Metal plate, manufacturing method of the same, and manufacturing method of metal mask

Abstract

To provide a long-sized metal plate with a high uniformity over a wide range, a manufacturing method of the same, a metal mask obtained from the metal plate, and a manufacturing method of the metal plate.SOLUTION: In a long-sized metal plate for manufacturing a metal mask, when each elongation difference rate En in a unit length L0 in a longer direction is measured to an arbitrary position n in a width direction of the metal plate in multiple arbitrary positions in the longer direction of the metal plate, the elongation difference rate En in a center part in the width direction in the multiple positions is 9.0×10-6 or less, and the center part is a portion occupying 80% in the width direction excluding both side parts which occupying 10% of the metal plate in the width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a metal plate and a manufacturing method thereof, and a manufacturing method of a metal mask. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, display devices used in portable devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs are required to have high definition, for example, a pixel density of 500 ppi or more. There is also an increasing demand for portable devices to support ultra-high definition (UHD), and in this case, it is preferable that the pixel density of the display device is, for example, 800 ppi or more.

[0003] Among display devices, organic EL display devices have been attracting attention due to their good response, low power consumption, and high contrast. As a method for forming pixels of an organic EL display device, a method is known in which a metal mask having through holes arranged in a desired pattern is used to form pixels in the desired pattern. Specifically, a metal mask is first attached to a substrate for an organic EL display device, and then the attached metal mask and the substrate are both placed in a deposition device to perform a deposition process in which an organic material is deposited on the substrate. This allows pixels containing an organic material to be formed on the substrate in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the through holes in the metal mask.

[0004] As a method for manufacturing a metal mask, a method for forming a through hole in a metal plate by etching using a photolithography technique is known. For example, first, a first resist pattern is formed on a first surface of a metal plate by exposure and development processing, and a second resist pattern is formed on a second surface of the metal plate by exposure and development processing. Next, a region of the first surface of the metal plate that is not covered by the first resist pattern is etched to form a first recess in the first surface of the metal plate. After that, a region of the second surface of the metal plate that is not covered by the second resist pattern is etched to form a second recess in the second surface of the metal plate. At this time, etching is performed so that the first recess and the second recess communicate with each other, thereby making it possible to form a through hole penetrating the metal plate (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-148743 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The metal plate for producing the metal mask is produced, for example, by rolling a base material made of an iron alloy containing nickel. The thinner the metal plate is rolled, the higher the dimensional accuracy of the through holes in the obtained metal mask. However, on the other hand, the rolling causes a certain amount of wavy shape to appear in the metal plate. When such a wavy shape appears, there is a risk that the dimensional accuracy of the through holes formed in the metal plate will decrease.

[0007] Therefore, evaluation of the corrugation shape of the metal sheet is important from the viewpoint of quality assurance of the metal sheet. On the other hand, the metal sheet obtained by rolling is very long. Therefore, from the viewpoint of quality assurance of the entire metal sheet, it is preferable to evaluate the corrugation shape of the metal sheet over a wider range.

[0008] However, conventional measuring devices for evaluating the waviness of metal sheets measure samples cut from metal sheets one by one. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the waviness of metal sheets over a wide area. In addition, a long metal sheet has some areas where the waviness is hardly seen and some areas where the waviness is seen. Therefore, even if a result showing less waviness is obtained by measuring the sheet, this is a partial result and does not mean that the waviness is less over the entire long metal sheet.

[0009] In addition, when an etching process using photolithography is performed on a roll of metal sheet, if a measurement sample is cut from the middle part of the roll of metal sheet, the roll itself will be divided, which will have a large effect on the etching process. Therefore, in this case, the measurement sample is cut from the tip of the roll of metal sheet. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the waviness shape over a wide range including the middle part of the roll of metal sheet with a conventional sheet-feed type measuring device.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a long metal plate that is highly homogeneous over a wider area, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method for manufacturing a metal mask using the metal plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal plate comprises: A long metal plate used for manufacturing a metal mask, When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the metal plate in the width direction, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the metal plate in the width direction.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal plate comprises: A long metal plate used for manufacturing a metal mask, When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The multiple positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate internally into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction.

[0013] A method for manufacturing a metal plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A method for manufacturing a long metal plate used to manufacture a metal mask, comprising the steps of: A rolling process is included in which the base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate. The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, The difference in the elongation differential rate En at the multiple positions is 9.0×10 -6 The following is the result.

[0014] A method for manufacturing a metal plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A method for manufacturing a long metal plate used to manufacture a metal mask, comprising the steps of: A rolling process is included in which the base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate. The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, The difference in the elongation differential rate En at the multiple positions is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The multiple positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate internally into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction.

[0015] A method for producing a metal mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of: A rolling process of rolling the base material to prepare a long metal plate; and an etching step of forming the metal mask by etching the metal plate, The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, The difference in the elongation differential rate En at the multiple positions is 9.0×10 -6 The following is the result.

[0016] A method for producing a metal mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of: A rolling process of rolling the base material to prepare a long metal plate; and an etching step of forming the metal mask by etching the metal plate, The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, The difference in the elongation differential rate En at the multiple positions is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The multiple positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate internally into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a long metal plate having high uniformity over a wider range, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method for manufacturing a metal mask using the metal plate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a long metal plate according to the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1B is an enlarged view of a region Sk of the long metal plate in FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] 1C is a cross-sectional view of the metal plate of FIG. 1B in the longitudinal direction. [Figure 1D] FIG. 2 is a top view of the metal plate in FIG. 1B. [Figure 1E] 1E is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship of lengths when the surface of the metal plate in FIG. 1D is measured in the longitudinal direction at each position n in the width direction. [Figure 1F] 1C is a graph for explaining the differential elongation rate En at each position n in the width direction of the metal plate of FIG. 1B. [Figure 1G] 1 is a graph showing differential elongation profiles of a long metal plate at multiple arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction, superimposed on each other. [Figure 1H] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of a long metal plate according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a long metal plate having a corrugated shape. [Figure 2B] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of an exposure process for a long metal plate. [Figure 2C] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of an etching process for a long metal plate. [Figure 2D] FIG. 1 is a top view of a metal mask reflecting distortion due to a wavy shape. [Figure 2E] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which tension is applied to the metal mask in the longitudinal direction. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a metal plate measuring device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the first to third steps. [Figure 3C] 1 shows a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for measuring a metal plate. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a rolling step. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of an annealing step. [Figure 5A]1 is a schematic plan view showing a metal mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 4 is a schematic perspective view showing one aspect of a perforated region as viewed from the second surface side. FIG. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of cross section II shown in FIG. 5B. [Figure 5D] 4 is a schematic perspective view showing one aspect of a perforated region as viewed from the second surface side. FIG. [Figure 6A] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a metal mask. [Figure 6B] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a process for forming a resist film on a metal plate. [Figure 6C] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a process for patterning a resist film. [Figure 6D] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of a first surface etching step. [Figure 6E] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of a second surface etching step. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a metal mask apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a deposition apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to this specification, the scale and the aspect ratio may be appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual objects for the convenience of illustration and understanding.

[0020] In this specification and / or drawings, unless otherwise specified, the following interpretations are to be made.

[0021] Terms that refer to a material that is the basis of a certain structure do not necessarily have to be distinguished by differences in name alone. For example, terms such as "substrate," "base material," "plate," "sheet," or "film" fall under the above description.

[0022] The terms and / or values ​​that mean the shape and / or geometric conditions do not need to be bound by strict meanings, and may be interpreted as including a range within which similar functions may be expected. For example, "parallel" and / or "orthogonal" fall under the above terms. Also, "length value" and / or "angle value" fall under the above numerical values.

[0023] When a certain configuration is expressed as being "above," "below," "upper," "lower," "above," or "below" another configuration, this may include a configuration in which the certain configuration is in direct contact with the other configuration, and a configuration in which another configuration is included between the certain configuration and the other configuration. In other words, a configuration in which another configuration is included between the certain configuration and the other configuration may be expressed as a configuration indirectly in contact with the other configuration. In addition, the expressions "above," "upper side," or "upper" can be replaced with the expressions "below," "lower side," or "lower." In other words, the up-down direction may be reversed.

[0024] When the same or similar symbols are used for the same parts and / or parts having similar functions, repeated description may be omitted. In addition, the dimensional ratios in the drawings may differ from the actual ratios. In addition, part of the configuration of the embodiment may be omitted from the drawings.

[0025] One or more of the embodiments may be combined with one or more of the modified examples as long as no contradictions arise. Also, one or more of the embodiments may be combined with each other as long as no contradictions arise. Also, one or more of the modified examples may be combined with each other as long as no contradictions arise.

[0026] When a plurality of steps are disclosed for a method such as a manufacturing method, other steps that are not disclosed may be performed between the disclosed steps. In addition, the order of the steps is not limited to the extent that no contradiction occurs.

[0027] Numerical ranges expressed by the symbols "~" and / or "-" include the numerical values ​​before and after the symbols "~" and / or "-". For example, a numerical range expressed as "34 to 38% by mass" is the same as a numerical range expressed as "34% by mass or more and 38% by mass or less".

[0028] For the numerical values ​​described in this disclosure, a numerical range may be defined by combining any one of a plurality of upper limit candidate values ​​with any one of a plurality of lower limit candidate values. In addition, even if not specifically mentioned, a numerical range may be defined by combining any two of a plurality of upper limit candidate values, or a numerical range may be defined by combining any two of a plurality of lower limit candidate values.

[0029] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in the following paragraphs. The embodiment of the present disclosure is an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] The metal plate of the present disclosure is a long metal plate used to manufacture a metal mask. The metal mask can be used for various purposes. Although not particularly limited, for example, the metal mask can be used as a metal mask used to pattern an organic material on a substrate in a desired pattern in the manufacture of an organic electroluminescence display device. The metal mask is also called a deposition mask. In addition, the metal mask of the present disclosure can enable patterning with high pixel density. Organic electroluminescence display devices that can be manufactured include displays for smartphones and televisions, as well as devices for displaying or projecting images and videos to express virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

[0031] The first aspect of the present disclosure is A long metal plate used for manufacturing a metal mask, When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate. It is a metal plate.

[0032] A second aspect of the present disclosure is A long metal plate used for manufacturing a metal mask, When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The plurality of positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. It is a metal plate.

[0033] A third aspect of the present disclosure is the metal plate of the first or second aspect described above, At the multiple positions, the maximum value of the elongation difference rate En at the center in the width direction is 2.5 × 10 -5 The following is the result.

[0034] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the metal sheet according to any one of the first to third aspects described above, which is in a roll form.

[0035] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a metal plate according to any one of the first to fourth aspects described above, wherein the metal plate has a length in the longitudinal direction of 50 to 800 m.

[0036] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the metal plate according to any one of the first to fifth aspects described above, wherein the thickness is 50 μm or less.

[0037] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is A rolling process is included in which the base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate. The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate. This is a method for manufacturing a long metal plate used to manufacture metal masks.

[0038] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is A rolling process is included in which the base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate. The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The plurality of positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. This is a method for manufacturing a long metal plate used to manufacture metal masks.

[0039] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising: A rolling process of rolling the base material to prepare a long metal plate; and an etching step of forming the metal mask by etching the metal plate, The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate. A method for manufacturing a metal mask.

[0040] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: A rolling process of rolling the base material to prepare a long metal plate; and an etching step of forming the metal mask by etching the metal plate, The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The plurality of positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. A method for manufacturing a metal mask.

[0041] Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing an example of a long metal plate 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Although Fig. 1A shows an embodiment in which the long metal plate 100 is stretched, the long metal plate 100 may be wound into a roll.

[0042] The length in the width direction D1 of the long metal plate 100 is preferably 200 mm or more, 300 mm or more, 350 mm or more, 400 mm or more, 450 mm or more, or may be 500 mm or more. The length in the width direction D1 of the long metal plate 100 is preferably 800 mm or less, 750 mm or less, 700 mm or less, 650 mm or less, 600 mm or less, or 550 mm or less. The length in the width direction D1 of the long metal plate 100 is preferably 300 mm to 800 mm, 350 mm to 750 mm, 400 mm to 700 mm, or 450 mm to 650 mm.

[0043] The total length of the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 is preferably 50 m or more, 100 m or more, 150 m or more, 200 m or more, 300 m or more, 400 m or more, or may be 500 m or more. The total length of the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 is preferably 1200 m or less, 1000 m or less, 800 m or less, 700 m or less, or may be 600 m or less. The total length of the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 is preferably 50 m to 1200 m, 50 m to 1000 m, 50 m to 800 m, or may be 100 m to 800 m.

[0044] The thickness of the long metal plate 100 is preferably 100 μm or less, 50 μm or less, 45 μm or less, 40 μm or less, 35 μm or less, 30 μm or less, 25 μm or less, or may be 20 μm or less. The thickness of the long metal plate 100 is preferably 2.5 μm or more, 5 μm or more, 10 μm or more, or may be 15 μm or more. The thickness of the long metal plate 100 is preferably 2.5 to 100 μm, 5 to 50 μm, or 10 to 40 μm. By reducing the thickness, the holed region 22 of the metal mask 20 described below can be made thinner, and adhesion of the deposition material 98 to the second wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 in the deposition process tends to be suppressed. By increasing the thickness, the strength of the metal mask 20 tends to be further improved. As a result, for example, deformation and breakage of the holed region 22 tend to be further suppressed.

[0045] In order to reduce the thickness, it is possible to increase the rolling ratio in the rolling step in the manufacturing method of the long metal plate 100. However, simply increasing the rolling ratio tends to increase the degree of non-uniformity of deformation due to rolling, making it easier for a wavy shape to occur, as described later.

[0046] The material constituting the long metal plate 100 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include iron alloys containing nickel, iron alloys containing chromium such as stainless steel, nickel, and nickel-cobalt alloys.

[0047] Among these, an iron alloy containing nickel is preferable. By using an iron alloy containing nickel, the thermal expansion coefficient of the metal mask 20 obtained from the long metal plate 100 can be made equal to the thermal expansion coefficient of the frame 15 and the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate 92 (see FIG. 8). This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of misalignment caused by differences in dimensional changes among the metal mask 20, the frame 15, and the substrate 92 during the deposition process. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the dimensional accuracy and positional accuracy of the deposition material 98 attached to the substrate 92 caused by the misalignment.

[0048] Examples of iron alloys containing nickel include, but are not limited to, iron alloys containing 30% by mass or more and 54% by mass or less of nickel, such as Super Invar material containing 30% by mass or more and 34% by mass or less of nickel and further containing cobalt, Invar material containing 34% by mass or more and 38% by mass or less of nickel, and low-thermal expansion Fe-Ni-based plating alloys containing 48% by mass or more and 54% by mass or less of nickel.

[0049] Fig. 1B is an enlarged view of region Sk in Fig. 1A. Region Sk is an arbitrary location in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100. Region Sk is a region surrounded by two sides 131 parallel to the width direction D1 of the long metal plate 100 and two side edges 130. The distance between the two sides 131 is unit length L0 in the longitudinal direction D2. Hereinafter, the portion of the long metal plate 100 corresponding to region Sk is also referred to as "metal plate 100k".

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1B, the long metal plate 100 has a corrugated shape at least partially. The corrugated shape is caused by the fact that the length of the metal plate 100k in the longitudinal direction D2 in the region Sk varies depending on the position in the width direction D1. The degree of the corrugated shape can be evaluated by the differential elongation rate En. The "region Sk" indicates the range in which the differential elongation rate En of the present disclosure is measured at one time. In addition, the "unit length L0" indicates the length in the longitudinal direction D2 when measuring the differential elongation rate En of the present disclosure.

[0051] From the viewpoint of evaluating the effect of the elongation difference rate En in the metal mask 20, the unit length L0 may be approximately the same as the length of the metal mask 20 in the longitudinal direction. When the unit length L0 is the same as the length of the metal mask 20 in the longitudinal direction, it may be preferably 1000 mm or more and 1800 mm or less, and may be, for example, 980 mm, 1280 mm, or 1648 mm. The unit length L0 is the length of the metal plate 100k when viewed in a plan view.

[0052] Fig. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the metal plate 100k in the longitudinal direction D2 of Fig. 1B. Each of the cross-sectional views (a) to (d) in Fig. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines aa, bb, cc, and dd in Fig. 1B. The lines aa, bb, cc, and dd are all parallel to the longitudinal direction D2.

[0053] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1C, the cross-sectional view (d) passing through a location close to the side edge 130 has the largest waves. Then, as can be seen from a comparison of the cross-sectional views (b) to (d), the waves gradually become smaller as one moves from the side edge 130 in the width direction D1 toward the center. Also, as can be seen from a comparison of the cross-sectional views (b) and (a), the waves are slightly larger in the cross-sectional view (a).

[0054] In the present disclosure, the differential elongation rate En is measured for a unit length L0 in the longitudinal direction D2 with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction D1 of the metal plate 100k. That is, the differential elongation rate En is measured from a cross-sectional view at an arbitrary position n in the width direction D1, such as cross-sectional views (a) to (d).

[0055] 1C(a)-(d), for example, two waves having periods La-Ld and heights Ha-Hd are shown in a unit length L0. The number of waves per unit length L0 is not particularly limited and may be one, or three or more.

[0056] Fig. 1D is a top view of the metal plate 100k of Fig. 1B. When viewed from above, the metal plate 100k having a unit length L0 actually has a corrugated shape as shown in cross-sectional views (a) to (d) in Fig. 1C. Therefore, the length of the metal plate 100k on the surface along the corrugated shape is longer than the unit length L0.

[0057] Fig. 1E is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship of lengths when the first surface 110 of the metal plate 100k in Fig. 1D is measured in the longitudinal direction D2 at each position n in the width direction. Fig. 1E shows the length Ln on the surface of the metal plate 100k along the corrugated shape when measured in the longitudinal direction D2 at the position n in the width direction. The length Ln on the surface of the metal plate 100k along the corrugated shape can be said to be the length in the longitudinal direction D2 of the metal plate 100k when the metal plate 100k is pulled in the longitudinal direction D2 to flatten the waves.

[0058] Here, the "elongation difference rate" in the present disclosure is a value calculated by the following formula using the minimum value L(min) of Ln and the difference ΔLn between L(min) and Ln. Elongation differential rate at position n En = ΔLn / L (min)

[0059] For example, consider a sample of 100k metal plate with a width of 500 mm and a length of 1280 mm (unit length L0). When the surface of this sample is measured in the length direction D2, the minimum value L (min) is 1280.1352 mm at a point +75 mm from the center. At this time, L is 1280.1612 mm at a point +0 mm from the center, and ΔL is 26.0 μm. Under these assumptions, the elongation difference rate E at the point +0 mm from the center is 2.0×10 -5 (=26.0μm / 1281.1352mm).

[0060] Note that the above example is a numerical example for explaining the differential elongation rate of the present disclosure, and is not related to the examples of the metal plate and the like of the present disclosure.

[0061] FIG. 1F shows a graph representing the elongation difference rate En at each position n in the width direction D1 of the metal plate 100k. In FIG. 1F, the horizontal axis indicates the position in the width direction D1 of the metal plate 100k. In FIG. 1F, for a metal plate 100k with a width of 500 mm, the horizontal axis is shown in coordinates of ±250 mm (±50%) at the side edge 130, with the center position in the width direction D1 being 0 mm (0%). Points a to d in FIG. 1F respectively indicate the positions of the aa line, the bb line, the cc line, and the dd line in the width direction D1. FIG. 1F can illustrate the change in the elongation difference rate En in the width direction D1 of the metal plate 100k. A graph showing the change in the elongation difference rate En in the width direction D1 of the metal plate 100k as in FIG. 1F, or data showing the change, is also referred to as a "differential elongation rate profile" in the present disclosure.

[0062] Point a is located at the center (0 mm [0%]) of the metal plate 100k in the width direction D1. Point d is located (-225 mm [-45%]) on the side edge 130 side of the metal plate 100k in the width direction D1. Points b and c are located at the internal division points (-75 mm [-15%], -150 mm [-30%]) that divide the distance between points a and d into thirds.

[0063] In the present disclosure, the range of ±40% from the center position in the width direction D1 is referred to as the central portion 140, and the range from the end of the central portion 140 to the side edge 130 is referred to as the side portion 150. In other words, the central portion 140 is a portion excluding both side portions 150, which occupy 10% of the width direction D1 of the long metal plate 100, and the central portion 140 is a portion occupying 80% of the width direction D1. The vertical axis indicates the elongation difference rate En at an arbitrary position n in the width direction D1 of the metal plate 100k.

[0064] 1F, one tendency of the differential elongation rate profile is that a maximum value of the differential elongation rate En appears near the central portion 140 in the width direction of the long metal plate 100 (point a). Also, a minimum value of the differential elongation rate En appears at a position slightly away from the central portion 140 in the width direction of the long metal plate 100 toward the side edge 130 (point b). Also, as moving from point b toward the side edge 130 in the width direction D1, the differential elongation rate En increases (point c), and the value of the differential elongation rate En becomes maximum at the side edge 130 in the width direction D1 (point d). However, the shape of the differential elongation rate profile is not limited to this.

[0065] Fig. 1G is a graph in which the differential elongation profile shown in Fig. 1F is measured at multiple arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction D2, and the differential elongation profiles at the multiple positions are superimposed. As shown in Fig. 1G, the differential elongation profiles at the multiple positions may each have a slightly different shape.

[0066] It should be noted that the width of the metal plate 100k of 500 mm in FIGS. 1F and 1G is merely an example, and the metal plate 100k may be wider or narrower.

[0067] If the differential elongation rate profile of the long metal plate 100 differs depending on the position in the longitudinal direction D2, the shape of the obtained metal mask 20 will vary when the metal mask 20 is cut out from each position of the long metal plate 100. For this reason, it is preferable that the differential elongation rate profiles depending on the position in the longitudinal direction D2 are the same or have a small difference.

[0068] This point will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2A to 2E. Figures 2A to 2E partially show the process of manufacturing a metal mask device 10 from a long metal plate 100. Also, Figures 2A to 2C show enlarged views of arbitrary regions of the long metal plate 100.

[0069] First, as shown in FIG. 2A, a long metal plate 100 having at least a partial corrugated shape is assumed. FIG. 2B shows a schematic diagram of a process of forming a first resist pattern 53c on the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100 and a second resist pattern 53d on the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 and exposing the plate to light. In this process, an exposure mask is brought into close contact with the first resist pattern 53c and the second resist pattern 53d on the long metal plate 100 by vacuum suction or the like. Therefore, the corrugated shape of the long metal plate 100 is compressed, and the long metal plate 100 becomes almost flat. In this flat state, a predetermined resist pattern is formed so as to define the outline of the metal mask 20 in the portion shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2B.

[0070] Next, Fig. 2C shows a schematic perspective view of the etching process through a resist pattern. In this process, the exposure mask is removed from the long metal plate 100, and the corrugated shape is restored to the extent shown in Fig. 2A. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2C, the outer shape 27 of the metal mask 20 obtained by the etching process also has a shape that reflects the corrugated shape. Specifically, the outer shape 27 of the metal mask 20 is likely to curve toward the side with the larger corrugated shape (the side closer to the side edge 130).

[0071] By performing etching in a state in which the wavy shape is restored as shown in Fig. 2C, a metal mask 20 is obtained in which the distortion due to the wavy shape is reflected as shown in Fig. 2D. Specifically, the metal mask 20 tends to curve toward the side having a larger wavy shape (the side closer to the side edge 130).

[0072] In this way, the distortion caused by the wavy shape is reflected, resulting in variation in size of the obtained metal mask 20. The variation can be evaluated by a total pitch mark 28, as shown in FIG. 5A, which will be described later. Such variation reduces the positional accuracy of the through holes 25. For this reason, it is preferable to suppress the variation in size of the obtained metal mask 20.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 1F, the side portion 150 is a location where the differential elongation rate En is relatively high, so the metal mask 20 may be formed on the center portion 140 as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C.

[0074] Finally, Fig. 2E is a schematic diagram of the metal mask 20 immediately before it is stretched over the frame 15. As shown in Fig. 2E, when the metal mask 20 is stretched over the frame 15, tension is applied to the metal mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D2 by clamps 86 or the like. As a result, the metal mask 20 is stretched over the frame 15 in a flat state. However, the greater the difference in shape between the metal masks 20, the more detailed the tension adjustment must be for each metal mask 20 to ensure the accuracy of the hole positions. Therefore, even if the metal masks 20 have a wavy shape, it is preferable that the variation in the wavy shape is suppressed.

[0075] In the present disclosure, when the elongation differential rate En is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100, the difference in the elongation differential rate En at the center of the width direction at the plurality of positions (regions Sk) is 9.0×10 -6 It is stipulated that:

[0076] As a result, the differential elongation rate En at any position n in the width direction D1 becomes equal over a wide range in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100, and the difference in shape is reduced regardless of the position from which the metal mask 20 is cut out of the long metal plate 100, improving the uniformity of quality. Therefore, the variation in quality of the obtained metal masks 20 can be suppressed.

[0077] In the present disclosure, the "difference in differential elongation rate En" refers to the difference between the minimum and maximum values ​​of the differential elongation rate En at the same position n among the differential elongation rate profiles at different positions, as shown in FIG. 1G. -6 "The difference in the elongation differential rate En at any position n in the width direction D1 is 9.0 × 10 or less" means that -6Furthermore, "any multiple positions in the longitudinal direction D2" refers to multiple positions randomly selected in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100, and may include measuring the elongation differential rate profile over the entire long metal plate 100.

[0078] As an example, the number of selections at this time may be determined according to the length of the long metal plate 100. For example, when the length of the long metal plate 100 is 600 m, the number of selections may be six or more (one location / 100 m).

[0079] From this viewpoint, the selected number may be, relative to the length of the long metal plate 100, preferably 0.1 locations / 100 m or more, 0.3 locations / 100 m or more, 0.5 locations / 100 m or more, 0.7 locations / 100 m or more, 1 location / 100 m or more, 2 locations / 100 m or more, 3 locations / 100 m or more, 4 locations / 100 m or more, 5 locations / 100 m or more, or 10 locations / 100 m or more.

[0080] Furthermore, the selected number may be, relative to the length of the long metal plate 100, preferably 100 locations / 100m or less, 90 locations / 100m or less, 80 locations / 100m or less, 70 locations / 100m or less, 60 locations / 100m or less, 50 locations / 100m or less, 40 locations / 100m or less, 30 locations / 100m or less, or 20 locations / 100m or less.

[0081] The selection number may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values ​​and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. As such an example, the range of the selection number may be preferably 0.1 places / 100m or more and 100 places / 100m or less, 0.3 places / 100m or more and 90 places / 100m or less, 0.5 places / 100m or more and 80 places / 100m or less, 0.7 places / 100m or more and 70 places / 100m or less, 1 place / 100m or more and 60 places / 100m or less, 2 places / 100m or more and 50 places / 100m or less, 3 places / 100m or more and 40 places / 100m or less, 4 places / 100m or more and 30 places / 100m or less, or 5 places / 100m or more and 20 places / 100m or less.

[0082] The difference in the elongation rate En in the width direction central portion 140 is 9.0×10 -6 is less than or equal to 8.0 x 10 -6 is less than or equal to 7.0 x 10 -6 is less than or equal to 6.0 x 10 -6 is less than or equal to 5.0 x 10 -6 is less than or equal to 4.0 x 10 -6 is less than or equal to 3.0 x 10 -6 It may be the following.

[0083] The lower limit of the difference in the elongation differential rate En in the widthwise central portion 140 is not particularly limited, and the smaller the difference, the more preferable. -8 That is 2.5 x 10 -8 Above 5.0×10 -8 That is 7.5 x 10 -8 It is equal to or greater than 1.0×10 -7 That is 2.5 x 10 -7 Above 5.0 x 10 -7 It may be more than that.

[0084] The range of difference in the elongation differential rate En in the widthwise center portion 140 may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values ​​and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. As such an example, the range of difference in the elongation differential rate En in the center portion is preferably 0 to 9.0×10 -6 is less than or equal to 1.0 x 10 -8 Above 8.0×10 -6 is less than or equal to 2.5 x 10 -8 Above 7.0×10 -6 is less than or equal to 5.0 x 10 -8 Above 6.0×10 -6 is less than or equal to 7.5 x 10 -8 Above 5.0×10 -6 is less than or equal to 1.0 x 10 -7 Above 4.0×10 -6 It may be the following.

[0085] By having the difference in the elongation differential rate En in the widthwise central portion 140 within the above range, the uniformity in the longitudinal direction D2 tends to be further improved, particularly in the central portion 140 which is likely to be used in the manufacture of the metal mask 20.

[0086] In addition, at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100, the maximum value of the elongation difference rate En of the central portion 140 in the width direction is preferably 2.5×10 -5 is less than or equal to 2.0 x 10 -5 is less than or equal to 1.5 x 10 -5 is less than or equal to 1.0 x 10 -5 It should be noted that the position at which the elongation difference rate En is maximum in the widthwise central portion 140 is not particularly limited. As an example, in the example shown in FIG. 1G, it may be located at point a (0 mm [0%]) or at the boundary between the central portion 140 and the side portion 150 (±200 mm [±40%]).

[0087] The above-mentioned "maximum value of the elongation difference rate En" means the maximum value among the elongation difference rates En of the central portion 140 at each of a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100. For example, when the "maximum value of the elongation difference rate En is 2.5×10 -5The term "is equal to or less than 2.5×10" means that the maximum value among the elongation differential rates En in the central portion 140 of the long metal plate 100 at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction D2 is 2.5×10 -5 In other words, when the maximum value of the elongated metal plate 100 in the central portion 140 at a certain position in the longitudinal direction D2 is 0.10% and the maximum value of the elongated metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 is 1.2%, the maximum value of the elongated metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 is 2.5×10 -5 The following is as follows."

[0088] The lower limit of the maximum value of the elongation difference rate En of the widthwise center portion 140 is not particularly limited, and the smaller the lower limit, the more preferable. -8 That is 2.5 x 10 -8 Above 5.0×10 -8 That is 7.5 x 10 -8 It is equal to or greater than 1.0×10 -7 That is 2.5 x 10 -7 Above 5.0 x 10 -7 It may be more than that.

[0089] The range of the maximum value of the elongation difference rate En of the widthwise central portion 140 may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values ​​and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. As such an example, the maximum value of the elongation difference rate En of the widthwise central portion 140 is preferably 0 or more and 2.5×10 -5 is less than or equal to 1.0 x 10 -8 Above 2.0×10 -5 is less than or equal to 2.5 x 10 -8 More than 1.5 x 10 -5 is less than or equal to 5.0 x 10 -8 Above 1.0×10 -5 is less than or equal to 7.5 x 10 -8 Above 1.0×10 -5 It may be the following.

[0090] The elongation differential rate En in the present disclosure is obtained by measuring the long metal plate 100 without cutting it, as described in detail below with a measuring device. That is, the elongation differential rate En in the present disclosure is the elongation differential rate En of the long metal plate 100, and is not the elongation differential rate of the metal plate after cutting. Therefore, for example, if the elongation differential rate of the central part of a certain metal plate obtained by cutting the long metal plate 100 is 2.5×10 -5 Even if the elongated metal plate 100 is equal to or smaller than 2.5×10, if the elongated metal plate 100 before cutting has an unknown elongated metal plate 100, the maximum elongated metal plate 100 as a whole may have an elongated metal plate 100 having .... -5 The presumption that:

[0091] Next, a method for measuring the elongation differential rate En at any multiple positions in the longitudinal direction will be described. First, a conventional metal sheet corrugation shape measuring device measures a measurement sample (metal sheet 100k) cut out from a long metal sheet 100 in a sheet-type manner. Therefore, it is not possible to evaluate the corrugation shape of the long metal sheet 100 over a wide range.

[0092] Furthermore, when an etching process using photolithography is performed on a roll of the long metal sheet 100, cutting a measurement sample from the middle part of the roll of the long metal sheet 100 would cause the roll itself to be divided, which would have a large effect on the etching process. Therefore, in this case, the measurement sample is cut from the tip of the roll of the long metal sheet 100. Therefore, the conventional sheet-type measuring device cannot evaluate the corrugation shape over a wide range including the middle part of the roll of the long metal sheet 100.

[0093] To solve this problem, Fig. 3A shows a perspective view of an example of a measuring device for a long metal plate 100 according to the present disclosure, and Fig. 3B shows steps of a measuring method for the long metal plate 100. The measuring device 200 for a metal plate according to the present disclosure includes a transport mechanism 210 for transporting the long metal plate 100 in a longitudinal direction D2, a sensor 220 for measuring the surface shape of a first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100, a stage 230 with which a second surface 120 located opposite to the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100 comes into contact during measurement by the sensor 220, and a control unit 240.

[0094] The control unit 240 repeatedly executes the first step S1, the second step S2, and the third step S3 by controlling the transport mechanism 210, the sensor 220, and other components such as a tension adjustment mechanism 250 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) which will be described later.

[0095] Although the details of the steps will be described later, in a first step S1, the long metal plate 100 is transported by the transport mechanism 210 without the long metal plate 100 contacting the stage 230, in a second step S2, the transport of the long metal plate 100 is stopped and the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 whose transport has been stopped is brought into contact with the stage 230, and in a third step S3, the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100 is measured by the sensor 220 with the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 in contact with the stage 230. This allows the surface shape of the metal plate to be continuously measured over a wider range.

[0096] The conveying mechanism 210 conveys the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2. The conveying mechanism 210 may have, for example, a first roll 211 that feeds out the long metal plate 100 and a second roll 212 that winds up the long metal plate 100. In response to an instruction from the control unit 240, the conveying mechanism 210 can convey the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 or stop conveying the long metal plate 100 by feeding the long metal plate 100 from the first roll 211 and winding the long metal plate 100 onto the second roll 212.

[0097] The conveying mechanism 210 may have a first auxiliary roll 251 and a second auxiliary roll 252 between the first roll 211 and the second roll 212. The first auxiliary roll 251 and the second auxiliary roll 252 may support the long metal sheet 100 between the first roll 211 and the second roll 212, or may assist in conveying the long metal sheet 100 by sending it out and winding it up. In addition, the conveying mechanism 210 is not limited to the rolls shown in FIG. 1, and may have other rolls that contribute to conveying.

[0098] The sensor 220 measures the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100. The surface condition measured by the sensor 220 may include information about the height of the surface of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100. The information about the height is also called a "height profile." This height profile may be data that represents the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100 in three dimensions, and may include, for example, each position on a plane of the width direction D1 and the length direction D2 of the long metal plate 100 and information about the height of the surface of the long metal plate 100 in the height direction D3 relative to each position in association with each other.

[0099] The height profile acquired by the sensor 220 in this way can represent the wavy shape on the surface of the first face 110. In addition, based on such a height profile, it is possible to calculate the differential elongation rate in the width direction D1, the longitudinal direction D2, or any other direction. In other words, the height profile at any position can be used to obtain the differential elongation rate profile at that position.

[0100] The sensor 220 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100, and examples thereof include an optical displacement meter and a pressure-type displacement meter. By measuring the distance between the sensor 220 and the first surface 110, the height profile can be measured.

[0101] As the optical system displacement meter, a conventionally known one can be used. Examples include a triangulation distance method in which light having a different focusing position for each wavelength is irradiated onto the object and the height of the object is measured based on the imaging position of the reflected light of the light irradiated onto the object, and a white coaxial confocal method in which the height of the object is measured by detecting the wavelength position of the maximum light amount from the received light spectrum.

[0102] At least one of the sensor 220 and the stage 230 may be configured to be movable relative to each other. In the device configuration shown in FIG. 3A, the stage 230 is stationary, and the sensor 220 is configured to be movable relative to the stage 230. Specifically, the sensor 220 may be configured to be movable in the width direction D1 by the first moving mechanism 221. The first moving mechanism 221 may be configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction D2 by the second moving mechanism 222. This allows the sensor 220 to move in a plane of the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2. At this time, the first moving mechanism 221 and the second moving mechanism 222 may each have a mechanism for acquiring coordinates in the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2. This allows, when measuring information about height with the sensor 220, to record the value of the height in association with the coordinates on the plane formed by the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2. The mechanism for acquiring the coordinates is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an encoder or a laser interferometer. In addition, the first moving mechanism 221 may be configured to move the sensor 220 in the height direction D3. This allows the sensor 220 to move in the height direction D3 in addition to the planar direction. Alternatively, the sensor 220 may be fixed and the stage 230 may be configured to move in the height direction D3.

[0103] Moreover, by moving the stage 230 in the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2, information on the height of the surface of the first surface 110 of the elongated metal plate 100 may be measured while moving the sensor 220 and the elongated metal plate 100 relatively in the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2. At this time, in addition to the stage 230, the transport mechanism may also move relatively. In this case, the measuring device 200 may have a mechanism for driving and controlling the stage 230 while acquiring the coordinates in the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2. As a result, the coordinates in the D1 and D2 directions of the position where the height measurement is performed by the sensor 220 may be recorded. Here, the mechanism for acquiring the coordinates is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an encoder or a laser interferometer.

[0104] In this manner, while moving the sensor 220 and the stage 230 relatively, the planar coordinates in the width direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2 and information on the height of the long metal plate 100 at each coordinate position can be measured and recorded in association with each other. Then, by repeating the measurement at regular intervals for a predetermined area of ​​the long metal plate 100 on the stage 230 and by intermittently moving the long metal plate 100 to repeat the measurement in the length direction of the long metal plate 100, a three-dimensional profile, which is the surface shape, can be obtained over any position of the long metal plate 100.

[0105] The control unit 240 repeatedly executes the first step S1, the second step S2, and the third step S3. Fig. 3B shows an example of the flow of the first step S1, the second step S2, and the third step S3. Fig. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view in a plane of the longitudinal direction D2 and the height direction D3.

[0106] 3B, in the first step S1, the control unit 240 controls the driving of the conveying mechanism 210 so as to convey the long metal plate 100 without the long metal plate 100 coming into contact with the stage 230. Specifically, the control unit 240 rotates the first roll 211 that delivers the long metal plate 100 and the second roll 212 that takes up the long metal plate 100 in the feed direction F1. As a result, the long metal plate 100 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0107] 3B, the control unit 240 may rotate a first auxiliary roll 251 and a second auxiliary roll 252, which assist in the transport of the long metal plate 100, in the feed direction F1. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the first auxiliary roll 251 and the second auxiliary roll 252 are rolls that constitute the transport mechanism 210 and also rolls that constitute the tension adjustment mechanism 250 described later.

[0108] In the first step S1, the control unit 240 may control the rotational speed of the first roll 211 and the second roll 212 to adjust the tension applied to the long metal plate 100 between the first roll 211 and the second roll 212, thereby controlling the long metal plate 100 to prevent it from bending and coming into contact with the stage 230.

[0109] In the second step S2, the control unit 240 stops the transport of the long metal plate 100 by the transport mechanism 210, and brings the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100, whose transport has been stopped, into contact with the stage 230. Specifically, after stopping the transport of the long metal plate 100, the control unit 240 may reduce the tension of the long metal plate 100 by a tension adjustment mechanism 250 described later, thereby bending the long metal plate 100, so that the bent long metal plate 100 comes into contact with the stage 230.

[0110] Alternatively or additionally, the elongated metal plate 100 and the stage 230 may be moved relatively up and down in the height direction D3 by a lifting mechanism (not shown) so that the bent elongated metal plate 100 comes into contact with the stage 230.

[0111] In a third step S3, the sensor 220 measures the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100 while the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 is in contact with the stage 230. Specifically, the control unit 240 may drive and control the first moving mechanism 221 and the second moving mechanism 222 to move the sensor 220 to any position within the plane in the longitudinal direction D2 and the width direction D1. The sensor 220 may obtain a height profile by measuring the height of the long metal plate 100 at each location in the plane in the longitudinal direction D2 and the width direction D1 while moving.

[0112] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the control unit 240. The control unit 240 may be configured as a microcontroller (MCU), or may be configured as a general-purpose computer further equipped with an input device such as a keyboard and an output device such as a display. When the control unit 240 is a microcontroller, an information input / output device may be further connected to the input / output interface of the microcontroller.

[0113] In particular, the control unit 240 may be electrically connected to the transport mechanism 210, the sensor 220, the first moving mechanism 221, the second moving mechanism 222, the tension adjustment mechanism 250, and the lifting mechanism (not shown). In order to clearly express the drawing, in FIG. 3A, the connection between the control unit 240 and each roll constituting the transport mechanism 210, the first moving mechanism 221, and the second moving mechanism 222 is omitted. However, since the control unit 240 controls the measuring device 200, all of the constituent mechanisms of the measuring device 200 that are electrically controlled may be connected to the control unit 240 by wire or wirelessly, even if not specifically shown. For example, in the example of FIG. 3A, the connection between the sensor 220 and the control unit 240 is not shown, but it can be understood that the sensor 220 is connected to the control unit 240 via the first moving mechanism 221 and the second moving mechanism 222.

[0114] The measuring device 200 of the present disclosure may further include a tension adjustment mechanism 250. The tension adjustment mechanism 250 is not particularly limited as long as it adjusts the tension in the longitudinal direction D2 of the long metal plate 100. At this time, in the first step S1, the control unit 240 may adjust the tension of the long metal plate 100 by the tension adjustment mechanism 250 so that the long metal plate 100 does not contact the stage 230, and transport the long metal plate 100 by the transport mechanism 210. In addition, the control unit 240 may stop the transport of the long metal plate 100, and adjust the tension of the long metal plate 100 by the tension adjustment mechanism 250 so that the long metal plate 100 contacts the stage 230.

[0115] 3A and 3B show an embodiment of the tension adjustment mechanism 250 using a first auxiliary roll 251 and a second auxiliary roll 252. In the second step S2, the control unit 240 stops the transport of the long metal plate 100 by the transport mechanism 210, and brings the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100, whose transport has been stopped, into contact with the stage 230.

[0116] 3B, after stopping the conveying mechanism 210, the control unit 240 rotates the first roll 211 and the first auxiliary roll 251 of the tension adjustment mechanism 250 slightly in the feed direction F1 and stops them. At this time, the control unit 240 fixes the second auxiliary roll 252 so as not to rotate. As a result, the long metal plate 100 between the first auxiliary roll 251 and the second auxiliary roll 252 is bent by the length fed by the first auxiliary roll 251. The second surface 120 of the bent long metal plate 100 comes into contact with the stage 230.

[0117] Next, a method for measuring the long metal plate 100 will be described. In the method for measuring the long metal plate 100 of the present disclosure, the first step S1, the second step S2, and the third step S3 are repeatedly performed using the above-mentioned measuring device. This makes it possible to continuously measure the surface shape of the metal plate over a wider range. In addition, since it is not necessary to measure the measurement samples cut from the metal plate one by one as in the conventional method, it is also possible to eliminate the influence of distortion of the metal plate due to cutting.

[0118] In the following description, the operation of repeatedly conveying the long metal plate 100 and stopping it will also be referred to as intermittent operation.

[0119] 3C is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the metal plate measurement method of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3C, in the metal plate measurement method of the present disclosure, in a first step S1, the long metal plate 100 is transported by the transport mechanism 210 without contacting the stage 230.

[0120] At this time, the transport mechanism 210 may perform an intermittent operation to transport the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 by a distance equal to or less than the length of one stage 230. This makes it possible to measure the surface shape of a continuous range in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0121] The transport mechanism 210 may also perform an intermittent operation of transporting the long metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2 a distance greater than the length of one stage 230. This makes it possible to measure the surface shape of a discontinuous range in the longitudinal direction D2. For example, by performing an intermittent operation of repeating transport and stopping every 5 m, the surface shape of the long metal plate 100 can be measured every 5 m.

[0122] In the metal plate measuring method of the present disclosure, in the second step S2, the transport of the long metal plate 100 is stopped, and the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 whose transport has been stopped is brought into contact with the stage 230.

[0123] At this time, the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 is brought into contact with the stage 230 using the tension adjustment mechanism 250 and the lifting mechanism (not shown) as described above. In the present disclosure, it is preferable to measure the surface shape in a state where no tension is applied to the long metal plate 100. This makes it possible to eliminate the influence of the tension of the conveying mechanism 210 on the measurement of the surface shape. Therefore, in the second step S2, it is preferable to bring the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 in a bent state into contact with the stage 230. The long metal plate 100 whose second surface is in contact with the stage 230 is not bent on the stage 230, and may be bent between the first auxiliary roll 251 and the stage 230 and between the second auxiliary roll 252 and the stage 230.

[0124] In a third step S3, the sensor 220 measures the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100 while the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 is in contact with the stage 230. The measurement pitches in the longitudinal direction D2 and width direction D1 are not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined according to the desired measurement accuracy, but can be, for example, about 1 to 50 mm, respectively.

[0125] Although the above describes measuring the surface shape of the first surface 110 of the long metal plate 100, it is possible to measure the surface shape of the second surface 120 by inverting the surface to be measured.

[0126] In the fourth step S4, the control unit 240 checks whether the preset range has been measured, and if the measurement of the preset range has been completed, ends the measurement operation, and if not, may further repeat the first step S1 to the third step S3.

[0127] Next, the manufacturing method of the metal plate of the present disclosure will be described. The manufacturing method of the metal plate of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method of a metal plate having the difference in the above-mentioned elongation differential rate En, and includes a rolling process of rolling a base material to obtain a long metal plate 100, and may include a slitting process of cutting both ends of the long metal plate 100 and an annealing process of heat-treating the long metal plate 100 as necessary.

[0128] The rolling step is a step of rolling the base material 55 to obtain the long metal plate 100. The rolling method is not particularly limited, but for example, a method of rolling the base material 55 using a pair of rolling rolls 56a, 56b that roll the base material 55 in the thickness direction can be mentioned. The base material 55 is not particularly limited, but for example, an iron alloy containing nickel can be mentioned.

[0129] 4A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the rolling process. First, the base material 55 is transported in a direction D4 relative to the rolling rolls 56a, 56b. The base material 55 is rolled by the pair of rolling rolls 56a, 56b. As a result, the base material 55 is reduced in thickness and stretched along the transport direction. In this way, a long metal plate 100 is obtained. The long metal plate 100 may be wound around a core 61 to form a roll 62.

[0130] FIG. 4A merely shows an outline of the rolling process, and the specific configuration and procedure for carrying out the rolling process are not particularly limited. For example, the rolling process may include a hot rolling process in which the base material 55 is processed at a temperature equal to or higher than the recrystallization temperature of the Invar material constituting the base material, or a cold rolling process in which the base material is processed at a temperature equal to or lower than the recrystallization temperature of the Invar material. FIG. 4A illustrates an example in which the base material 55 is transported to the right of the paper, but the transport direction of the base material during rolling is not limited to this, and the base material may be transported to the left of the paper. The base material 55 may be transported back and forth between the rolling rolls 56a and 56b, and may be rolled during the process.

[0131] In the rolling step, the sheet may be rolled to a desired thickness in one go, or may be rolled to a desired thickness by performing the rolling step multiple times at a predetermined rolling ratio. In addition, during rolling, rolling oil or the like may be used as necessary.

[0132] From the viewpoint of adjusting the differential elongation rate En at any multiple positions in the longitudinal direction of the long metal plate 100 of the present disclosure, the difference in the differential elongation rate En throughout the entire width direction, the difference in the differential elongation rate En at the central portion 140 in the width direction, etc., the uniformity of the pressing force fluctuation and the uniformity of the pressing force distribution may be adjusted.

[0133] From the viewpoint of obtaining a long metal plate 100 in which the wavy shape is suppressed, it is preferable that the pressing force does not fluctuate and is constant. However, the base material has a hard metal structure in some parts and is thick in other parts. Therefore, the pressing force applied to the rolls that roll the base material fluctuates as the base material passes through. In order to suppress such fluctuations in the pressing force, there are methods such as increasing the number of rolls and providing an adjustment mechanism for keeping the pressing force constant. This tends to suppress the wavy shape by maintaining the uniformity of the pressing force fluctuations.

[0134] In addition, from the viewpoint of obtaining a long metal plate 100 in which the wavy shape is suppressed, it is preferable that the pressing force applied by the roll to the base material is uniform in the width direction and the pressing force does not vary depending on the location where the roll and the base material contact. However, the base material has a hard metal structure in some parts and is thick in some parts. Therefore, the pressing force applied to the roll that rolls the base material may be uneven in the width direction. In order to suppress such unevenness in the pressing force, a method of providing an adjustment mechanism for keeping the pressing force constant at both ends of the roll can be mentioned. By doing so, the uniformity of the pressing force distribution is maintained, and the wavy shape tends to be suppressed.

[0135] In addition, in the rolling process, a control system may be used that performs shape analysis of the metal sheet during rolling and controls the pressing force and pressing position of the work roll against the metal sheet according to the analysis results. Note that various control parameters may be set as necessary by a person skilled in the art. For example, the shape of the metal sheet may be detected in real time, and the offset amount of the work roll may be adjusted according to the shape so that the tolerance of the surface shape of the sheet falls within a predetermined range, thereby suppressing waviness during rolling and making the shape more uniform. Note that the offset amount of the work roll is the amount of deviation from the center position of the work rolls located above and below the metal sheet to be rolled. For example, the warping of the sheet may be controlled by shifting the work rolls located above and below the metal sheet, thereby canceling the shape of the metal sheet.

[0136] In order to further improve the accuracy of the shape uniformity control, the thickness gauge may be made more accurate in order to improve the accuracy of real-time detection of the shape of the metal plate. Furthermore, a plurality of thickness measurement points may be provided in the width direction, and the thickness may be measured not only in the center but also in the sides, and the pressing force and pressing position may be controlled according to the information. In addition, since it is necessary to roll a specific portion of the metal plate flowing in a certain direction with the work rolls at a predetermined offset amount, the plate speed gauge may be made more accurate.

[0137] The slitting process is a process of cutting both ends of the long metal plate 100. This makes it possible to remove cracks that may occur at both ends of the long metal plate 100 due to rolling. By carrying out such a slitting process, breakage of the long metal plate 100 caused by the cracks, so-called plate breakage, is suppressed. The slitting process may also include cutting off both ends of the long metal plate 100 in the width direction over a predetermined range, thereby adjusting the width of the long metal plate 100 to a desired width.

[0138] For example, the base material 55 may be rolled to produce a long metal plate 100 having a total width exceeding 500 mm, for example, a total width of 700 mm, and then both ends in the width direction of the long metal plate 100 may be cut to produce a long metal plate 100 having a width of 500 mm. At this time, both ends of the long metal plate 100 may be cut evenly by 100 mm each, or may be cut unequally so that the cut width is 200 mm in total.

[0139] For example, when there is a region with a relatively large differential elongation rate on one end side of the long metal plate 100, the one end side of the long metal plate 100 having a total width of 700 mm may be cut wider than the other end side. Also, when there is a region with a relatively small differential elongation rate shifted from the center of the long metal plate 100 to one end side, both ends may be cut so that the portion with the small differential elongation rate becomes the central part 140 of the long metal plate 100 with a width of 700 mm after the slitting process.

[0140] The annealing process is a process of heat-treating the long metal plate 100. This removes residual stress (internal stress) accumulated in the long metal plate 100 by rolling. The heat treatment method is not particularly limited, but for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the long metal plate 100 may be heat-treated using an annealing device 57 while being transported in the D5 direction by roll-to-roll. In addition, the heat treatment may be performed while pulling the long metal plate 100 in the transport direction (longitudinal direction D2). In addition, the heat treatment may be performed in a batch manner while the long metal plate 100 is wound around a core 61.

[0141] The annealing step may be performed in a non-reducing atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere. Here, the non-reducing atmosphere refers to an atmosphere that does not substantially contain a reducing gas such as hydrogen. "Substantially does not contain a reducing gas" means that the concentration of a reducing gas such as hydrogen is 4% or less. Also, the inert gas atmosphere refers to an atmosphere in which an inert gas such as argon gas, helium gas, or nitrogen gas is present at 90% or more. By performing the annealing step in a non-reducing atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere, it is possible to suppress the generation of nickel hydroxide and the like on the first surface 110 and the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100.

[0142] The treatment conditions for the annealing step can be appropriately set depending on the thickness, rolling ratio, etc. of the long metal plate 100. For example, the treatment conditions for the annealing step may be 500° C. and 60 seconds.

[0143] The rolling step, the slitting step, and the annealing step may be repeated multiple times. In addition, in this case, these steps may be performed in any order. According to the manufacturing method of the metal plate of the present disclosure, it is likely that a long metal plate 100 having high homogeneity over a wider range can be obtained.

[0144] The metal mask of the present disclosure will be described. Note that unless otherwise specified in the present specification and drawings, an example of a metal mask used in manufacturing an organic EL display device and a manufacturing method thereof will be described as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0145] The metal mask 20 of the present disclosure has a perforated region 22 and a surrounding region 23. The perforated region 22 is a region in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed. The surrounding region 23 is a region located around the perforated region 22.

[0146] 5A shows a plan view of the second surface 20b side of the metal mask 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG 1, the metal mask 20 may have a substantially rectangular outline in a plan view. In this disclosure, the term "plan view" refers to viewing the metal mask 20 from a surface along the plate surface of the metal mask 20.

[0147] Fig. 5B shows an example of a perspective view of the perforated region 22 as viewed from the second surface 20b. Fig. 5C shows a cross-sectional view of cross section II shown in Fig. 5B. Figs. 5B and 5C show an example in which the second wall surfaces 36 of the second recesses 35 of adjacent through holes 25 join together on the second surface 20b.

[0148] As shown in Fig. 5B and Fig. 5C, the through hole 25 has a first recess 30 formed on the first surface 20a, a second recess 35 formed on the second surface 20b, and a circumferential connection portion 41 connecting the first recess 30 and the second recess 35. The through hole 25 is formed by connecting the first recess 30 on the first surface 20a side to the second recess 35 on the second surface 20b side. The portion where the first recess 30 and the second recess 35 communicate with each other is the connection portion 41. The first wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 and the second wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 are connected via the circumferential connection portion 41.

[0149] The area of ​​the first recess 30 in a plan view may be gradually decreased from the first surface 20a to the second surface 20b. The area of ​​the second recess 35 in a plan view may be gradually decreased from the second surface 20b to the first surface 20a. The first recess 30 may be configured as a recess having a smaller diameter than the second recess 35.

[0150] Furthermore, the direction in which the wall surface of through hole 25 expands changes discontinuously at connection portion 41. In general, the opening area of ​​through hole 25 in plan view is minimized at connection portion 41.

[0151] 5D shows another example of a perspective view of perforated region 22 as viewed from second surface 20b. Fig. 5D shows an example in which second wall surfaces 36 of second recesses 35 of adjacent through holes 25 do not join together on second surface 20b.

[0152] The metal mask 20 of the present disclosure has a first surface 20a and a second surface 20b as the front and back surfaces. In the present disclosure, the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b of the metal mask 20 are distinguished from each other by the diameter of the through holes 25 on the front and back surfaces of the perforated region 22. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5D, the first surface 20a refers to a surface in the perforated region 22 where the opening area of ​​the through holes 25 is small, and the second surface 20b refers to a surface where the range S3 of the through holes 25 is large. Also, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, when the second wall surfaces 36 of the second recesses 35 of adjacent through holes 25 join on the second surface 20b, the range S3 closed by the ridge portion 33 surrounding one through hole 25 may be regarded as the opening of the through hole 25. In this case, the range closed by the ridge portion 33 is the opening area.

[0153] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of the vapor deposition process, the first surface 20a may be the surface of the metal mask 20 facing the substrate 92 when the metal mask device 10 is housed in the vapor deposition device 90 (see FIG. 8). Furthermore, the second surface 20b may be the surface of the metal mask 20 located on the side of the crucible 94 holding the vapor deposition material 98 when the metal mask device 10 is housed in the vapor deposition device 90 (see FIG. 8).

[0154] In the metal mask 20 of the present disclosure, one perforated region 22 may be configured to correspond to one organic EL display device. For example, as shown in Fig. 5A, the metal mask 20 may have a plurality of perforated regions 22 arranged in a row at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction D7. Also, the metal mask 20 may have a plurality of rows of perforated regions 22 in the width direction D6. In Fig. 5A, a surrounding region 23 is located around each perforated region 22. By using such a metal mask 20, it is possible to vapor-deposit a plurality of organic EL display devices on a substrate 92 described below.

[0155] The perforated region 22 of the metal mask 20 may have a total pitch mark 28. The total pitch mark 28 is a mark provided for evaluating the positional accuracy between the multiple through holes 25 in the metal mask 20, etc.

[0156] For example, the total pitch marks 28 may be disposed near the corners of each perforated region 22 and outside the perforated region 22 (i.e., the surrounding region 23), or may be disposed inside the perforated region 22. The total pitch marks 28 may be formed in a concave shape by half etching at a desired position on the first surface 20a or the second surface 20b in a first surface etching step or a second surface etching step described below. Alternatively, a through hole extending from the first surface 20a to the second surface 20b may be formed as the total pitch mark 28. Also, while FIG. 5A shows an example in which the planar shape of the total pitch mark 28 is circular, this is not limited thereto and may be any shape, such as rectangular.

[0157] It should be noted that "distance TP" shown in FIG. 5A is the distance between the total pitch marks 28, and is the distance between both ends of the perforated region 22 aligned in the longitudinal direction D7.

[0158] As described below, the metal mask 20 of the present disclosure is obtained by a metal mask manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and therefore the positional accuracy and dimensional accuracy of the through holes 25 tend to be good.

[0159] Next, a method for manufacturing a metal mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0160] A method for manufacturing a metal mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a preparation step of preparing a long metal plate 100 having a first surface 110 and a second surface 120 located opposite the first surface 110, and an etching step of forming the metal mask 20 by etching the long metal plate 100. As the long metal plate 100, the long metal plate 100 described above is used.

[0161] In the following, a method for manufacturing the metal mask 20 by etching will be described, but the metal mask 20 may be formed by etching or by laser processing.

[0162] A method for manufacturing a metal mask 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6F. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus 70 for manufacturing a metal mask 20 using a long metal plate 100, together with the processing sequence. FIG. 6A shows an example in which the long metal plate 100 is continuously supplied from a resist film forming apparatus 71 to a peeling apparatus 74. However, the manufacturing method for a metal mask 20 according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and for example, the long metal plate 100 may be wound into a wound body after each processing by each apparatus. In addition, when supplying the long metal plate 100 to each apparatus, the long metal plate 100 may be unwound from the wound body and supplied.

[0163] Each step of the method for producing the metal mask 20 will be described in detail below.

[0164] First, a long metal plate 100 having a desired thickness is prepared (preparation step). The long metal plate 100 may be in the form of a wound body 62 wound around a core 61. The method for producing the long metal plate 100 having a desired thickness is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include the above-mentioned rolling method and plating film formation method.

[0165] Next, resist films 53a, 53b are formed on the first surface 110 and the second surface 120 of the long metal plate 100 using a resist film forming apparatus 71 (FIG. 6B). Specifically, the resist films 53a, 53b may be formed by attaching a dry film resist to the first surface 110 and the second surface 120. Alternatively, the resist films 53a, 53b may be formed by applying a coating liquid containing a photosensitive resist material to the first surface 110 and the second surface 120 and drying the coating liquid.

[0166] The dry film resist and the coating liquid are not particularly limited, and conventionally known ones can be used. The resist films 53a and 53b thus formed may be either negative resist or positive resist. Of these, negative resists are preferably used.

[0167] The thickness of the resist films 53a, 53b is preferably 15 μm or less, 10 μm or less, 6 μm or less, or may be 4 μm or less. The thickness of the resist films 53a, 53b is preferably 1 μm or more, 3 μm or more, 5 μm or more, or may be 7 μm or more. The range of the thickness of the resist films 53a, 53b may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values ​​and any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values.

[0168] Next, the resist films 53a and 53b are exposed and developed using the exposure / development device 72. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6C, a first resist pattern 53c is formed on the first surface 110, and a second resist pattern 53d is formed on the second surface 120. For example, when a negative resist film is used, a photomask that does not transmit light to the area of ​​the resist film that is to be removed may be placed on the resist film, the resist film may be exposed through the photomask, and the resist film may be developed.

[0169] Next, the elongated metal plate 100 is etched using the etching device 73 with the first resist pattern 53c and the second resist pattern 53d as a mask (etching step). The etching step may include a first surface etching step and a second surface etching step.

[0170] 6D is a schematic diagram showing an example of the first-side etching step in the hole region 22. In the first-side etching step, the region of the first side 110 that is not covered by the first resist pattern 53c is etched using an etching solution. At this time, the second side 120 may be covered with a resin or the like that is resistant to the etching solution.

[0171] The etching solution erodes the first surface 110 that is not covered by the first resist pattern 53c (FIG. 6D). This forms a large number of first recesses 30 on the first surface 110. Note that etching of the long metal plate 100 can proceed isotropically in various directions from the holes in the resist pattern. Therefore, the cross-sectional areas of the first recesses 30 and the second recesses 35 at each position along the thickness direction of the metal mask 20 become gradually smaller as they progress from the surface in the thickness direction.

[0172] 6E is a schematic diagram showing an example of the second-side etching step in the hole region 22. In the second-side etching step, the region of the second side 120 that is not covered by the second resist pattern 53d is etched using an etching solution. At this time, a film or the like that covered the second side 120 in the first-side etching step may be peeled off in advance. In addition, the first side 110 may be covered with a resin 54 or the like that is resistant to the etching solution.

[0173] The etching solution erodes the second surface 120 that is not covered by the second resist pattern 53d (FIG. 6E). As a result, a second recess 35 is formed on the second surface 120. The first recess 30 and the second recess 35 communicate with each other, thereby forming a through hole 25.

[0174] The etching solution is not particularly limited as long as it is a conventionally known solution, and examples thereof include those containing ferric chloride solution and hydrochloric acid.

[0175] In the second surface etching step, etching may be continued until adjacent second recesses 35 are connected as shown in FIG. 6E. At the points where adjacent second recesses 35 are connected, the adjacent second recesses 35 join together to form ridges 33. In addition, the ridges 33 are separated from the second resist pattern 53d, and erosion by etching progresses in the thickness direction of the elongated metal plate 100 at the tops of the ridges 33. As a result, the second resist pattern 53d is peeled off from the elongated metal plate 100. Note that the second surface 120 may be partially left between adjacent second recesses 35.

[0176] Furthermore, a peeling device 74 is used to peel off the resist pattern, the resin 54 having resistance to the etching solution, and the like from the long metal plate 100. Then, a separation device 75 is used to cut the long metal plate 100, thereby performing a separation step in which the metal mask 20 made of a sheet-like metal plate is separated from the long metal plate 100. In this manner, the metal mask 20 can be obtained. According to this method for manufacturing the metal mask 20, since the above-mentioned metal plate 100 is used, it tends to be possible to obtain a metal mask with excellent positional accuracy and dimensional accuracy of the through holes.

[0177] A metal mask apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a frame 15 and the above-mentioned metal mask 20 placed on the frame 15. The metal mask 20 may be placed on the frame 15 with the second surface 20b in contact with the frame 15. Fig. 7 shows a plan view of the metal mask apparatus 10 as viewed from the side of the first surface 20a of the metal mask 20. Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the deposition apparatus.

[0178] In the metal mask device 10 of the present disclosure, multiple metal masks 20 may be attached to one frame ( FIG. 7 ). In this case, the multiple metal masks 20 may be lined up in a width direction D1 that intersects with the longitudinal direction D2 of the metal mask 20. Furthermore, each metal mask 20 may be fixed to the frame 15 at both ends 23a of the metal mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0179] The method of fixing to the frame 15 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, welding.

[0180] The metal mask device 10 may include a member that is fixed to the frame 15 and partially overlaps the metal mask 20 in the thickness direction of the metal mask 20. Examples of such a member are not particularly limited, but include a member that extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the metal mask 20 and supports the metal mask 20, and a member that overlaps a gap between two adjacent metal masks.

[0181] Next, a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device using the metal mask 20 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The organic EL display device may include a substrate 92 and a deposition layer including a deposition material 98 provided in a pattern, which are laminated together.

[0182] The method for manufacturing the organic EL display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, a deposition step of depositing a deposition material 98 on a substrate such as the substrate 92 using a metal mask 20.

[0183] In the vapor deposition process, first, the metal mask device 10 is arranged so that the metal mask 20 faces the substrate 92. At this time, as shown in Fig. 8, the first surface 20a of the metal mask 20 may face the substrate 92. Here, the substrate 92 is a vapor deposition target such as a glass substrate.

[0184] 8, when the metal mask device 10 is housed in the deposition device 90, the surface of the metal mask 20 facing the substrate 92 is the first surface 20a, and the surface of the metal mask 20 located on the crucible 94 side holding the deposition material 98 is the second surface 20b. In the deposition device 90, the metal mask 20 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 92 facing the crucible 94. Here, the metal mask 20 and the substrate 92 may be brought into close contact with each other by magnetic force.

[0185] In the deposition device 90, a crucible 94 for accommodating a deposition material 98 and a heater 96 for heating the crucible 94 may be disposed below the metal mask device 10. Here, the deposition material 98 may be, for example, an organic light-emitting material. The deposition material 98 in the crucible 94 is vaporized or sublimated by heating from the heater 96. The vaporized or sublimated deposition material 98 adheres to the substrate 92 through the through-holes 25 of the metal mask 20. As a result, the deposition material 98 is formed on the surface of the substrate 92 in a desired pattern corresponding to the positions of the through-holes 25 of the metal mask 20. Note that the inside of the deposition device 90 may be a vacuum atmosphere in the deposition process.

[0186] When it is desired to deposit different types of deposition materials according to pixels such as RGB, the deposition materials 98 may be formed on the surface of the substrate 92 using different metal masks 20 according to the colors of the deposition materials 98. For example, the deposition material 98 for red, the deposition material 98 for green, and the deposition material 98 for blue may be deposited in order on the substrate 92. Alternatively, the deposition material 98 for red, the deposition material 98 for green, and the deposition material 98 for blue may be deposited in order by gradually moving the metal mask 20 (metal mask device 10) and the substrate 92 relative to each other along the arrangement direction of the through holes 25 (the aforementioned one direction).

[0187] The method for manufacturing an organic EL display device may include various steps other than the deposition step of depositing a deposition material 98 on a substrate such as the substrate 92 using the metal mask 20. For example, the method for manufacturing an organic EL display device may include a step of forming a first electrode on the substrate. A deposition layer is formed on the first electrode. The method for manufacturing an organic EL display device may include a step of forming a second electrode on the deposition layer. The method for manufacturing an organic EL display device may include a sealing step of sealing the first electrode, the deposition layer, and the second electrode provided on the substrate 92.

[0188] The deposition layer formed on a substrate such as the substrate 92 using the metal mask 20 is not limited to the light-emitting layer formed by depositing the organic light-emitting material described above, and may include other layers. For example, the deposition layer may include, in order from the first electrode side, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and the like. In this case, a deposition process using the metal mask 20 corresponding to each layer may be performed. According to the method for manufacturing an organic EL display device of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned metal mask 20 is used, and therefore it tends to be possible to obtain an organic EL display device with excellent pixel dimensional accuracy and positional accuracy.

[0189] It should be noted that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. Below, the modified examples will be described with reference to the drawings as necessary. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals as those used for the corresponding parts in the above-described embodiment will be used for parts that can be configured in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. Also, if it is clear that the effects obtained in the above-described embodiment can also be obtained in the modified examples, the description may be omitted.

[0190] 1H shows a perspective view of another example of the long metal plate 100 of the present disclosure as a modified example. In the long metal plate 100 of the modified example, when the elongation differential rate En is measured at a specific position in the longitudinal direction D2, the difference in the elongation differential rate En is 9.0×10 -6 The following is the result.

[0191] 1A measures the elongation differential rate En at any position in the longitudinal direction D2, whereas the embodiment shown in FIG 1H is different in that the position for measuring the elongation differential rate En is specified, but the other configurations are the same. The specified positions in the longitudinal direction D2 in the modified example include both longitudinal ends 160 of the long metal plate 100 and a portion 170 that divides the long metal plate 100 into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0192] 1H shows an embodiment in which the two portions 170 divide the long metal plate 100 into three parts in the longitudinal direction D2. For example, if the total length of the long metal plate 100 shown in FIG. 1H is 600 m, one end is set to 0 m, and the differential elongation rate En is measured at locations of 0 m, 200 m, 400 m, and 600 m.

[0193] Moreover, the unit length L0 is a measurement range having a width of, for example, 1280 mm. "Measuring the differential elongation rate En at a specific position in the longitudinal direction D2" may mean that the measurement range includes, for example, positions of 0 m, 200 m, 400 m, and 600 m. For example, if a range of 200 m±0.64 m from one end is measured, it can be said that the differential elongation rate En was measured at a position of 200 m from one end. Moreover, if a range of 0 m to 1.28 m from one end or a range of 598.72 m to 600 m from one end is measured, it can be said that the differential elongation rate En was measured at a position of 0 m or 600 m from one end.

[0194] The portions 170 are located at one or more equal internal divisions of the elongated metal plate 100 in the longitudinal direction D2. The number of portions 170 may be determined according to the length of the elongated metal plate 100.

[0195] The number of portions 170 can be approximately the same as the selected number, and may be, for example, 1 location / 100m or more and 100 locations / 100m or less, 3 locations / 100m or more and 90 locations / 100m or less, 5 locations / 100m or more and 80 locations / 100m or less, 7 locations / 100m or more and 70 locations / 100m or less, 10 locations / 100m or more and 60 locations / 100m or less, 15 locations / 100m or more and 50 locations / 100m or less, or 20 locations / 100m or more and 40 locations / 100m or less.

[0196] Even with such a long metal plate 100, the homogeneity is high over a wider range.

[0197] The manufacturing method of the metal plate in the modified example is similar to that described above and includes a rolling process in which a base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate 100, and may also include a slitting process in which both ends of the long metal plate 100 are cut, and an annealing process in which the long metal plate 100 is heat-treated, as necessary.

[0198] The manufacturing method of the metal mask of the modified example is also similar to that described above and includes a preparation step of preparing a long metal plate 100 having a first surface 110 and a second surface 120 located opposite the first surface 110, and an etching step of forming the metal mask 20 by etching the long metal plate 100. EXAMPLES

[0199] The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0200] (First roll and first sample) First, a base material made of Invar was subjected to the above-mentioned rolling, slitting, and annealing processes to manufacture a plurality of rolls in which long metal plates were wound.

[0201] Specifically, first, a first rolling process was carried out in which a first hot rolling process and a first cold rolling process were carried out in that order, then a first slitting process was carried out in which both ends in the width direction of the long metal plate were cut off in a range of 3 to 5 mm, and then a first annealing process was carried out in which the long metal plate was continuously annealed at 500°C for 60 seconds.

[0202] Furthermore, the long metal plate that had undergone the first annealing process was subjected to a second rolling process including a second cold rolling process, and then a second slitting process was performed in which both ends of the long metal plate in the width direction were cut off in a range of 3 to 5 mm, and then a second annealing process was performed in which the long metal plate was continuously annealed at 500°C for 60 seconds.

[0203] This resulted in a 600 mm wide long metal plate 100 having the desired thickness. Thereafter, a slitting process was carried out in which both ends of the long metal plate 100 in the width direction were cut off over a predetermined range, thereby finally adjusting the width of the long metal plate 100 to the desired width, specifically, 500 mm.

[0204] The cold rolling process was performed while cooling the long metal plate 100 with rolling oil. After the cold rolling process, a cleaning process was performed in which the long metal plate was cleaned with a hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent. After the cleaning process, the above-mentioned slitting process, annealing process, and slitting process were performed. Then, the tip of the roll was cut off to obtain a first sample consisting of a long metal plate having a width of 500 mm and a length of 600 m.

[0205] Next, the height position of the surface of the first sample was continuously measured using the device and method shown in Figures 3A to 3C, and a height profile of the long metal plate 100 was obtained. Based on the height profile, a profile of the elongation difference rate En per unit length L0 in the longitudinal direction was obtained for an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate. The measurement intervals of the height profile were 2 mm in the width direction D1 and 10 mm in the longitudinal direction D2.

[0206] The unit length L0 was 1280 mm. The differential elongation rate En was measured in the following ranges from one end: 0 m to 1.28 m, 200 m ± 0.64 m, 400 m ± 0.64 m, and 598.72 m to 600 m. This unit length L0 (1280 m) was assumed for a metal mask of a larger product size.

[0207] (2nd to 5th windings and 2nd to 5th samples) In the same manner as in the case of the first winding body, the second winding body to the fifth winding body were manufactured from a base material made of Invar material. Furthermore, in the same manner as in the case of the first winding body, the differential elongation rate of the samples taken from each of the second winding body to the fifth winding body was measured.

[0208] In the second roll, the pressure was adjusted in the above-mentioned hot rolling process and cold rolling process so that the pressing force applied to the center of the metal plate did not fluctuate relatively much as the base material passed through.

[0209] For the third winding body, the pressure was adjusted so that fluctuations in the pressing force applied to the center of the metal plate as the base material passed were suppressed compared to when manufacturing the second winding body. In addition, the thickness of the metal plate's center was detected in real time, and the offset amount and direction of the work rolls located above and below the metal plate were adjusted according to that thickness.

[0210] In the fourth winding, the fluctuation of the pressing force applied to the center of the metal plate as the base material passes was suppressed in the same manner as in the manufacturing of the second winding, and the pressure was adjusted so that the pressing force applied to the base material would be relatively uniform in the width direction. In other words, the pressure was adjusted so that the fluctuation of the pressing force applied to not only the center but also the sides of the metal plate was suppressed.

[0211] For the fifth winding, the fluctuations in the pressing force applied to the center of the metal plate as the base material passes were suppressed in the same way as in the production of the second winding, and the pressure was adjusted to improve the uniformity of the pressing force applied to the base material in the width direction compared to the production of the fourth winding. This allowed the pressure to be adjusted to suppress fluctuations in the pressing force applied not only to the center but also to the sides of the metal plate. At this time, the thickness of the center and sides of the metal plate was detected in real time, and the offset amount and direction of the work rolls located above and below the metal plate were adjusted according to the thickness.

[0212] In addition, by suppressing the fluctuation of the pressing force according to the passage of the base material compared to when the second winding was produced, the differential elongation rate of the central portion could be generally kept small in the production of the third winding, and the maximum value of the differential elongation rate of the central portion was also small. However, while the differential elongation rate of the central portion of the third winding obtained in this manner was generally kept small, the difference in the differential elongation rate En across the entire width direction was larger than that of the second winding.

[0213] From this, it was found that the difference in the elongation differential rate En in the entire width direction does not simply become small by performing an operation to suppress the elongation differential rate overall. The reason for this is that the thickness of the base material originally varies from a microscopic point of view, so even if the fluctuation of the pressing force is made uniform, the difference in the elongation differential rate En in the entire width direction may become large due to the variation in the thickness of the base material. However, the reason is not limited to this.

[0214] As described above, in comparing the second and third windings, the third winding had a larger difference in the elongation rate En across the entire width direction than the second winding. However, comparing the second and third windings does not indicate that suppressing the fluctuations in the pressing force does not contribute to reducing the difference in the elongation rate En. It is clear from comparing the first and second windings that suppressing the fluctuations in the pressing force contributes to reducing the difference in the elongation rate En.

[0215] (Metal mask) Metal masks 20 were produced from the long metal plate 100 of the first to fifth winding bodies using the above-mentioned metal mask manufacturing method. That is, through holes 25 were formed to obtain the metal masks 20. Here, the metal masks 20 were produced with a dimension of 67 mm in the width direction D1 and a distance between both ends of the perforated regions 22 aligned in the longitudinal direction D2 of 1280 mm. For 100 metal masks 20 obtained from different positions in the longitudinal direction D2 of the first to fifth winding bodies, the total pitch (TP), which is the distance between the total pitch marks 28 as shown in FIG. 5A, was calculated, and the standard deviation was calculated. Then, the variation (3σ) of the total pitch was calculated.

[0216] Table 1 shows the maximum difference in the elongation differential rate En at multiple positions in the roll of the long metal plate 100, the maximum difference in the elongation differential rate in the central portion 140 in the roll of the long metal plate 100, and the variation (3σ).

[0217] [Table 1]

[0218] A metal mask 20 in which the distance between both ends of the perforated regions 22 aligned in the longitudinal direction D2 was set to 980 mm was also produced in the same manner as above, and the total pitch (TP), which is the distance between the total pitch marks 28, was calculated, and its standard deviation was calculated. The variation (3σ) of the total pitch was then calculated. At that time, the variation (3σ) of the total pitch in Comparative Example 1 was 12.5 μm. The unit length L0 of 980 mm is a length assuming a metal mask of a conventional product size. This shows that the variation (3σ) becomes larger when a metal mask of a large product size (for example, unit length L0 = 1280 mm) is assumed.

[0219] In addition, metal sheets were cut out at random from the roll and measured. As a result, metal sheets with high and low differential elongation rates were obtained from the roll of Comparative Example 1. Thus, although metal sheets with low differential elongation rates were obtained partially from the roll of Comparative Example 1, the differential elongation rates were still largely variable when viewed as a whole roll, and the homogeneity of the product was not guaranteed. From this, it was found that even if the differential elongation rate was evaluated in a partially short region, the variation in the differential elongation rate in the long metal sheet could not be evaluated, and the homogeneity of the product could not be evaluated. [Industrial Applicability]

[0220] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has industrial applicability as a long metal plate used for producing a metal mask. [Explanation of symbols]

[0221] 10...metal mask device, 15...frame, 20...metal mask, 20a...first surface, 20b...second surface, 22...perforated area, 23...peripheral area, 23a...end, 25...through hole, 27...outline, 28...total pitch mark, 30...first recess, 31...first wall surface, 33...ridge portion, 35...second recess, 36...second wall surface, 41...connection portion, 53a...resist film, 53b...resist film, 53c...first resist pattern, 53d...second resist pattern, 54...resin, 55...base material, 56a...rolling roll, 56b...rolling roll, 57...annealing device, 61...core, 62...roll, 70...manufacturing device, 71...resist film forming device, 72... Exposure / development apparatus, 73...etching apparatus, 74...peeling apparatus, 75...separating apparatus, 86...clamp, 90...evaporation apparatus, 92...substrate, 94...crucible, 96...heater, 98...evaporation material, 100...long metal plate, 100k...metal plate, 110...first surface, 120...second surface, 130...side edge, 140...center, 150...side, 160...both ends, 170...portion, 200...measuring apparatus, 210...transport mechanism, 211...first roll, 212...second roll, 220...sensor, 221...first moving mechanism, 222...second moving mechanism, 230...stage, 240...control unit, 250...tension adjustment mechanism, 251...first auxiliary roll, 252...second auxiliary roll.

Claims

1. A long metal plate used for manufacturing a metal mask, When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate. metal plate.

2. A long metal plate used for manufacturing a metal mask, When the elongation difference rate E n in a unit length L0 in the longitudinal direction is measured at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions which occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The plurality of positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. metal plate.

3. At the plurality of positions, the maximum value of the elongation difference rate En at the center in the width direction is 2.5×10 -5 Below is the The metal sheet according to claim 1 or 2.

4. It is in roll form. The metal sheet according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The length in the longitudinal direction is 50 to 800 m. The metal sheet according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The thickness is 50 μm or less. The metal sheet according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A method for manufacturing a long metal plate used to manufacture a metal mask, comprising the steps of: A rolling process is included in which the base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate. The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate. A method for manufacturing metal sheets.

8. A method for manufacturing a long metal plate used to manufacture a metal mask, comprising the steps of: A rolling process is included in which the base material is rolled to obtain a long metal plate. The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate E n in a unit length L0 in the longitudinal direction is measured at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions which occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The plurality of positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. A method for manufacturing metal sheets.

9. A method for manufacturing a metal mask, comprising the steps of: A rolling process of rolling the base material to prepare a long metal plate; and an etching step of forming the metal mask by etching the metal plate, The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate En in the longitudinal unit length L0 is measured at each of a plurality of arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion is a portion that occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions that occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate. A method for manufacturing a metal mask.

10. A method for manufacturing a metal mask, comprising the steps of: A rolling process of rolling the base material to prepare a long metal plate; and an etching step of forming the metal mask by etching the metal plate, The metal plate is When the elongation difference rate E n in a unit length L0 in the longitudinal direction is measured at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to an arbitrary position n in the width direction of the metal plate, At a plurality of the positions, the difference in the elongation rate En at the center in the width direction is 9.0×10 -6 is as follows: The central portion occupies 80% of the width of the metal plate, excluding both side portions which occupy 10% of the width of the metal plate, The plurality of positions include both ends of the metal plate in the longitudinal direction and a portion that divides the metal plate into one or more portions in the longitudinal direction. A method for manufacturing a metal mask.

Images