacturing method of the present invention make the length of the cutting line equal to or greater than the length of the long side of the mask sheet portion. Thus, the protruding area protruding outside the cutting line corresponding to the long side of the mask sheet portion is eliminated, and the mask waste portion is removed from the mask sheet portion by laser cutting the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion.

[0024] As a result, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and its manufacturing method of the present invention can not only accurately cut the mask sheet portion by removing the boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion through laser cutting using an ultrashort pulse laser, but also, without worrying about physical force being applied to the mask sheet portion, thus, deformation defects of the mask sheet portion can be prevented.

[0025] Moreover, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and its manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention make the cut surface of the laser cutting line smooth through laser cutting using an ultrashort pulse laser. Therefore, when removing the mask waste portion from the mask sheet portion in the conventional manner, the remaining protrusions generated at the edge of the mask sheet portion can be removed to improve the product quality. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] Figure 1 It is a top view showing the fine metal mask in the normal state before removing the waste.

[0027] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II' of Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II' of

[0028] Figure 3 It is a top view showing the fine metal mask in the normal state after removing the waste.

[0029] Figure 4 It is a top view showing the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues in the state before removing the waste according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V' of Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V' of

[0031] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the laser cutting process.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a top view showing the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues in the state after removing the waste according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8A top view of a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues, showing a modified example of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 9 A top view of a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues, showing another modified example of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 10 A process flow chart of a method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues, showing an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0036] The advantages, features, and implementation methods of the present invention can be made clear by referring to the embodiments described in conjunction with the appended Figure 1 and described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be implemented in different ways. These embodiments are only used to make the disclosure of the present invention complete so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can fully understand the scope of the present invention. The present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Throughout the entire content of the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same structural elements.

[0037] Hereinafter, a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and a method for manufacturing the same according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 A top view of a fine metal mask in a normal state before removing waste, Figure 2 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' of

[0039] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in a normal state before removing waste, the fine metal mask 1 includes a mask sheet portion 20, a mask waste portion 40, a cutting line 60, and a cutting line 50.

[0040] In this case, the mask sheet portion 20 is provided in the mask area MA of the fine metal mask 1, and the mask waste portion 40 is provided in the waste area SA of the fine metal mask 1.

[0041] The mask sheet portion 20 has a rectangular shape with a long side and a short side, and the mask waste portion 40 surrounds the outside of the mask sheet portion 20.

[0042] The cutting line 60 is formed along the two long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion 20 and the mask waste portion 40, respectively.

[0043] The cutting line 50 is formed to protrude from the cutting line 60 toward the mask waste portion 40 and is formed at both side edges of the mask sheet 20. Thus, the mask sheet 20 has a first length L1 and the cutting line 60 has a second length L2 smaller than the mask sheet 20.

[0044] In the process of forming the mask pattern holes 25 in the mask sheet portion 20 , the cut-off lines 60 and the trimming lines 50 may be formed on the ordinary fine metal mask 1 at the same time through an etching process.

[0045] As described above, during the process of forming the mask pattern hole 25 in the mask sheet 20 , after the cut-off line 60 and the cutting line 50 are formed together in the ordinary fine metal mask 1 , the staff can remove the mask waste portion 40 from the mask sheet 20 by peeling off the mask waste portion 40 along the cutting line 50 .

[0046] However, in the process of forcibly peeling the mask scrap portion 40 from the mask sheet portion 20 and removing the mask scrap portion 40 , since the mask sheet portion 20 is subjected to physical force, the conventional fine metal mask 1 is relatively likely to generate a deformation defect in the mask sheet portion 20 .

[0047] Furthermore, if the mask waste portion 40 is forcibly peeled off from the mask sheet portion 20 along the cutting line 50, there is a possibility that a protrusion residue ( Figure 3 45) of waste, therefore, can cause product defects.

[0048] on the other hand, Figure 3 is a top view showing a fine metal mask in a normal state after removing waste materials.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, after the waste material is removed, it can be confirmed that there is a protrusion residue 45 at the protrusion 27 of the mask sheet portion 20 where the trimming line 50 is formed in the conventional fine metal mask 1 .

[0050] Also, in the process of forcibly peeling off the mask scrap portion from the mask sheet portion 20 and removing the mask scrap portion, since the mask sheet portion 20 is subjected to physical force, the conventional fine metal mask 1 is relatively more likely to have a deformation defect in the mask sheet portion 20 .

[0051] In order to solve this problem, the fine metal mask of an embodiment of the present invention for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues is designed such that the length of the cutting line corresponds to the long side of the mask sheet portion, thereby eliminating the protruding area protruding outside the cutting line corresponding to the long side of the mask sheet portion, and removing the mask waste portion from the mask sheet portion by cutting between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion through laser cutting.

[0052] As a result, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to the embodiments of the present invention cuts between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion by laser cutting, which can not only prevent deformation defects of the mask sheet portion in advance, but also remove the protrusion residues of the mask sheet portion to improve product quality.

[0053] In this regard, the following will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Figure 4 FIG. is a top view of the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues in a state before removing waste according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 For Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V' of

[0055] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 the fine metal mask 100 for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mask sheet portion 120, a mask waste portion 140, a cutting line 160, and a laser cutting line 180.

[0056] In this case, the mask sheet portion 120 is disposed in the mask area MA of the fine metal mask 100, and the mask waste portion 140 is disposed in the waste area SA of the fine metal mask 100.

[0057] The mask sheet portion 120 may be formed in a rectangular shape having a long side and a short side. Generally, such a mask sheet portion 120 is in a rectangular shape, but is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that the shape can be variously changed.

[0058] The mask sheet portion 120 may be made of materials such as SUS 300 series, SUS 400 series, Invar, nickel alloy, etc., in order to minimize the deformation of the fine metal mask 100 in the high-temperature environment of the organic vapor deposition process.

[0059] Such a mask sheet portion 120 has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. At least one mask pattern hole 125 penetrating the upper surface and the lower surface may be provided in such a mask sheet 120.

[0060] In this case, the mask pattern holes 125 may be provided to penetrate through the upper surface and the lower surface of the mask sheet portion 120 for each unit. Moreover, the mask pattern holes 125 may also be provided to penetrate through a part of the upper surface and the lower surface of the mask sheet portion 120 for each unit.

[0061] The mask waste portion 140 surrounds the outside of the mask sheet portion 120. In this case, the mask waste portion 140 refers to a virtual area designed to manufacture the mask sheet portion 120 in a specific shape. Such a mask waste portion 140 can be cut and removed from the mask sheet portion 120 by laser cutting.

[0062] Cutting lines 160 are respectively formed along the two long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion 120 and the mask waste portion 140, and each has a length corresponding to the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120. Thus, the long side of the mask sheet portion 120 has a first length L1, and the cutting line 160 has a second length L2 that is the same as the first length L1.

[0063] As described above, in the present invention, the lengths of the cutting lines 160 respectively correspond to the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120, and more preferably, have the same length. Thus, the protruding areas protruding outside the cutting lines 160 corresponding to the long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 can be removed.

[0064] Such cutting lines 160 are formed such that a predetermined interval is provided between the two long sides of the fine metal mask sheet 100 and the cutting lines 160. Thus, even if sagging occurs in the mask sheet portion 120, it is possible to prevent deformation or damage of the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 due to contact in advance.

[0065] For this purpose, preferably, the cutting lines 160 are etched into a rectangular hole shape, and the cutting lines 160 should have a width W of 1 μm to 10 mm.

[0066] The laser cutting line 180 is formed by laser cutting between the short side of the mask sheet portion 120 connected to the long side end of the cutting line 160 and the boundary portion of the mask waste portion 140.

[0067] In this case, preferably, the laser cutting is performed using an ultrashort pulse laser such as a femtosecond (pemto sencond) pulse laser or a picosecond pulse laser, but it is not limited thereto. Therefore, there is no particular limitation on the laser, and a laser within the wavelength range capable of precisely cutting the mask sheet portion can be used. As described above, if the laser cutting is performed using an ultrashort pulse laser, the mask sheet portion 120 made of a metal material can be precisely cut in a short time.

[0068] Therefore, for the fine metal mask 100 of the present invention, when laser cutting is performed on the boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion 120 and the mask waste portion 140 using an ultrashort pulse laser, not only can the fine metal mask 100 be precisely cut, but also there is no need to worry about physical force being applied to the mask sheet portion 120. Thus, deformation defects of the mask sheet portion 120 can be prevented.

[0069] Moreover, the fine metal mask 100 of the present invention can make the cut surface of the laser cutting line 180 smooth by using a femtosecond laser for laser cutting. Therefore, when removing the mask waste portion 140 from the mask sheet portion 120 by laser cutting, it is possible to prevent the generation of protrusion residues at the edge portion of the mask sheet portion 120, thereby improving the product quality.

[0070] Figure 6 For a schematic diagram for explaining the laser cutting process, the following is described in conjunction with Figure 4 for illustration.

[0071] As Figure 4 and Figure 6 shown, the laser processing apparatus 200 includes: a laser generation unit 210; an optical unit 220 for processing the laser beam LB generated by the laser generation unit 210; a reflector 230 for reflecting the laser beam LB processed by the optical unit 220 in the direction of the fine metal mask 100; and a focusing lens 240 for focusing the laser beam LB reflected by the reflector 230 and irradiating it between the boundary portion of the short side of the mask sheet portion 120 and the mask waste portion 140.

[0072] The laser generation unit 210 generates a femtosecond laser, and the femtosecond laser may include a femtosecond (pemto second) laser or a picosecond (pico second) laser. As described above, if laser processing is performed using a femtosecond laser, the fine metal mask 100 of the metal material can be precisely cut in a short time.

[0073] The optical unit 220 may include a reflecting long plate, a polarizing plate, etc. for processing the laser beam LB generated by the laser generation unit 210. The optical unit 220 includes a variety of optical meters, which can cause various changes in the laser beam LB according to the processing conditions.

[0074] A CCD camera 250 may be provided in the upper part separated from the reflector 230. Such a CCD camera 250 can capture the processing status of the fine metal mask 100 in real time.

[0075] The focusing lens 240 functions to focus the laser beam LB changed by the reflector 230 on the fine metal mask 100.

[0076] As described above, in the present invention, after positioning the laser processing apparatus 200 in the upper part separated from the fine metal mask 100, as the laser processing apparatus 200 generates the laser beam LB, the laser beam LB is irradiated between the boundary portion of the short side of the mask sheet portion 120 connected to the long side end of the cutting line 160 and the mask waste portion 140, and the laser cutting line 180 can be formed by performing laser cutting.

[0077] As described above, if the ultra-short pulse laser is locally irradiated only to the boundary portion between the short side of the mask piece portion 120 connected to the long side end of the cutting line 160 and the mask waste portion 140 to perform laser cutting, the cut surface of the laser cutting line 180 that vertically intersects the upper and lower surfaces of the mask piece portion 120 can be made smooth.

[0078] Therefore, if laser cutting is performed on the mask piece portion 120 and the mask waste portion 140, waste as a residue of the protruding portion can be prevented from being generated in the mask piece portion 120 cut by the laser cutting.

[0079] On the other hand, Figure 7 FIG. is a top view of the fine metal mask that prevents deformation defects and removes the residue of the protruding portion in the state after removing the waste according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] As Figure 7 shown, after removing the waste, it can be confirmed that in the fine metal mask 100 that prevents deformation defects and removes the residue of the protruding portion in the state after removing the waste according to the embodiment of the present invention, there is no waste as a residue of the protruding portion at the edge portion of the mask piece portion 120.

[0081] Moreover, the fine metal mask 100 that prevents deformation defects and removes the residue of the protruding portion in the state after removing the waste according to the embodiment of the present invention can not only accurately cut the fine metal mask 100 by removing the boundary portion between the short side of the mask piece portion 120 and the mask waste portion by laser cutting using the ultra-short pulse laser, but also, without worrying about physical force being applied to the mask piece portion 120, so that deformation defects of the mask piece portion 120 can be prevented.

[0082] Figure 8 FIG. is a top view of the fine metal mask that prevents deformation defects and removes the residue of the protruding portion according to a modification of the present invention.

[0083] As Figure 8 shown, according to the fine metal mask 100 that prevents deformation defects and removes the residue of the protruding portion according to a modification of the present invention, substantially, except for the cutting line 160, the mask piece portion 120, the mask waste portion 140, and the laser cutting line 180 are the same as those in the embodiment of the present invention, so the repeated description will be omitted and the differences will be emphasized.

[0084] The cutting lines 160 according to a modification of the present invention are respectively formed along the two long side boundary portions of the mask piece portion 120 and the mask waste portion, and the lengths are respectively greater than the lengths of the two long sides of the mask piece portion 120. Thus, the long side of the mask piece portion 120 has a first length L1, and the cutting line 160 has a second length L2 greater than the first length L1.

[0085] As described above, in a modified example of the present invention, the lengths of the cutting lines 160 are respectively greater than the lengths of the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120. Therefore, not only can the protruding regions protruding outside the cutting lines 160 corresponding to the long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 be eliminated, but also, as the interval area of the cutting lines 160 is enlarged, even if the mask sheet portion 120 sags, it is possible to prevent the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 from being deformed or damaged due to contact.

[0086] And, Figure 9 FIG. is a top view of a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protruding portion residues according to still another modified example of the present invention.

[0087] As Figure 9 shown, in a fine metal mask 100 for preventing deformation defects and removing protruding portion residues according to still another modified example of the present invention, substantially, except for the cutting lines 160, the mask sheet portion 120, the mask waste portion 140, and the laser cutting lines 180 are the same as those in the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, repeated descriptions will be omitted and the differences will be emphasized.

[0088] The cutting lines 160 in still another modified example of the present invention are respectively formed along the boundary portions of the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 and the mask waste portion 140, and include a horizontal portion 162 and a vertical portion 164. The lengths of the horizontal portions 162 are respectively greater than the lengths of the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120. The vertical portions 164 extend from the horizontal portions 162 in the vertical direction and extend along the short side direction of the mask sheet portion 120.

[0089] Thus, the long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 have a first length L1, and the cutting lines 160 have a second length L2 greater than the first length L1. Moreover, the cutting lines 160 expose the short side side walls of the mask sheet portion 120 to the outside through the vertical portions 164.

[0090] As described above, in still another modified example of the present invention, the cutting lines 160 include: a horizontal portion 162, the lengths of which are respectively greater than the lengths of the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120; and a vertical portion 164, which extends in the vertical direction from the horizontal portion 162. Thus, not only can the protruding regions protruding outside the cutting lines 160 corresponding to the long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 be eliminated, but also the short side side walls of the mask sheet portion 120 are exposed to the outside. Therefore, the interval area of the cutting lines 160 can be further enlarged, and even if the mask sheet portion 120 sags, it is possible to prevent the two long sides of the mask sheet portion 120 from being deformed or damaged due to contact.

[0091] And, since the cutting lines 160 in still another modified example of the present invention include the horizontal portion 162 and the vertical portion 164, when performing laser cutting using an ultrashort pulse laser, the laser cutting time can be significantly shortened by reducing the cutting area of the mask sheet portion 120.

[0092] As described above, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention make the length of the cutting line equal to or greater than the length of the long side of the mask sheet portion. Thus, the protruding area protruding outside the cutting line corresponding to the long side of the mask sheet portion is eliminated, and the mask waste portion is removed from the mask sheet portion by laser cutting between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion.

[0093] As a result, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention can not only accurately cut the mask sheet portion by removing the boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion by laser cutting using an ultrashort pulse laser, but also, without worrying about physical force being applied to the mask sheet portion, thus, deformation defects of the mask sheet portion can be prevented.

[0094] Moreover, the fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention makes the cut surface of the laser cutting line smooth by laser cutting using an ultrashort pulse laser. Thus, when removing the mask waste portion from the mask sheet portion in the conventional manner, the remaining protrusions generated at the edge of the mask sheet portion can be removed to improve the product quality.

[0095] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0096] Figure 10 It is a process flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] As Figure 10 shown, the method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a metal mask sheet preparation step S110, a positioning step S120, and a laser cutting step S130.

[0098] Prepare a metal mask sheet

[0099] In the metal mask sheet preparation step S110, a metal mask sheet is prepared.

[0100] Such a metal mask sheet includes: a mask sheet portion, forming a rectangular shape having a long side and a short side; a mask waste portion, surrounding the outside of the mask sheet portion; and cutting lines, respectively formed along the two long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion, respectively having lengths corresponding to the two long sides of the mask sheet portion.

[0101] Among them, the mask sheet portion has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. At least one mask pattern hole penetrating the upper surface and the lower surface may be formed in such a mask sheet.

[0102] The mask waste portion surrounds the outside of the mask sheet portion. In this case, the mask waste portion refers to a virtual area designed to manufacture the mask sheet portion in a specific shape.

[0103] Cutting lines are respectively formed along the two long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion, and respectively have lengths corresponding to the two long sides of the mask sheet portion. Thus, the long side of the mask sheet portion has a first length, and the cutting line has a second length equal to the first length. Differently, cutting lines are respectively formed along the two long side boundary portions of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion, and the lengths can be respectively greater than the two long sides of the mask sheet portion. In this case, the long side of the mask sheet portion has a first length, and the cutting line can have a second length greater than the first length.

[0104] As described above, in the present invention, the lengths of the cutting lines respectively correspond to the two long sides of the mask sheet portion, and more preferably, have the same or greater lengths, whereby the protruding areas protruding outside the cutting lines corresponding to the long sides of the mask sheet portion can be eliminated.

[0105] Such formation of the cutting lines makes a predetermined interval between the two long sides of the fine metal mask sheet and the cutting lines, whereby even if sagging occurs in the mask sheet portion, it is possible to prevent in advance deformation or damage of the two long sides of the mask sheet portion due to contact.

[0106] For this purpose, preferably, the cutting lines are etched into a rectangular hole shape, and the cutting lines should have a width of 1 μm to 10 mm.

[0107] Positioning

[0108] In the positioning step S120, the laser cutting device is positioned above and separated from the metal mask sheet.

[0109] In this step, preferably, the laser cutting device is installed above and separated from the metal mask sheet, and a focusing lens for focusing the laser beam is positioned at the boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion connected to the long side end of the cutting line and the mask waste portion.

[0110] Laser cutting

[0111] In the laser cutting step S130, the boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion connected to the long side end of the cutting line and the mask waste portion is laser cut by using the laser cutting device to separate the mask sheet portion from the mask waste portion. Through such laser cutting, a laser cutting line is formed on the short side of the mask sheet portion.

[0112] In this step, preferably, ultrafast pulsed laser such as femtosecond pulsed laser or picosecond pulsed laser is used for laser cutting, but it is not limited thereto. Therefore, there is no particular limitation on the laser, and a laser within the wavelength range capable of precisely cutting the mask sheet portion can be used.

[0113] As described above, if laser processing is performed using ultrafast pulsed laser, the mask sheet portion of the metal material can be precisely cut in a short time.

[0114] Therefore, when removing the boundary portion between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion by laser cutting using ultrafast pulsed laser, not only can the fine metal mask be precisely cut, but also there is no need to worry about physical force being applied to the mask sheet portion. Therefore, deformation defects of the mask sheet portion can be prevented.

[0115] Moreover, in the present invention, laser cutting using ultrafast pulsed laser can make the cut surface of the laser cutting line smooth. Therefore, when removing the mask waste portion from the mask sheet portion in the conventional manner, the remaining protrusions generated at the edge of the mask sheet portion can be removed to improve the product quality.

[0116] Thus, the method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to the embodiment of the present invention can be completed.

[0117] Above, although the embodiments of the present invention have been emphasized, those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various changes or deformations. As long as they do not depart from the scope of the technical idea provided by the present invention, such changes and deformations also belong to the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the claims of the present invention should be judged according to the appended scope of the invention claimed.

[0118] Description of Reference Numerals

[0119] 100: Fine metal mask

[0120] 120: Mask sheet portion

[0121] 125: Mask pattern hole

[0122] 140: Mask waste portion

[0123] 160: Cutting line

[0124] 180: Laser cutting line

[0125] MA: Mask area

[0126] SA: Scrap area.

Claims

1. A fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues, characterized in that it includes: a mask sheet part, which forms a rectangular shape with a long side and a short side; a mask waste part, which surrounds the outside of the mask sheet part; cutting lines, which are respectively formed along the two long-side boundary parts of the mask sheet part and the mask waste part, and are respectively arranged on the two long sides of the mask sheet part; and a laser cutting line, which is formed by laser cutting between the short side of the mask sheet part connected to the long-side end of the cutting line and the boundary part of the mask waste part, the cutting lines are respectively formed along the two long-side boundary parts of the mask sheet part and the mask waste part, a horizontal part and a vertical part are formed on the cutting lines, the lengths of the horizontal parts are respectively greater than the lengths of the two long sides of the mask sheet part, and the vertical parts extend along the vertical direction from the horizontal parts and extend along the short-side direction of the mask sheet part, the long side of the mask sheet part has a first length, the cutting line has a second length greater than the first length, so as to remove the protruding area protruding to the outside of the cutting line, and the cutting line exposes the short-side side wall of the mask sheet part to the outside through the vertical part.

2. The fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting line is etched into a rectangular hole shape, the cutting line has a width of 1 μm to 10 mm.

3. The fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to claim 1, wherein The laser cutting line makes the cutting surface of the laser cutting line smooth through the removal by using ultra-short pulse laser cutting, thereby preventing deformation defects of the mask sheet part.

4. The fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to claim 1, wherein When laser cutting the mask sheet part and the mask waste part along the laser cutting line, there is no waste in the mask sheet part cut by the laser cutting.

5. A method for manufacturing a fine metal mask to prevent deformation defects and remove protrusion residues, characterized in that, It includes: step (a), preparing a metal mask sheet, the metal mask sheet includes a mask sheet part, a mask waste part and a cutting line, the mask sheet part forms a rectangular shape with a long side and a short side, the mask waste part surrounds the outside of the mask sheet part, and the cutting lines are respectively formed along the two long-side boundary parts of the mask sheet part and the mask waste part, and are respectively arranged on the two long sides of the mask sheet part; step (b), positioning a laser cutting device above and separated from the metal mask sheet; and step (c), using the laser cutting device to laser cut the boundary part between the short side of the mask sheet part connected to the long-side end of the cutting line and the mask waste part to separate the mask sheet part from the mask waste part, the cutting lines are respectively formed along the two long-side boundary parts of the mask sheet part and the mask waste part, a horizontal part and a vertical part are formed on the cutting lines, the lengths of the horizontal parts are respectively greater than the lengths of the two long sides of the mask sheet part, and the vertical parts extend along the vertical direction from the horizontal parts and extend along the short-side direction of the mask sheet part, The long side of the mask sheet portion has a first length, and the cutting line has a second length greater than the first length. Thus, the protruding region protruding outside the cutting line is removed, and the cutting line exposes the short side side wall of the mask sheet portion to the outside through the vertical portion.

6. The method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protruding portion residues according to claim 5, wherein In the step (a), the cutting line is etched into a rectangular hole shape. The cutting line has a width of 1 μm to 10 mm.

7. The method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to claim 5, wherein In the step (c), the laser cutting is performed using an ultrashort pulse laser, so that the cut surface of the laser cutting line formed between the short side of the mask sheet portion and the boundary portion of the mask waste portion becomes smooth, thereby preventing deformation defects from occurring in the mask sheet portion.

8. The method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to claim 5, wherein In the step (c), when laser cutting is performed on the mask sheet portion and the mask waste portion along the laser cutting line, there is no waste in the mask sheet portion cut by the laser cutting.

9. The method for manufacturing a fine metal mask for preventing deformation defects and removing protrusion residues according to claim 5, wherein In the step (c), when performing the laser cutting, the ultrashort pulse laser used is a femtosecond pulse laser or a picosecond pulse laser.

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