Mask plate, manufacturing method thereof and mask plate assembly

Abstract

The invention provides a mask plate, a manufacturing method thereof and a mask plate assembly. The mask plate comprises a plurality of ribs forming a plurality of openings and a peripheral connecting part, the mask plate is formed on a mother plate formed by jointing at least two raw materials, and the mask plate is provided with joints for connecting different raw materials; stress isolation areas are arranged on the two sides of the joint, and each stress isolation area comprises a plurality of half notch grooves or a plurality of through holes which are regularly arranged. According to the mask plate, the raw materials are spliced in the raw material stage, existing small-size raw materials are spliced into a whole large-size mother plate, then the mother plate is manufactured into the mask plate, and semi-notch grooves or through holes distributed in a stress isolation area can absorb concentrated stress caused by uneven texture and thickness of a joint position during net stretching. And sheet deformation caused by the concentrated stress is prevented from diffusing towards the opening. Therefore, the flatness of the mask plate with the joints after the net is expanded can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of OLED display panels, and in particular to a mask plate and a manufacturing method thereof, and a mask plate assembly. Background Art

[0002] The mask plate is an important tool in the preparation process of OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display panels. It is mainly used to limit the deposition area of ​​film materials during the evaporation of organic materials or in the formation of encapsulation layers.

[0003] The mask plate assembly is made by joining a mask plate and a metal frame together, wherein the metal frame is mainly used to maintain the flat and taut shape of the mask plate after being tensioned.

[0004] Currently, the commonly used method for making mask plate assemblies is to etch the motherboard into a whole mask plate with a grid pattern, and then stretch the mask plate through dedicated stretching equipment. During the stretching process, the mask plate is fully expanded through stretching and adjustment steps to form a taut mesh surface with high flatness and high precision. The mesh surface is then joined (usually welded) to a metal frame with a relatively solid structure to obtain a mask plate assembly.

[0005] Due to the size limitations of existing raw material rolling equipment, the width of the raw materials used to make mask motherboards on the market is generally small, usually only suitable for making small-sized mask plates before the G8.5 generation. Given the large-size requirements of G8.5 and above generation masks, the current solution is to use existing smaller raw materials to process different parts of the large-sized mask plate. Then, in the netting process, each part that makes up the entire mask plate is separately netted and welded to the frame. At the same time, the various parts of the mask plate are welded together. In this way, a large-size mask plate assembly that meets the requirements of G8.5 and above generations (for example, G8.6) can be obtained.

[0006] In the existing technology, the production method of first making the various parts of the mask plate and then splicing them together will affect the accuracy of the mask plate product during the process of stretching the mesh and splicing and alignment. In particular, the morphological accuracy of the pattern is greatly affected in the area where the various parts of the mask plate are connected. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve or improve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a mask plate, comprising a plurality of ribs forming a plurality of openings and a peripheral connecting portion, wherein the mask plate is formed from a mother plate formed by joining at least two raw materials and has a seam connecting the different raw materials;

[0008] Stress isolation areas are provided on both sides of the joint, and the stress isolation areas include a plurality of half-grooves or a plurality of through holes that are regularly arranged.

[0009] The aforementioned mask plate is made by splicing the raw materials at the raw material stage (before openings are made through processes such as etching), splicing the existing smaller-sized raw materials into a whole large-sized mother plate, and then making the mother plate into a mask plate.

[0010] The semi-grooves or through-holes distributed within the stress isolation zone absorb the concentrated stress caused by uneven texture and thickness at the joint during stretching, preventing the deformation of the sheet material caused by this concentrated stress from spreading toward the opening. This helps improve the flatness of the seamed mask after stretching.

[0011] Optionally, the plurality of ribs include:

[0012] a plurality of first ribs, the first ribs extending along a first direction;

[0013] a plurality of second ribs, the second ribs extending along a second direction;

[0014] The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mask plate.

[0015] Optionally, the seam passes vertically through a plurality of ribs parallel to each other and extends to the peripheral connecting portion;

[0016] The stress isolation area is arranged in the rib area and / or the peripheral connection area on both sides of the joint in a direction perpendicular to the joint.

[0017] In the aforementioned solution, since the seams are scattered on each rib and the length of each seam is only the width of the corresponding rib, during the net stretching process, the adverse stress induced by defects such as uneven texture and thickness at local positions of the seams (for example, the presence of welding protrusions or indentations) is not easy to spread to the entire mask plate mesh surface, which helps to suppress the adverse effects of the seams on the flatness of the mask plate. Therefore, it is easier to obtain a net stretching effect with a highly flat mesh surface.

[0018] Optionally, the seam is located on at least one rib and is parallel to the length direction of the rib, and the seam extends to the peripheral connecting portion;

[0019] The stress isolation area is arranged in the rib area and / or the peripheral connection area on both sides of the joint in a direction perpendicular to the joint.

[0020] Since the seams are arranged on one or more parallel ribs, when the net is stretched, the tension is always along the seams or perpendicular to the seams (the tension perpendicular to the seams is transmitted or provided by the ribs perpendicular to the seams), which helps to reduce the influence of the welds on the stress distribution of the net surface and makes it easier to obtain a stretching effect with a highly flat net surface.

[0021] Optionally, it also includes multiple traction parts, the traction parts include at least a main traction part, the main traction part is coaxial with at least one rib; the main traction part is connected to the coaxial rib, or is connected to the position where the coaxial rib is connected to the peripheral connecting part; the seam extends to the main traction part coaxial with the rib.

[0022] Optionally, the mask plate has a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface; the stress isolation region includes a plurality of first half grooves arranged on the first surface.

[0023] Optionally, the stress isolation region includes a plurality of second half grooves provided on the second surface; the first half grooves and the second half grooves are aligned or staggered.

[0024] Optionally, the thickness of the bottom of the half-groove is not less than 1 / 5 of the thickness of the mask plate.

[0025] Optionally, the thickness of the bottom of the half-groove is 1 / 5 to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the mask plate.

[0026] The aforementioned optional solution can enable the stress isolation region to have a good ability to absorb deformation caused by undesirable stress while also having high strength.

[0027] Optionally, the half-grooved groove or through hole is circular, rectangular or long waist-shaped.

[0028] Optionally, the stress isolation region includes: a plurality of rows of half grooves or through holes in a row direction parallel to the seam; in a direction perpendicular to the seam, the rows of half grooves or through holes are aligned or staggered.

[0029] Optionally, the distance between the stress isolation area and the opening is not less than 2 mm.

[0030] Optionally, the distance between the stress isolation area and the opening is 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0031] Optionally, the traction unit further includes an auxiliary traction unit;

[0032] The auxiliary traction part and the main traction part have an included angle, one end of the auxiliary traction part is connected to the side of the main traction part, and the other end is connected to the position of the peripheral connection part without the connecting ribs.

[0033] When the net is stretched in the subsequent process, the claws of the net stretching equipment are clamped on the main traction part, and the direction of the net stretching force applied is consistent with the extension direction of the main traction part. When the main traction part pulls the mask plate (mainly along its ribs) outward, the auxiliary traction part will also transmit tension to the peripheral connecting parts on both sides of the main traction part, thereby inhibiting the deformation of this part of the peripheral connecting part into the opening.

[0034] Furthermore, because the tension on the auxiliary traction section is derived from the pulling force applied to the main traction section, rather than being an independent force, the auxiliary traction section does not excessively pull on the peripheral connection section, causing it to deform outward from the opening. Therefore, this solution can prevent deviations in the position and shape of the mask opening, minimize undesirable deformation of the mask, help reduce the difficulty of stretching the mesh, and achieve a higher-precision mask assembly.

[0035] Optionally, at least two isolation openings are provided at one end of the main traction portion close to the peripheral connection portion; the at least two isolation openings are symmetrically arranged with the seam passing through the main traction portion as the axis. The function of the isolation openings is the same as that of the stress isolation zone.

[0036] In particular, the isolation opening is used to eliminate concentrated stress generated by the right angle between the main traction part and the peripheral connection part, or the acute angle between the main traction part and the auxiliary traction part, or the acute angle between the auxiliary traction part and the peripheral connection part.

[0037] A second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a method for manufacturing the aforementioned mask plate, the method comprising the following steps:

[0038] S10, splicing at least two raw materials to form a motherboard;

[0039] S20, removing the material of the motherboard at the opening by etching and / or laser cutting to form the ribs and the peripheral connecting portion;

[0040] S30, forming stress isolation regions on both sides of the raw material joint by etching and / or laser cutting, wherein the stress isolation regions include a plurality of regularly arranged half-grooves or a plurality of through holes;

[0041] Among them, step S10 is executed first, and step S20 and step S30 are executed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0042] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a mask plate assembly, which includes the technical solution of the aforementioned first aspect, the mask plate provided in any optional solution thereof, and a mask frame; wherein the mask plate is joined to the mask frame after being stretched, and the excess part is cut off.

[0043] In summary, the present application can effectively utilize existing raw material rolling equipment by first splicing multiple raw materials to form a motherboard and then processing the motherboard, and eliminate uneven stress distribution at the splicing joints by setting stress isolation zones. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology will be described below.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of clamping a mask plate as an example;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the edge of a portion of the opening of the mask after the mask is stretched in the prior art;

[0047] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the specific structure of the traction portion on the mask provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a seam on a mask plate and stress isolation regions on both sides of the seam provided by an embodiment of the present application. The seam in the figure is perpendicular to the ribs it passes through;

[0050] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a seam on a mask plate and stress isolation regions on both sides of the seam provided in an embodiment of the present application. The seam in the figure is parallel to the ribs passed through and extends to the traction portion;

[0051] Figure 7 This is an example of several half-grooved arrangements of stress isolation zones provided in the embodiments of the present application (cross-sectional view);

[0052] Figure 8 1 is an example of the arrangement of several half-grooves or through holes in the stress isolation regions provided in the embodiments of the present application (top view);

[0053] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of joining multiple raw materials to form a motherboard according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of several different ways of joining raw materials in the embodiments of the present application;

[0055] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the position of the seam on the mask plate in an embodiment of the present application, in which the seam is parallel to the ribs passed through and extends to the traction portion;

[0056] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the position of the seams on the mask plate in an embodiment of the present application, where the seams are perpendicular to the ribs they pass through;

[0057] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of stretching a mask plate and fixing it on a mask frame in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of cutting off the redundant portion outside the mask plate in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of the steps of the method for manufacturing the mask plate provided in this application.

[0060] Note in the figure:

[0061] 1: mask plate, 2: mask frame;

[0062] 001: raw material, 002: seam;

[0063] 100: opening, 200: rib, 300: peripheral connection part, 400: traction part, 500: stress isolation area, 600: isolation port;

[0064] 210: first rib, 220: second rib;

[0065] 410: first traction part, 420: second traction part;

[0066] 401: main traction part, 402: auxiliary traction part, 403: hollow part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] In this specification, it will also be understood that when a structure is referred to as being relative to other structures, such as being "connected to" other structures, the one structure may be directly connected to or directly coupled to the one structure, or there may also be an intervening third structure; in addition, in the embodiments of the present application, "connection" may specifically be a structural connection.

[0068] The present application will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different ways and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided herein to make the present application more detailed and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals throughout the present application represent the same objects.

[0069] refer to Figure 1 The structure of the mask plate generally includes a plurality of openings 100 arranged in an array, and part of the edge of the opening 100 is a rib 200 along the first direction and the second direction. The opening array is surrounded by a peripheral connection portion 300, which is used to connect with the mask frame (usually welded).

[0070] In order to facilitate the implementation of the network, Figure 3 As shown, a traction portion can also be provided outside the peripheral connection portion 300 of the mask plate for clamping the claws of the net stretching device and applying a net stretching force during the net stretching process. The traction portion specifically includes: a first traction portion 410 along the first direction, corresponding to the first rib 210 along the first direction; and a second traction portion 420 along the second direction, corresponding to the second rib 220 along the second direction.

[0071] Unlike the existing technology, the mask plate provided in the embodiment of the present application is a plate that is spliced ​​at the raw material stage (before openings are made through processes such as etching), and the existing smaller-sized raw materials are welded into a large-sized motherboard that meets the size requirements of G8.5 generation and above mask plates, and then the motherboard is made into a mask plate.

[0072] The steps of making the spliced ​​motherboard into a mask plate include: pre-treatment (rust removal, cleaning, drying, etc.), coating photoresist film (wet film) / attaching photoresist film (dry film), exposure / development, UV curing, etching, film stripping, etc., and then the prepared mask plate is stretched and welded to the frame to form a large-sized mask plate assembly.

[0073] This method of manufacturing a mask plate by first splicing the raw materials and then processing them produces a mask plate with high precision. However, in the process of splicing the raw materials, due to factors such as the stability of the welding process, the raw materials inevitably have defects such as uneven texture and thickness at the weld position. For example, there are welding protrusions or dents. In the subsequent process of stretching the mesh, these defects lead to uneven stress distribution around the weld, which in turn causes the flatness and precision of the formed mask plate to decrease after stretching.

[0074] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application adds a stress isolation zone 500 around the weld to alleviate the problem of uneven stress distribution around the weld. In a typical embodiment, a mask plate is provided, such as Figure 3 As shown, it includes a plurality of ribs 200 forming a plurality of openings 100 and a peripheral connecting portion 300, wherein, as shown in FIG. Figure 9 As shown, the mask plate is formed from a mother plate formed by joining at least two raw materials 001 and has a seam 002 connecting different raw materials.

[0075] For example, the position of the seam 002 on the mask plate is as follows: Figure 11 or Figure 12 shown.

[0076] like Figure 5 or Figure 6 As shown, stress isolation regions 500 are provided on both sides of the joint 002 , and the stress isolation regions 500 include a plurality of regularly arranged half-grooves or a plurality of through holes.

[0077] Typically, the aforementioned regular arrangement is an array arrangement, including an array arrangement with aligned rows and columns, or an array arrangement with staggered rows and columns.

[0078] In this embodiment, the semi-grooves or through-holes distributed in the stress isolation region 500 can absorb concentrated stress caused by uneven texture and thickness at the weld location during mesh stretching, preventing deformation of the sheet material caused by this concentrated stress from spreading toward the openings. This helps improve the flatness of the mask with weld seams after mesh stretching.

[0079] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the mask plate is rectangular, and the plurality of ribs 200 include:

[0080] a plurality of first ribs 210, wherein the first ribs 210 extend along a first direction;

[0081] a plurality of second ribs 220, wherein the second ribs 220 extend along a second direction;

[0082] The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mask plate.

[0083] In an alternative embodiment, the seam 002 passes vertically through a plurality of ribs 200 parallel to each other and extends to the peripheral connecting portion 300, such as Figure 12 As shown, the seam is located between two adjacent ribs extending along the second direction and extends along the second direction. The seam is divided into multiple sections by the opening, and the multiple seam sections are dispersed on each rib extending along the first direction.

[0084] like Figure 5 As shown, the stress isolation region 500 is disposed in the rib 200 region and / or the peripheral connection portion 300 region on both sides of the joint 002 along a direction perpendicular to the joint 002 .

[0085] In the above optional embodiment, since the seams are scattered on each rib and the length of each seam is only the width of the corresponding rib, during the stretching process, defects such as uneven texture and thickness at local locations of the seams, for example, the presence of welding protrusions or dents, and the induced adverse stress are not easy to spread to the entire mask plate mesh surface, which helps to suppress the adverse effects of the seam on the flatness of the mask plate. Therefore, it is easier to obtain a stretching result with a highly flat mesh surface.

[0086] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 11 As shown, the seam 002 is located on at least one rib 200 and is parallel to the length direction of the rib 200 , and the seam 002 extends to the peripheral connecting portion 300 ;

[0087] like Figure 6 The stress isolation regions 500 are arranged in the rib 200 region and / or the peripheral connection portion 300 region on both sides of the joint 002 along a direction perpendicular to the joint 002 .

[0088] Optional, such as Figure 11As shown, the plurality of seams 002 are respectively located on a plurality of ribs 200 that are parallel to each other.

[0089] In the above embodiment, since the seams are arranged on one or more parallel ribs, when the net is stretched, the tension for stretching the net is always along the seams or perpendicular to the seams (the tension for stretching the net perpendicular to the seams is transmitted or provided by the ribs perpendicular to the seams), which helps to reduce the influence of the seams on the stress distribution of the net surface and makes it easier to obtain a net stretching result with a highly flat net surface.

[0090] In a typical embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, it also includes a plurality of traction parts 400, such as Figure 4 As shown, the traction portion 400 includes at least a main traction portion 401 , which is coaxial with at least one rib 200 ; the main traction portion 401 is connected to the coaxial rib 200 , or is connected to the position where the coaxial rib 200 is connected to the peripheral connection portion 300 .

[0091] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the seam (dashed line in the figure) extends to the main traction portion 401 which is coaxial with the rib 200 in which it is located.

[0092] In a typical embodiment, as Figure 7 As shown, the mask plate has a first surface (the upper surface in the figure) and a second surface (the lower surface in the figure) facing away from the first surface.

[0093] like Figure 7 As shown in part (a) of FIG. 5 , the stress isolation region 500 includes a plurality of first half-grooves disposed on the first surface.

[0094] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 7 As shown in parts (b) and (c) of FIG. 5 , the stress isolation region 500 includes a plurality of second half grooves disposed on the second surface; the first half grooves and the second half grooves are aligned or staggered.

[0095] For the half-engraved grooves described in the aforementioned embodiments, in a preferred embodiment, the remaining thickness after half-engraving is no less than one-fifth (1 / 5) of the original thickness of the mask motherboard, and preferably is between one-fifth (1 / 5) and one-half (1 / 2). This allows the stress isolation region to effectively absorb deformation caused by undesirable stress while also providing high strength.

[0096] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 8 As shown in part (a) of the figure, the half-grooved groove is circular, or, as Figure 8 As shown in part (b) of the figure, it is a rectangle, or as Figure 8 As shown in part (c), the half-groove is long and waist-shaped.

[0097] In an optional embodiment, the stress isolation region 500 contains regularly arranged through holes, and the shape and arrangement of the through holes may be the same as those of the aforementioned half-grooves.

[0098] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 8 As shown, the half-grooves have multiple rows extending in the same direction as the seam (dashed line in the figure).

[0099] In the width direction of the rib, as Figure 8 As shown in the three diagrams in the upper middle, the half grooves of each column are aligned, or as Figure 8 As shown in the three figures in the lower middle section, the half grooves in each column are arranged alternately and staggered.

[0100] In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the stress isolation region 500 and the opening 100 is not less than 2 mm. In a more preferred embodiment, the distance between the stress isolation region 500 and the opening 100 is 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0101] The aforementioned distance setting enables the stress isolation area to absorb concentrated stress more effectively, while avoiding adverse effects on the morphological characteristics of the opening.

[0102] The mask plate provided in the above embodiment is clamped in the process of stretching the net by the clamping claws for applying the tension force to the mask plate. Figure 1 The position shown, or as Figure 2 As shown, by clamping the traction portion extending from this position, when the clamping claws apply tension, some openings located at the periphery of the array will appear as shown in FIG. Figure 2 The deformation shown, that is, the peripheral connecting portion of the opening edge is bent inward, although this deformation is very small, it will still cause unacceptable accuracy impact on the opening at the corresponding position, and the larger the size of the mask plate, the more obvious this deformation is.

[0103] In order to solve this problem, the inventors tried to improve the deformation of the mask plate by increasing the tension applied to the corresponding position, but the effect was not ideal. Moreover, this process required repeated adjustment of the tension to adapt to the mask alignment requirements, which greatly increased the difficulty of tension alignment and seriously affected production efficiency.

[0104] On this basis, the inventors conducted further research and practice, and found that the fundamental reason for the above problem is that when the mask plate is stretched, although a large stretching force is applied along the first direction and the second direction, the peripheral connection between the clamping positions of the two adjacent clamping jaws only bears the tension along its extension direction, and this part of the area does not directly bear the tension in its width direction. Under the pulling of the two adjacent clamping jaws, Figure 2The portion of the opening edge shown in the figure that is not directly subjected to the tensile force (along its width direction) will bend and deform toward the inside of the opening, causing deviations in the position and shape of the opening and reduced accuracy.

[0105] However, if the clamping jaws are directly clamped at a position facing the openings in the same row or column, or a traction portion is also provided at a position facing the openings in the same row or column for the clamping jaws to clamp, since there are no ribs in the corresponding direction to withstand the applied tension, the above method will instead cause greater deviations in the opening position and shape.

[0106] In response to the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a mask plate, and in particular, a new design is made to the structure of the traction part, aiming to reduce the difficulty of stretching the net and improve the processing accuracy of the mask plate.

[0107] This newly designed mask, such as Figure 4 As shown, on the basis of the main traction part 401 recorded in the aforementioned embodiment, an auxiliary traction part 402 is additionally provided; the auxiliary traction part 402 and the main traction part 401 have an included angle θ, and one end of the auxiliary traction part 402 is connected to the side of the main traction part 401, and the other end is connected to the position of the peripheral connection part 300 where there is no connection rib 200.

[0108] In a complete implementation, Figure 3 As shown, the mask plate includes a plurality of ribs 200 and a peripheral connection portion 300 forming a plurality of openings 100, and also includes a plurality of traction portions; the traction portion is arranged on the outside of the peripheral connection portion 300, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the traction portion specifically includes a main traction portion 401 and an auxiliary traction portion 402. The main traction portion 401 is coaxial with at least one rib 200 and is connected to the coaxial rib 200, or is connected to the position of the peripheral connection portion 300 where the coaxial rib 200 is connected. Regardless of whether the main traction portion 401 is directly or indirectly connected to the corresponding rib 200, as long as the pulling force of the main traction portion 401 can be transmitted to the corresponding rib 200 and the direction of the pulling force is the same as the length extension direction of the rib 200, the requirements can be met. The auxiliary traction portion 402 forms an angle θ with the main traction portion 401. One end of the auxiliary traction portion 402 is connected to the side of the main traction portion 401, and the other end is connected to the position of the peripheral connection portion 300 where no rib 200 is connected.

[0109] Typically, each rib 200 corresponds to two traction parts, such as Figure 3 As shown, traction parts are respectively provided at both ends of each rib 200 , and the main traction part 401 is coaxial with the rib 200 , that is, the center line of the main traction part 401 along its length coincides with the center line of the rib 200 along its length.

[0110] In an embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, not only are the traction parts 400 provided at both ends of the rib 200 , but the ends of each of the four sides of the peripheral connection part 300 are also correspondingly connected with a traction part 400 .

[0111] The mask plate provided in the aforementioned scheme is clamped by the claws of the net-stretching device on the main traction part 401 when the net is stretched in the subsequent process. The direction of the net-stretching pulling force applied is consistent with the extension direction of the main traction part 401. When the main traction part 401 pulls the mask plate (mainly along its ribs) outward, the auxiliary traction part 401 also transmits pulling force to the peripheral connection parts 300 on both sides of the main traction part 401, thereby suppressing the bending and deformation of this part of the peripheral connection part 300 into the opening.

[0112] Furthermore, because the tension on the auxiliary traction portion 402 is derived from the pulling force applied to its corresponding main traction portion 401, rather than being an independent pulling force, the auxiliary traction portion 402 does not excessively pull on the peripheral connection portion 300, causing it to bend and deform outward from the opening. Therefore, the embodiment can suppress deviations in the position and shape of the mask opening, minimize undesirable deformation of the mask, help reduce the difficulty of stretching the mask, and achieve a higher precision mask assembly.

[0113] In an exemplary embodiment, the traction portion 400 corresponding to any side of the peripheral connection portion 300 is also provided with an auxiliary traction portion 402 .

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, the main traction portion 401 of the traction portion 400 corresponding to any side of the peripheral connection portion 300 is coaxial with the corresponding side of the peripheral connection portion 300 .

[0115] like Figure 4 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, at least part of the traction portion 400 includes: at least two auxiliary traction portions 402 symmetrically arranged with the main traction portion 401 as the symmetry axis.

[0116] In a typical embodiment, all auxiliary traction parts 402 in a traction part 400 are axially symmetrically arranged on both sides of the main traction part 401 with the center line of the main traction part 401 as the axis. The traction part 400 as a whole presents an axially symmetrical structure.

[0117] In the aforementioned embodiment, the auxiliary pulling portion 402 is symmetrically arranged relative to the main pulling portion 401 , which can evenly restrict the deformation of the peripheral connecting portions 300 on both sides of the main pulling portion 401 into the opening, thereby helping to optimize the flatness of the mask plate.

[0118] In a preferred embodiment, in at least part of the traction portion 400: at least two auxiliary traction portions 402 are provided on at least one side of the main traction portion 401; and hollow portions 403 are provided between adjacent auxiliary traction portions 402, and / or between the auxiliary traction portions 402 and the peripheral connecting portion 300 and the main traction portion 401.

[0119] In a typical embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, two auxiliary traction parts 402 are provided on each side of the main traction part 401 .

[0120] In a typical embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, the hollow portion 403 includes two types, one of which is a quadrilateral (trapezoidal) surrounded by the adjacent auxiliary traction portion 402, the main traction portion 401 and the peripheral connection portion 300, and the other is a triangle surrounded by the innermost auxiliary traction portion 402, the main traction portion 401 and the peripheral connection portion 300.

[0121] Regardless of the form, the aforementioned hollow portion can absorb the deformation of the sheet caused by the stress generated on the auxiliary traction portion 402 during the stretching process, help to suppress local wrinkles caused by uneven stress at the auxiliary traction portion 402, hinder the wrinkles caused by adverse stress from spreading to the inside of the mask plate mesh, and improve the flatness of the mask plate after the mesh is stretched.

[0122] In a preferred embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, at least two auxiliary traction parts 402 located on the same side of the main traction part 401 are parallel to each other.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, all auxiliary traction portions 402 located on the same side of the main traction portion 401 are parallel to each other.

[0124] The parallel auxiliary traction portions 402 can ensure that the pressure exerted on the peripheral connection portion 300 is in the same direction, and also help to improve the flatness of the mask after it is stretched.

[0125] In a preferred embodiment, the angle θ is between 20 degrees and 50 degrees, and more preferably, between 30 degrees and 40 degrees.

[0126] In a typical embodiment, the optimal value of the included angle θ is 35 degrees.

[0127] The aforementioned value of the angle can suppress the auxiliary traction portion from being twisted and deformed due to deviation in the force directions at its two ends, and helps to optimize the flatness of the mask after the mesh is stretched.

[0128] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the plurality of traction parts 400 include:

[0129] A plurality of first traction portions 410 , wherein the main traction portion 401 is coaxial with the first rib 210 and extends outwardly along the first direction;

[0130] a plurality of second traction portions 420 , wherein the main traction portion 401 is coaxial with the second rib 220 and extends outwardly along the second direction;

[0131] The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mask plate.

[0132] In the embodiment, a third traction portion is further included, and the main traction portion 401 in the third traction portion is coaxial with any side of the peripheral connection portion 300. Unlike the first traction portion 410 and the second traction portion 420, the third traction portion only includes an auxiliary traction portion 402 located on a single side of the main traction portion 401. In other words, the auxiliary traction portion 402 in the third traction portion is only arranged on the side of the main traction portion 401 facing inward.

[0133] In an optional embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the seam extends to the main traction portion corresponding to the rib where it is located. Isolation openings 600 are provided at one end of the main traction portion near the peripheral connection portion. Isolation openings 600 are symmetrically arranged on either side of the seam. Their function is similar to that of the stress isolation zone. Isolation openings 600 can be produced by etching or laser cutting.

[0134] In particular, the isolation opening 600 is used to eliminate concentrated stress generated by the right angle between the main traction portion and the peripheral connection portion, or the acute angle between the main traction portion and the auxiliary traction portion, or the acute angle between the auxiliary traction portion and the peripheral connection portion.

[0135] In the embodiment, the joint formed by splicing different raw materials 001, such as a weld, can be structured as follows: Figure 10 The cross-sectional view shown can be any of the forms (a), (b), and (c) in the figure.

[0136] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing the aforementioned mask plate. Figure 15 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0137] S10, splicing at least two raw materials to form a motherboard;

[0138] S20, removing the material of the motherboard at the opening by etching and / or laser cutting to form the ribs and the peripheral connecting portion;

[0139] S30, forming stress isolation areas on both sides of the raw material joint by etching and / or laser cutting;

[0140] Among them, step S10 is executed first, and step S20 and step S30 can be executed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0141] Optionally, the motherboard is formed by arranging two or more narrow raw materials along the width direction and welding them together, such as Figure 9 shown.

[0142] Optionally, the specific method of the aforementioned etching includes: pretreatment (rust removal, cleaning, drying, etc.), coating a photoresist film (wet film) or attaching a photoresist film (dry film), exposure / development, UV curing, etching, film stripping, etc.

[0143] The embodiment of the present application also provides a mask plate assembly, which includes a mask plate 1 as described in the above embodiment and any optional or preferred embodiment thereof, and a mask frame 2, the connection relationship between the two is as follows: Figure 13 or Figure 14 shown.

[0144] The mask plate 1 is connected to the mask frame 2 after being stretched. Figure 13 or Figure 14 The dotted line in the figure shows the welding area of ​​the two. After the two are joined, the redundant part including at least the traction part is cut off. The mask plate assembly after the cut off is as shown in FIG. Figure 14 shown.

[0145] In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the pulling portion and the peripheral connecting portion is cut away.

[0146] In a preferred embodiment, the mask frame 2 is a metal frame with a relatively strong structure and a thickness ranging from 5 mm to 80 mm. The thickness of the mask frame 2 is positively correlated with the size of the mask plate.

[0147] In summary, the use of the mask plate provided in the embodiments of the present application, its manufacturing method, and the mask plate assembly including such a mask plate, by splicing multiple raw materials to form a mother plate and then reprocessing it, can effectively utilize the existing raw material rolling equipment, and by setting a stress isolation zone, eliminate the uneven stress distribution at the splicing joints.

[0148] In addition, it has good flatness and shape accuracy, and in particular, can significantly improve the problem in the prior art that the edges of the peripheral openings of the mask plate are bent inward and deformed.

[0149] The above descriptions are only some specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A mask plate comprising a plurality of ribs (200) forming a plurality of openings (100) and a peripheral connection portion (300), characterized in that: The mask plate is formed on a mother plate formed by joining at least two raw materials (001), and has a seam (002) connecting different raw materials; Stress isolation regions (500) are provided on both sides of the joint (002), and the stress isolation regions (500) include a plurality of regularly arranged half-grooves or a plurality of through holes.

2. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of ribs (200) include: a plurality of first ribs (210), wherein the first ribs (210) extend along a first direction; a plurality of second ribs (220), wherein the second ribs (220) extend along a second direction; The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mask plate.

3. The mask according to claim 2, wherein: The seam (002) passes vertically through a plurality of ribs (200) parallel to each other and extends to a peripheral connecting portion (300); The stress isolation region (500) is arranged in the rib (200) region and / or the peripheral connection portion (300) region on both sides of the seam (002) along a direction perpendicular to the seam (002).

4. The mask according to claim 2, wherein: The seam (002) is located on at least one rib (200) and is parallel to the length direction of the rib (200), and the seam (002) extends to the peripheral connecting portion (300); The stress isolation region (500) is arranged in the rib (200) region and / or the peripheral connection portion (300) region on both sides of the seam (002) along a direction perpendicular to the seam (002).

5. The mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: The device further comprises a plurality of traction parts (400), wherein the traction parts (400) include at least a main traction part (401), wherein the main traction part (401) is coaxial with at least one rib (200); the main traction part (401) is connected to the coaxial rib (200), or is connected to the position where the peripheral connection part (300) is connected to the coaxial rib (200); The seam (002) extends to a main traction portion (401) coaxial with the rib (200) on which it is located.

6. The mask according to claim 1, wherein: The mask plate has a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface; The stress isolation region (500) includes a plurality of first half-grooves disposed on the first surface.

7. The mask according to claim 6, wherein: The stress isolation region (500) includes a plurality of second half grooves arranged on the second surface; The first half groove and the second half groove are aligned or staggered.

8. The mask according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The thickness of the bottom of the half-groove is not less than 1 / 5 of the thickness of the mask plate.

9. The mask according to claim 8, characterized in that: The thickness of the bottom of the half-groove is 1 / 5 to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the mask plate.

10. The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The half-grooved groove or through hole is circular, rectangular or long waist-shaped.

11. The mask according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that: The stress isolation region (500) comprises: a plurality of rows of half-grooves or through holes whose row direction is parallel to the seam (002); In a direction perpendicular to the seam (002), each row of half grooves or through holes is aligned or staggered.

12. The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The distance between the stress isolation region (500) and the opening (100) is not less than 2 mm.

13. The mask according to claim 12, wherein: The distance between the stress isolation region (500) and the opening (100) is 2 mm to 5 mm.

14. The mask according to claim 5, wherein: The traction part (400) further includes an auxiliary traction part (402); The auxiliary traction portion (402) and the main traction portion (401) have an included angle (θ), one end of the auxiliary traction portion (402) is connected to the side of the main traction portion (401), and the other end is connected to a position of the peripheral connection portion (300) where there is no connection rib (200).

15. The mask according to claim 5 or 14, characterized in that: At least two isolation openings (600) are provided at one end of the main traction portion (401) close to the peripheral connection portion (300); The at least two isolation openings (600) are symmetrically arranged with the joint (002) passing through the main traction part (401) as an axis.

16. The method for manufacturing a mask according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: include: S10, splicing at least two raw materials to form a motherboard; S20, removing the material of the motherboard at the opening by etching and / or laser cutting to form the ribs and the peripheral connecting portion; S30, forming stress isolation regions on both sides of the raw material joint by etching and / or laser cutting, wherein the stress isolation regions include a plurality of regularly arranged half-grooves or a plurality of through holes; Among them, step S10 is executed first, and step S20 and step S30 are executed sequentially or simultaneously.

17. A mask plate assembly, characterized in that: Comprising the mask plate (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and a mask frame (2); The mask plate (1) is connected to the mask frame (2) after being stretched, and the redundant portion is cut off.

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