Cutting line of metal mask

Abstract

The invention provides a cutting line of a metal mask. The cutting line is formed by alternately arranging a first etching blind hole row and a second etching blind hole row along the length direction of the cutting line, the first etching blind hole row comprises an odd number of etching blind holes, and the second etching blind hole row comprises an even number of etching blind holes; the cutting line is provided with a center line along the length direction of the cutting line, and the first etching blind hole row and the second etching blind hole row are symmetrical about the center line. By means of the arrangement, the cutting line can have certain strength, the metal mask cannot be snapped near the cutting line when the metal mask is subjected to net stretching, the metal mask can be flatly torn along the cutting line when the metal mask is split along the cutting line, and an effective area is not damaged; and the stress near the cutting line on the metal mask plate can be gradually transited, so that the swelling phenomenon is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of metal mask plates, and in particular to a cutting line of a metal mask plate. Background Art

[0002] Many film structures in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are formed by evaporation using metal masks, such as Figure 1 As shown, the metal mask 1 is welded to the mask frame in the form of a stretched mesh. After welding, the metal mask can be cut along the cutting lines 6 to remove the clamping area 8 outside the cutting lines. The metal mask 1 can be bent or torn along the cutting lines 6 using a cutting tool to remove the clamping area 8. The design of the cutting lines directly affects the cutting effect. Specifically, the structural design of the cutting lines must ensure that the metal mask 1 will not be broken near the cutting lines 6 when the metal mask 1 is stretched, and that the metal mask 1 can be torn smoothly along the cutting lines 6 when it is split, without damaging the active area 7.

[0003] In the prior art, the design of cutting lines usually adopts the structural design of a half-engraved cutting line on the entire surface. As shown in Figure 2 (a) of the specification, it is a top view of the half-engraved cutting line on the entire surface, and Figure 2 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting line. However, there are some problems in actual application. On the one hand, in the width direction of the half-engraved cutting line on the entire surface, the center line of the groove of the cutting line is the weakest position on the entire metal mask. When tearing along the cutting line, it often breaks at the center line of the groove of the cutting line. When the mesh is stretched, the metal mask is also easily pulled apart at the center line of the cutting line, thereby affecting the normal progress of subsequent processes. On the other hand, a half-engraved groove suddenly appears on the metal mask. Due to the lack of stress transition, the two sides of the cutting line on the metal mask are warped, resulting in bulging. This bulging phenomenon not only affects the structural integrity of the metal mask, but may also cause problems in the evaporation deposition process of the display panel, thereby affecting the display effect and service life of the display panel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a cutting line for a metal mask, which has a certain strength so that the metal mask will not be broken near the cutting line when the metal mask is stretched, and can also ensure that the metal mask can be torn smoothly along the cutting line when splitting without damaging the effective area; and the stress near the cutting line on the metal mask can be gradually transitioned to reduce bulging.

[0005] The specific plan is as follows.

[0006] A cutting line of a metal mask, wherein along the length direction of the cutting line, the cutting line is formed by alternating a first row of etched blind holes and a second row of etched blind holes, wherein the first row of etched blind holes includes an odd number of etched blind holes, and the second row of etched blind holes includes an even number of etched blind holes; the cutting line has a center line along its length direction, and the first row of etched blind holes and the second row of etched blind holes are symmetrical about the center line.

[0007] Furthermore, each of the etched blind holes is hemispherical, and the distance between the lowest point of each of the etched blind holes and the bottom surface of the metal mask is the residual thickness of the etched blind hole. Along the width direction of the cutting line, the residual thickness of the etched blind holes in the first etched blind hole row and the second etched blind hole row is thin in the middle and thick on both sides.

[0008] Furthermore, in the first row of etched blind vias and the second row of etched blind vias, sidewalls of two adjacent etched blind vias are directly connected to form a ridge-like structure.

[0009] Furthermore, along the length direction of the cutting line, the center line passes through the center of the middlemost blind hole in the first etched blind hole row and the connection between the two middlemost blind holes in the second etched blind hole row.

[0010] Furthermore, in the first row of etched blind vias and the second row of etched blind vias, the residual thickness of the connection point between two adjacent etched blind vias gradually decreases from a direction away from the center line to a direction close to the center line.

[0011] Furthermore, in the first row of etched blind holes and the second row of etched blind holes, the radius of each etched blind hole is the same.

[0012] Furthermore, in the first row of etched blind holes and the second row of etched blind holes, the radius of the etched blind holes gradually increases from a direction away from the center line to a direction close to the center line.

[0013] Furthermore, in the first row of etched blind vias and the second row of etched blind vias, the residual thickness of the etched blind vias increases linearly or nonlinearly from the middle to both sides.

[0014] Furthermore, in the first row of etched blind holes or the second row of etched blind holes, the residual thickness of the middlemost blind hole is at least half of the thickness of the metal mask.

[0015] Furthermore, along the length direction of the cutting line, the side walls of two adjacent etched blind holes are directly connected to form a ridge-like structure.

[0016] The present invention has the following technical effects: (1) The present invention comprises a first row of etched blind holes and a second row of etched blind holes, respectively, which are composed of an odd number of etched blind holes and an even number of etched blind holes, and they are arranged alternately. The center line of the cutting line alternately passes through the center of the middle blind hole of the first row of etched blind holes and the middle of the two middle blind holes of the second row of etched blind holes. On the one hand, the strength distribution of the entire cutting line can be improved, so that the cutting line has sufficient strength to avoid being broken when the net is stretched. On the other hand, the stress inside the metal mask is effectively dispersed and buffered from the metal mask outside the cutting line to the center line of the cutting line, thereby reducing the occurrence of bulging.

[0017] (2) The present invention provides a cutting line of a metal mask, which is composed of multiple rows of etched blind holes. By introducing a residual thickness gradient design in each row of etched blind holes, the residual thickness of the cutting line becomes smaller and smaller from both sides of the cutting line to the center line of the cutting line, which has two outstanding technical effects: A) Through the above setting, the transition from the two sides of the cutting line on the metal mask to the center of the cutting line is achieved. As the residual thickness of the cutting line becomes smaller and smaller, the stress inside the metal mask also gradually transitions from the two sides of the cutting line to the center of the cutting line instead of suddenly changing, thus further reducing the occurrence of bulging. B) On the other hand, since the residual thickness of the cutting line decreases from both sides to the center, the stress can be evenly released during the tearing process from the cutting line, making it easier to tear the metal mask flatly on the cutting line, avoiding uneven or incomplete tearing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the metal mask structure.

[0020] FIG2( a ) is a top view of a half-engraved cutting line on a metal mask in the prior art, and FIG2( b ) is a cross-sectional view of a half-engraved cutting line on a whole surface.

[0021] FIG3( a ) is a top view of a cutting line of a metal mask provided in Example 1 of the present invention, and FIG3( b ) is a cross-sectional view of a cutting line of a metal mask provided in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a top view of the cutting lines of a metal mask provided in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0023] FIG5( a ) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first row of etched blind holes in a cutting line of a metal mask provided in Example 2 of the present invention, and FIG5( b ) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second row of etched blind holes in a cutting line of a metal mask provided in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0024] In the figure, 1. metal mask, 2. etched blind hole, 3. center line, 4. first etched blind hole row, 5. second etched blind hole row, 6. cutting line, 7. effective area, 8. clamping area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1 As shown in Figure 3(a) of the specification, which is a top view of the cutting line of this embodiment, the cutting line is composed of multiple rows of blind holes along its length. Specifically, the cutting line is composed of a first row of etched blind holes 4 and a second row of etched blind holes 5 arranged alternately. The first row of etched blind holes 4 includes an odd number of etched blind holes 2, and the second row of etched blind holes 5 includes an even number of etched blind holes 2. Along its length, the cutting line has a centerline 3, and the first row of etched blind holes 4 and the second row of etched blind holes 5 are symmetrical relative to the centerline 3.

[0027] Figure 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first row of etched blind vias 4 along the width of the cutting line. Each etched blind via 2 is hemispherical, and two adjacent etched blind vias 2 are independently distributed and do not touch each other. Similarly, as shown in Figure 3(a), along the length of the cutting line, two adjacent etched blind vias 2 are independently distributed and do not touch each other.

[0028] The cutting line of this embodiment has the following technical effects.

[0029] (1) Compared with the prior art in which a continuous groove is suddenly formed on the entire metal mask along the length of the half-cut line, the stress rapidly changes at different positions on the metal mask, that is, from the metal mask outside the cutting line to the center of the cutting line groove. The cutting line of this embodiment is formed by alternating the first etched blind hole row 4 and the second etched blind hole row 5 in the length direction, that is, the odd-numbered blind hole row and the even-numbered blind hole row are alternately arranged. As a result, the stress inside the metal mask from the metal mask outside the cutting line to the center line of the cutting line is effectively dispersed and buffered, thereby reducing the occurrence of bulging.

[0030] (2) In the prior art, the residual thickness of the entire half-cut line is the smallest at the center line of the cutting line. Therefore, the metal mask is easily broken at the center line of the cutting line when the mesh is stretched. In this embodiment, the first etched blind hole row 4 and the second etched blind hole row 5 are respectively composed of an odd number of etched blind holes and an even number of etched blind holes, and are arranged alternately. The center line 3 of the cutting line alternately passes through the center of the middlemost etched blind hole in the first etched blind hole row 4 and the middle position of the two middlemost blind holes in the second etched blind hole row 5. This improves the strength distribution of the entire cutting line, so that the cutting line has sufficient strength to avoid being broken when the mesh is stretched.

[0031] Example 2 This embodiment discloses a cutting line of a metal mask, such as Figure 4 FIG5( a ) and FIG5( b ) are top views of the cutting line of this embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, along the length of the cutting line, the cutting line is composed of multiple rows of etched blind vias. Specifically, along the length of the cutting line, the cutting line is composed of a first row of etched blind vias 4 and a second row of etched blind vias 5 arranged alternately. The first row of etched blind vias 4 includes an odd number of etched blind vias 2, and the second row of etched blind vias 5 includes an even number of etched blind vias 2. Along the entire cutting line, a center line 3 is defined along its length, and the first row of etched blind vias 4 and the second row of etched blind vias 5 are symmetrically distributed relative to the center line 3.

[0032] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are schematic cross-sectional views of the first and second rows of etched blind vias 4 and 5, respectively, along the cutting line of this embodiment. Each etched blind via 2 is hemispherical in shape. Unlike Example 1, in this embodiment, the distance between the lowest point of each etched blind via 2 and the bottom surface of the metal mask 1 is the residual thickness of the etched blind via 2. Furthermore, along the width of the cutting line, the residual thickness of each row of etched blind vias 2 exhibits a distribution that is thin in the middle and thick at the edges. For example, in Figure 5(a), the first row of etched blind vias 4 includes a total of five etched blind vias. From one side of the cutting line to the centerline 3 of the cutting line, the residual thickness heights of the etched blind vias are H1, H2, and H3, respectively, with H1 > H2 > H3. In Figure 5(b), the second row of etched blind vias 5 includes a total of four etched blind vias. From one side of the cutting line to the centerline 3 of the cutting line, the residual thickness heights of the etched blind vias are H4, H5, and H4 > H5, respectively.

[0033] Through the above arrangement, a transition is made from both sides of the cutting line on the metal mask 1 to the center line 3 of the cutting line. As the residual thickness of the blind hole 2 etched on the cutting line becomes smaller and smaller, the stress inside the metal mask 1 also undergoes a continuous gradual transition from both sides of the cutting line to the center line 3 of the cutting line rather than a sudden change, thereby further reducing the occurrence of bulging. On the other hand, since the residual thickness of the cutting line becomes smaller from both sides to the center, the stress can be evenly released during the tearing process from the cutting line, thereby avoiding uneven or incomplete tearing.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in FIG5( a ) and FIG5 ( b ), in either the first etched blind via row 4 or the second etched blind via row 5 , in each row of etched blind vias, the sidewalls of two adjacent etched blind vias 2 are directly connected to form a ridge-like structure.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in FIG5(a) and FIG5(b), along the width direction of the cutting line, on both sides of the center line 3, the residual thickness of the connection point of two adjacent etched blind holes 2 gradually decreases from far away from the center line 3 to close to the center line 3.

[0036] Through the above-mentioned setting, the effect of the continuous gradual change of the stress inside the metal mask from both sides of the cutting line to the center line 3 of the cutting line can be further enhanced, thereby further reducing the occurrence of the bulging phenomenon; and further improving the effect of uniform stress release of the cutting line during the tearing process, thereby avoiding uneven or incomplete tearing.

[0037] FIG5( a ) shows a cross-sectional view of the first etched blind hole row, and FIG5( b ) shows a cross-sectional view of the second etched blind hole row. Along the length direction of the cutting line, the center line 3 passes through the center of the middlemost blind hole of the first etched blind hole row and the connection between the two middlemost blind holes of the second etched blind hole row.

[0038] Furthermore, in each row of etched blind holes, the radius of each etched blind hole 2 is the same, as shown in FIG. 5( a ) and FIG. 5( b ).

[0039] Alternatively, in each row of etched blind holes, the radius of the etched blind holes 2 gradually increases from away from the center line 3 to closer to the center line 3. By means of the above arrangement, the effect of gradual stress change inside the metal mask can be further enhanced.

[0040] Furthermore, in each row of etched blind holes, the residual thickness of the etched blind holes 2 increases linearly or nonlinearly from the middle to both sides.

[0041] Further, such as Figure 4As shown, along the length direction of the cutting line, the side walls of two adjacent etched blind holes 2 are directly connected to form a ridge-like structure, which is similar to the width direction of the cutting line, so that the metal mask can be easily torn along the length direction of the cutting line, and the stress can be evenly released during the tearing process, avoiding uneven or incomplete tearing.

[0042] Furthermore, to ensure the strength of the cutting line, the residual thickness of the middlemost etched blind hole 2 in each row of etched blind holes is at least half of the metal mask thickness H0, thereby ensuring that the mesh will not break at the cutting line when stretched.

[0043] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A metal mask cutting line, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the cutting line, the cutting line is formed by alternating a first row of etched blind holes and a second row of etched blind holes, the first row of etched blind holes includes an odd number of etched blind holes, and the second row of etched blind holes includes an even number of etched blind holes; the cutting line has a center line along its length direction, and the first row of etched blind holes and the second row of etched blind holes are symmetrical about the center line.

2. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the etched blind holes is hemispherical, and the distance between the lowest point of each of the etched blind holes and the bottom surface of the metal mask is the residual thickness of the etched blind hole. Along the width direction of the cutting line, the residual thickness of the etched blind holes in the first etched blind hole row and the second etched blind hole row is thin in the middle and thick on both sides.

3. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the first row of etched blind vias and the second row of etched blind vias, sidewalls of two adjacent etched blind vias are directly connected to form a ridge-shaped structure.

4. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 3, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the cutting line, the center line passes through the center of the middlemost blind hole in the first etched blind hole row and the connection between the two middlemost blind holes in the second etched blind hole row.

5. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the first row of etched blind vias and the second row of etched blind vias, the residual thickness of the connection point between two adjacent etched blind vias gradually decreases from a direction away from the center line to a direction close to the center line.

6. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first row of etched blind holes and the second row of etched blind holes, the radius of each etched blind hole is the same.

7. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first row of etched blind holes and the second row of etched blind holes, the radius of the etched blind holes gradually increases from a direction away from the center line to a direction close to the center line.

8. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the first row of etched blind vias and the second row of etched blind vias, the residual thickness of the etched blind vias increases linearly or nonlinearly from the middle to both sides.

9. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the first row of etched blind holes or the second row of etched blind holes, the residual thickness of the middlemost blind hole is at least half of the thickness of the metal mask.

10. The metal mask cutting line according to claim 3, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the cutting line, the side walls of two adjacent etched blind holes are directly connected to form a ridge-like structure.

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