Vapor deposition mask

Abstract

To suppress generation of a distortion attributed to a thermal expansion by reducing a difference in an expansion amount due to heat in a frame in a vapor deposition mask.SOLUTION: A vapor deposition mask includes: a mask body 2 including a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of multiple independent vapor deposition holes 5; and a frame body 3 for reinforcement, the frame body being arranged so as to surround the mask body 2 and made of a metal material with a low thermal linear expansion coefficient. The frame body 3 is constituted by an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are composed of a metal material with a low thermal linear expansion coefficient. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are integrated by bonding via an adhesion layer 18. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are bonded in a state where convex arc faces or concave arc faces are faced with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to Relates to an evaporation mask (metal mask).

Background Art

[0002] In mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet terminals having a display device, for the purpose of reducing the weight of the device and extending the driving time, instead of a liquid crystal display, the adoption of an organic EL display that is lighter and consumes less power has begun. An organic EL display is manufactured by forming a light-emitting layer (deposition layer) of an organic EL element on a substrate (deposition target) by a deposition mask method. At this time, by using a larger deposition mask having more mask bodies and manufacturing more products in a single deposition operation, the manufacturing cost of the organic EL display can be reduced. Therefore, there is an increasing demand from organic EL display manufacturers for larger deposition masks.

[0003] The deposition mask used in the deposition mask method is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In such Patent Document 1, a deposition mask is composed of a metal mask (mask body) having a plurality of mask portions (deposition patterns) and a frame (frame body) made of an Invar material formed in a frame shape and fixing and holding the metal mask in a tensioned state. The metal mask is joined to the frame by spot welding.

[0004] This type of deposition mask has also been proposed by the present applicant and is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2. Such a deposition mask is composed of a plurality of mask bodies having deposition patterns and a reinforcing frame body joined to the mask bodies in an inseparable and integral manner. The frame body is formed of an Invar material (a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion), and each mask body is joined by a metal layer formed by electroforming on a frame body that surrounds the mask body at its outer peripheral edge.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By configuring a frame for fixedly holding a metal mask and a frame for reinforcing the mask body with an invar material like the vapor deposition masks of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, even when the working environment during vapor deposition is a high-temperature environment, the expansion of the vapor deposition mask can be suppressed, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer (light-emitting layer) can be ensured. However, although the metal mask of the vapor deposition mask in Patent Document 1 is fixedly held by the frame in a tensioned state, when the vapor deposition mask is enlarged, the area of the metal mask not supported by the frame becomes large, and warping deformation occurs in the metal mask due to its own weight. Therefore, it is inevitable that the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy will decrease.

[0007] In this regard, in the vapor deposition mask of Patent Document 2, since each mask body is joined to a frame body surrounding the mask body, even when the vapor deposition mask is enlarged, warping deformation of the mask body due to its own weight does not occur, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be ensured. However, even a frame body made of an Invar material expands slightly during the vapor deposition operation. Further, although the frame body is formed of a metal plate material of Invar, generally, there are thickness deviations in the metal plate materials that are generally distributed, so there are variations in the thickness depending on the part of the frame body. For this reason, the amount of expansion is different for each part of the frame body, and the difference in the amount of expansion may appear as distortion of the entire vapor deposition mask. When distortion occurs in the vapor deposition mask in this way, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask deteriorates, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy are extremely reduced. This distortion becomes prominent as the frame body is enlarged. The occurrence of distortion resulting from the thickness deviation of the base material can be suppressed by managing the manufacturing process of the metal plate material and manufacturing and using a base material with a small thickness deviation exclusively, but the base material becomes expensive, leading to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask. Here, the thickness deviation means the width of the variation in thickness with respect to the standard dimension of the metal plate material.

[0008] An object of the present invention is In the evaporation mask, of the frame body to reduce the difference in the amount of expansion due to heat and suppress the generation of distortion caused by thermal expansion. control The object of the present invention is To realize an enlarged mask while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, maintain the flatness of the mask, to be possible and obtain a vapor deposition mask that can ensure the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. is

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The vapor deposition mask of the present invention includes a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a plurality of independent vapor deposition through holes 5, and a reinforcing frame body 3 made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion disposed around the mask body 2. The frame body 3 is composed of an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are made of a metal material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined and integrated via an adhesive layer 18. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where convex arc surfaces or concave arc surfaces face each other.

[0010] A plurality of frame bodies 3·3 are laminated, and the adjacent frame bodies 3·3 in the lamination direction are joined via an adhesive layer 19.

[0011] ​​ The mask body 2 is formed in a rectangular shape, and a plurality of mask bodies 2 are arranged in a matrix. The frame body 3 includes an outer peripheral frame 10, and a lattice frame-shaped vertical frame 12 and a horizontal frame 13 that partition a plurality of mask openings 11 within the outer peripheral frame 10. When the width dimension of the vertical frame 12 parallel to the long side of the mask body 2 is W1, and the width dimension of the horizontal frame 13 parallel to the short side of the mask body 2 is W2, the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 and the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 are set so as to satisfy the inequality (W1 ≦ W2 ≦ W1 × 1.1).

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the vapor deposition mask of the present invention, the difference in the amount of thermal expansion in each part of the frame body 3 can be reduced, and the generation of distortion of the frame body 3 due to thermal expansion can be suppressed. Specifically, for a generally circulated metal plate material that is the base material of the frame body 3, as the thickness dimension becomes thinner, the number of passes through the rolling rolls in the manufacturing process increases, so the plate thickness deviation tends to become smaller as the plate thickness becomes thinner. For this reason, by forming the frame body 3 with an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17, and joining and integrating the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 via an adhesive layer 18, when forming a frame body 3 having the same thickness as the conventional one, a thinner metal plate material can be used to form the frame body 3, so that the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. Thereby, even in the case of a large-sized vapor deposition mask, the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be suppressed. In addition, since only a generally circulated thin metal plate material is used for the base material, it is not necessary to use a dedicated metal plate material to form the frame body 3. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize the enlargement of the vapor deposition mask while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and further maintain the flatness of the vapor deposition mask, and ensure good reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. Further, according to the frame body 3 in which the adhesive layer 18 is interposed between the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17, when an external force that causes the vapor deposition mask to bend and deform is applied, the frame body 3 elastically deforms flexibly by the amount of the adhesive layer 18, and the breakage of the vapor deposition mask can be effectively prevented.

[0013] When a plurality of frames 3·3 are stacked and the adjacent frames 3·3 in the stacking direction are joined via an adhesive layer 19, when forming a frame 3 having the same thickness as the conventional one, a thinner metal plate material can be used to form the frame 3. Therefore, the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be further suppressed. Accordingly, the size increase of the vapor deposition mask can be realized, and furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask can be maintained, and better reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be ensured. In addition, since the number of adhesive layers 18·19 for joining the frames 3 to each other increases, elastic deformation can be made more flexible with respect to external force, so that breakage of the vapor deposition mask can be more effectively prevented.

[0014] When the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where the two-dimensional curved surface or the three-dimensional curved surface warpage is offset to form the frame 3 in a flat shape, a slight warpage derived from the metal plate material can be eliminated, and the flatness can be further improved. Furthermore, better reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be ensured.

[0015] When the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 and the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 are set so as to satisfy the inequality (W1≦W2≦W1×1.1), the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be made the same as or larger than the cross-sectional area of the vertical frame 12. Moreover, since the length of the horizontal frame 13 is smaller than the length of the vertical frame 12, the vertical frame 12 can be firmly supported by the horizontal frame 13, and the long vertical frame 12 can be prevented from deflecting and deforming due to its own weight. Therefore, deformation of the frame 3 due to its own weight can be prevented, the size increase of the vapor deposition mask can be realized, and furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask can be maintained, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be made highly accurate. In addition, since the rigidity of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 can be made substantially uniform as a whole, when an external force for deflecting and deforming the vapor deposition mask 1 is applied, the external force can be evenly dispersed and the concentration locally can be eliminated, and deformation and breakage of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be effectively prevented. In addition, since (W2≦W1×1.1) is set for the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13, an increase in the weight of the frame 3 due to an excessive increase in the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be suppressed, and while eliminating the unnecessary increase in the weight of the entire vapor deposition mask, the structural strength and rigidity of the frame 3 can be enhanced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

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MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] (First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 10 show a first embodiment of a vapor deposition mask and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention. Note that the dimensions such as thickness and width in FIGS. 1 to 10 of the present embodiment do not show the actual state, but are schematically shown. The same applies to the figures in the following embodiments.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vapor deposition mask 1 includes a plurality of mask bodies 2 and a reinforcing frame body 3 disposed around the mask body 2 so as to surround it. The mask body 2 is formed in a rectangular shape with rounded corners at its four corners, and has a pattern formation region 4 inside. In the pattern formation region 4, a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5 is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, a large number of bonding through holes 7 are provided on the entire outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 of the mask body 2.

[0019] The mask body 2 is formed by electroforming using an electrodeposited metal made of nickel as a material. The thickness of the mask body 2 is preferably in the range of 10 to 20 μm, and is set to 12 μm in this embodiment. Also, the dimensions of the mask body 2 in a plan view are set such that the dimension in the longitudinal direction is 108 mm and the dimension in the short transverse direction is 62 mm, and 30 mask bodies 2 are arranged in a matrix of 6 rows and 5 columns. Note that the mask body 2 can be formed using a nickel alloy such as nickel cobalt or other electrodeposited metals in addition to nickel. When the vapor deposition mask 1 of this embodiment is applied to a vapor deposition mask for an organic EL element, the vapor deposition pattern 6 is formed so as to correspond to the light emitting layer of the organic EL element.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the frame body 3 includes an outer peripheral frame 10, and vertical frames 12 and horizontal frames 13 in a lattice frame shape that partition a mask opening 11 within the outer peripheral frame 10. The vertical frames 12 are provided parallel to the long sides of the mask body 2, and the horizontal frames 13 are provided parallel to the short sides of the mask body 2. In this embodiment, the frame body 3 is made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion made of an Invar material that is a nickel-iron alloy, and is formed to be sufficiently thicker than the mask body 2, and its thickness dimension is set to 1.6 mm. Also, in a plan view, the dimensions of the frame body 3 are set to 460×730 mm, and the dimensions of the mask opening 11 are set such that the dimension in the longitudinal direction is 110 mm and the dimension in the short transverse direction is 64 mm. The frame body 3 may be formed of a Super Invar material or the like that is a nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, and its thickness dimension can be set to, for example, about 1 to 5 mm. Note that the reason for adopting an Invar material or a Super Invar material as the forming material of the frame body 3 is that its coefficient of thermal expansion is extremely small, and it is possible to satisfactorily suppress dimensional changes of the mask body 2 due to the thermal influence in the vapor deposition process.

[0021] When the width dimension of the vertical frame 12 is W1 and the width dimension of the horizontal frame 13 is W2, the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 and the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 are set to satisfy the inequality (W1 ≤ W2 ≤ W1 × 1.1). In this embodiment, the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 is set to 10 mm, and the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 is set to 10.64 mm. In this way, when the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 is set larger than the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12, the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be made larger than the cross-sectional area of the vertical frame 12, and moreover, the length of the horizontal frame 13 is smaller than the length of the vertical frame 12. Therefore, the vertical frame 12 can be firmly supported by the horizontal frame 13, preventing the long vertical frame 12 from deflecting and deforming due to its own weight. Thus, deformation of the frame body 3 due to its own weight can be prevented, realizing an increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask 1. Furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be maintained, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition pattern can be improved to a high level. Also, since the rigidity of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 can be made substantially uniform as a whole, when an external force that deflects and deforms the vapor deposition mask 1 is applied, the external force can be evenly dispersed and the concentration locally can be eliminated, effectively preventing deformation and breakage of the vapor deposition mask 1. In addition, since (W2 ≤ W1 × 1.1) is set for the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13, an increase in the weight of the frame body 3 due to an excessive increase in the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be suppressed, eliminating the unnecessary increase in the weight of the entire vapor deposition mask while enhancing the structural strength and rigidity of the frame body 3.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6(a), the frame body 3 is composed of an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17 that are formed with the same thickness dimension and the same shape, and the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined and integrated via an adhesive layer 18. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where the protruding arc surfaces face each other, and the frame body 3 is formed in a flat shape with the two-dimensional curved warpage canceled out. Note that the two-dimensional curved warpage is a slight warpage derived from a metal plate material, and there may also be a three-dimensional curved warpage. In the present embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 uses a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist, and after the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined, the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 is removed. Various commercially available adhesives may be used for the adhesive layer 18. The reason for setting the thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the frame body 3 to the same thickness is to facilitate forming the frame body 3 in a flat shape by joining in a state where the two-dimensional curved warpage is canceled out. The protruding arc surface may be a concave arc surface, or may include both. Note that as long as it can be joined flat in a state where the two-dimensional curved warpage is canceled out, the thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 may be different.

[0023] As described above, when the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where the two-dimensional curved warpage is canceled out to form the frame body 3 in a flat shape, the slight warpage derived from the metal plate material can be eliminated, and the flatness can be further improved, and further good reproducibility accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be ensured.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a pair (plurality) of frame bodies 3, 3 formed by the above method are laminated, and the frame bodies 3, 3 adjacent to each other in the lamination direction are joined via an adhesive layer 19. The thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the upper frame body 3 on the upper surface side are each set to 0.3 mm, and the thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the lower frame body 3 on the lower surface side are each set to 0.5 mm.

[0025] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 8 denotes a metal layer formed on the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 of the mask body 2. The metal layer 8 is formed by electroforming nickel in layers. Each mask body 2 is disposed in a mask opening 11, and the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 of the mask body 2 is integrally and inseparably joined to the frame body 3 by the metal layer 8 formed by electroforming. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the metal layer 8 is formed in a hat-shaped cross section over the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4, the upper surface of the frame body 3, the side surface facing the pattern formation region 4, and the gap portion between the mask body 2 and the frame body 3. Further, the metal layer 8 is also formed in the joining through hole 7, thereby improving the joining strength between the mask body 2 and the frame body 3. Note that the metal layer 8 can be formed using a nickel alloy such as nickel cobalt or other electrodeposited metals in addition to nickel as a material.

[0026] FIGS. 6 to 10 show a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to the present embodiment. In this method, first, a frame body forming step is performed to form a reinforcing frame body 3.

[0027] (Frame body forming step) First, for example, using a wire electrical discharge machining machine or the like that has little thermal influence on a metal plate material, a cutting step is performed to cut out the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 from the metal plate material. Next, an etching or laser processing is performed on the cut-out upper frame 16 and lower frame 17, thereby performing a mask opening forming step of forming a plurality of openings that become the mask openings 11 as shown in FIG. 6(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), in a state where the protruding arc surfaces of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 derived from the metal plate material face each other, both frames 16 and 17 are joined by an adhesive layer 18, and a joining step is performed to form the frame body 3 in a flat shape in a state where the two-dimensional curved warpage is offset. The adhesive layer 18 is made of a sheet-shaped uncured photosensitive dry film resist.

[0028] Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a fixing process is performed in which the sheet is passed between upper and lower rolling rolls 22·22 arranged at a predetermined inter-roll dimension and clamped. Further, an unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 (the portion exposed outside the mask opening 11 and the outer peripheral frame 10) is removed (developed) to obtain the frame body 3. In this way, the use of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist for the adhesive layer 18 is because the uncured photosensitive dry film resist has adhesiveness and is also a material used in the primary patterning process and the like described later. Therefore, there is no need to separately prepare a commercially available adhesive or the like, and the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced accordingly. In the cutting process, the upper and lower frames 16·17 can also be cut out while cooling the metal plate material using a laser cutting machine.

[0029] The above-described respective processes are performed on metal plate materials having different thicknesses to manufacture a pair of frame bodies 3·3 as shown in FIG. 7(a). These frame bodies 3·3 are laminated as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the frame bodies 3·3 are joined together with an adhesive layer 19 made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7(c), a lamination process is performed in which the sheet is passed between upper and lower rolling rolls 22·22 arranged at a predetermined inter-roll dimension and clamped. Thus, a laminated pair of frame bodies 3·3 is obtained.

[0030] (Patterning Precursor Formation Process) As shown in FIG. 8(a), a photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface of a master mold 24 made of, for example, stainless steel or brass having conductivity. This photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of a negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist and thermocompression bonding so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having light-transmitting holes 26a corresponding to the vapor deposition through holes 5 and the bonding through holes 7 (primary patterning) is brought into close contact with the photoresist layer 25 to obtain a patterning precursor 27.

[0031] (Preheating Process) The pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is preheated to the temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure operation using, for example, a heater plate, a preheating furnace, or the like. In parallel with the preheating of the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning, the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device is also preheated to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation. The preheating of the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device is performed by turning on the ultraviolet lamp 28 in a state where the irradiation target is not accommodated inside the furnace or in a state where a dummy master (master + photoresist layer + protective film) is accommodated. The pre-stage body 27 and the inside of the furnace are preheated to, for example, 23 ± 3°C. Incidentally, the maximum temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure operation is around 26°C.

[0032] (Primary pattern patterning process) When the preheating of the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is completed, the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is accommodated inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in Fig. 8(a), ultraviolet light is irradiated with the ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying is performed. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portion, as shown in Fig. 8(b), the primary pattern resist 29 having the resist body 29a corresponding to the evaporation through-holes 5 and the bonding through-holes 7 is formed on the master 24. In this way, when the exposure operation is performed with the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning preheated to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation, the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is heated and expanded by the ultraviolet irradiation, and it is possible to eliminate the occurrence that the exposure operation is performed while the relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted. Therefore, a primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and in the intended shape can be provided on the master 24, contributing to improving the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the deposition layer.

[0033] (First electroforming process) Next, the master mold 24 was placed in an electroforming bath where the temperature condition of the electroforming solution was set to 40 to 50°C. As shown in FIG. 8(c), within the height range of the previous resist body 29a, electrodeposited metal made of nickel was electroformed on the surface of the master mold 24 that was not covered by the resist body 29a for the first time to form a first electroformed layer 30, that is, the layer that becomes the mask body 2. Next, by dissolving and removing the resist body 29a, as shown in FIG. 8(d), a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5 and joining through holes 7 was obtained. In FIG. 8(d), reference numeral 30a indicates a first electroformed layer formed between the mask bodies 2·2 and removed in a peeling process described later.

[0034] (Activation treatment process) As shown in FIG. 9(a), after forming a photoresist layer 33 on the entire surface of the first electroformed layers 30·30a, a pattern film 34 having a light-transmitting hole 34a corresponding to the peripheral portion of the joining through hole 7 was adhered closely and placed in the furnace of an ultraviolet irradiation device, and exposed by irradiating ultraviolet light with an ultraviolet lamp 28, and then development and drying processes were performed. Here, the photoresist layer 33 was formed by laminating one or several negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resists in the same manner as before and thermocompression bonding to have a predetermined thickness. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portion of the photoresist layer 33, as shown in FIG. 9(b), a pattern resist 35 having an opening 35a corresponding to the peripheral portion of the joining through hole 7 was obtained. That is, the pattern resist 35 was formed so that only the peripheral portion of the joining through hole 7 was exposed on the surface.

[0035] Next, an activation treatment such as acid dipping or electrolytic treatment was performed on the portion of the primary electroformed layer 30 exposed to the opening 35a of the pattern resist 35, that is, the primary electroformed layer 30 around the joining through hole 7, and further, as shown in Fig. 9(c), the pattern resist 35 was dissolved and removed. In Fig. 9(c), reference numeral 36 indicates the portion subjected to the activation treatment. Specifically, the inner wall surface of the joining through hole 7 and the upper surface of the primary electroformed layer 30 around the joining through hole 7 were subjected to the activation treatment. By performing the activation treatment around the joining through hole 7 in this way, the bonding strength between the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 formed in the second electroforming process described later can be significantly improved as compared with the case where no treatment is performed. Instead of the previous activation treatment, a thin layer such as strike nickel or matte nickel may be formed on the primary electroformed layer 30 around the joining through hole 7. This can also improve the bonding strength between the peripheral portion of the joining through hole 7 and the metal layer 8.

[0036] (Secondary patterning process and frame body arranging process) As shown in Fig. 10(a), a photoresist layer 38 is formed on the entire surface of the master mold 24 including the formed portions of the primary electroformed layers 30 and 30a. This photoresist layer 38 was formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist in the same manner as before and thermocompression bonding to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 39 having a light-transmitting hole 39a corresponding to the pattern formation region 4 was adhered and housed in the furnace of an ultraviolet irradiation device, and irradiated with ultraviolet light by an ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying was performed. In this state, the portion (38a) related to the pattern formation region 4 was exposed, and a photoresist layer 38 with the unexposed portion (38b) other than that was obtained (see Fig. 10(b)).

[0037] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the frame 3 was arranged while aligning it so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 on the master mold 24. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the master mold 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b. Further, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface was dissolved and removed to form a secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4. At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 was covered by the frame 3 and not dissolved and removed, and remained on the master mold 24.

[0038] (Second electroforming step) The master mold 24 was placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution was adjusted to 23 ± 3°C. As shown in FIG. 10(d), an electrodeposited metal made of nickel was electroformed on the upper surface of the primary electroformed layer 30 facing the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4, the surface of the frame 3, the surface of the master mold 24 exposed on the surface between the frame 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30, and inside the joining through hole 7 to form a metal layer 8. Thereby, the primary electrodeposited layer 30 and the frame 3 can be integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8.

[0039] (Peeling step) After peeling the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master mold 24, the primary electroformed layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled from both of these layers 30 and 8. Finally, by removing the secondary pattern resist 40 and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b, the vapor deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 3 was obtained.

[0040] In this embodiment, the temperature range of the electroforming solution in the first electroforming step was set to a higher temperature range than the temperature range of the electroforming solution in the second electroforming step. According to this, it can be held with respect to the frame 3 in a state where a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of contracting inward acts on the mask body 2. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature increase in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented.

[0041] (Second Embodiment) Figures 11 and 12 show a second embodiment of the vapor deposition mask and its manufacturing method according to the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, in order to prevent the occurrence of distortion of the frame 3 due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that integrally joins the mask body 2 and the frame 3 inseparably, the metal layer 8 is not formed on the upper surface of the frame 3 other than on the periphery of the mask opening 11, thereby dividing the metal layer 8 to provide a stress relaxation portion 42, which is different from the previous first embodiment.

[0042] In the frame 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface thereof and three sides of both edge portions of the mask opening 11 continuous with the upper surface are surrounded by the metal layer 8, when the metal layer 8 is formed by electroforming, if it is formed in a state where internal stress is generated, distortion may occur in the frame 3 due to the internal stress, which may have an adverse effect on the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1. However, by providing the stress relaxation portion 42 as in this embodiment, the internal stress of the metal layer 8 can be released by the stress relaxation portion 42, thereby preventing distortion from occurring in the frame 3. Here, the "division of the metal layer 8" means that it is sufficient that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame 3, and the mode thereof is not limited to that of this embodiment. The rest is the same as the first embodiment, so the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The same shall apply to the following embodiments.

[0043] In the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask 1 according to this embodiment, at the final stage of the frame forming process, a resist body 42a corresponding to the stress relaxation portion 42 is formed on the upper surface of the frame 3, and the resist body 42a is provided on the upper surface of the frame 3. The subsequent patternning precursor forming process to the secondary patternning process is the same as the method shown in Figures 8(a)-(d), 9(a)-(c), and 10(a) described in the first embodiment, but the first electroforming process is performed in a state where the temperature range of the electroforming solution is set to 23±2°C.

[0044] (Frame Arrangement Process) As shown in Fig. 12(a), the frame 3 provided with the resist body 42a was arranged while being aligned so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 on the master mold 24. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the master mold 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b. Further, as shown in Fig. 12(b), the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface was dissolved and removed to form the secondary pattern resist 40 having the resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4. At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 was covered by the frame 3 and not dissolved and removed but remained on the master mold 24.

[0045] (Second electroforming process) The above master mold 24 was placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution was set to 23 ± 3°C. As shown in Fig. 12(c), on the upper surface of the primary electroformed layer 30 facing the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4, on the surface of the frame 3 not covered by the resist body 42a, on the surface of the master mold 24 exposed on the surface between the frame 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30, and inside the joining through hole 7, electrodeposited metal made of nickel was electroformed to form the metal layer 8. Thereby, the primary electrodeposited layer 30 and the frame 3 can be joined inseparably and integrally by the metal layer 8. In the present embodiment, the temperature ranges of the electroforming solutions used in the first electroforming process and the second electroforming process were set to be the same (23 ± 3°C). Thereby, it is possible to prevent the primary electroformed layer 30, that is, the mask body 2, from being joined to the frame 3 while thermally expanding as much as possible. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the joining position of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame 3 can be improved, and a vapor deposition mask with higher reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be obtained. In addition, in both the first electroforming process and the second electroforming process, the lower the temperature of the electroforming solution in the electroforming bath is set, the more the thermal expansion of the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 can be suppressed. At this time, it is more preferable that the temperature of the electroforming solution in the electroforming bath of the first electroforming process and the temperature of the electroforming solution in the electroforming bath of the second electroforming process are the same or ±3°C.

[0046] (Peeling process) After peeling the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master form 24, the primary electroformed layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled from both of these layers 30 and 8. Finally, by removing the secondary pattern resist 40, the resist body 42a, and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b, the vapor deposition mask 1 provided with the stress relaxation portion 42 shown in FIG. 11 was obtained.

[0047] (Third Embodiment) FIGS. 13 to 15 show a third embodiment of the vapor deposition mask and its manufacturing method according to the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the mask body 2 is reinforced by configuring the frame 3 with one frame 3, and the joining through holes 7 of the mask body 2 into which the metal layer 8 penetrates are eliminated, which is different from the previous first embodiment. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 in this embodiment are formed using a 0.8 mm metal plate material as the base material, and the frame 3 is set to the same thickness dimension as the previous first embodiment.

[0048] FIGS. 14 and 15 show a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to this embodiment. In this method, first, the frame forming step shown in FIG. 6 described in the first embodiment is performed to form the reinforcing frame 3.

[0049] (Frame Forming Step) First, for example, using a wire electrical discharge machine or the like that has little thermal influence on the metal plate material, a cutting step of cutting out the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 from the metal plate material is performed. Next, by performing etching or laser processing on the cut upper frame 16 and lower frame 17, a mask opening forming step of forming a plurality of openings that become the mask openings 11 is performed as shown in FIG. 6(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), with the protruding arc surfaces of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 derived from the metal plate material facing each other, the two frames 16 and 17 are joined with the adhesive layer 18, and a joining step of forming the frame 3 in a flat shape with the two-dimensional curved warpage canceled out is performed. The adhesive layer 18 is made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist.

[0050] Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a fixing process is performed in which the substrate is passed between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22·22 arranged at a predetermined inter-roll dimension and pinched. Further, the adhesive layer 18 of the unnecessary portion (the portion exposed outside the mask opening 11 and the outer peripheral frame 10) is removed (developed) to obtain the frame body 3. Thus, the use of the sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist for the adhesive layer 18 is because the uncured photosensitive dry film resist has adhesiveness and is also a material used in the primary patterning process and the like described later, so there is no need to separately prepare a commercially available adhesive or the like, and the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced accordingly.

[0051] (Patterned precursor formation process) As shown in FIG. 14(a), a photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface of a master mold 24 made of, for example, stainless steel or brass having conductivity. This photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist and thermocompression bonding to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having a light-transmitting hole 26a corresponding to the vapor deposition through-hole 5 is brought into close contact with the photoresist layer 25 to obtain a patterned precursor 27.

[0052] (Preheating process) The patterned precursor 27 is preheated to the furnace temperature of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure operation using, for example, a heater plate or a preheating furnace. In parallel with the preheating of the patterned precursor 27, the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device is also preheated to the furnace temperature during the exposure operation. The preheating of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device is performed by turning on the ultraviolet lamp 28 in a state where the irradiation target is not accommodated in the furnace or in a state where a dummy master mold (master mold + photoresist layer + protective film) is accommodated. The patterned precursor 27 and the furnace are preheated to, for example, 23 ± 3°C. Incidentally, the maximum temperature in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure operation is around 26°C.

[0053] (Primary patterning process) When the preheating of the inside of the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus and the patterning precursor 27 is completed, the patterning precursor 27 is accommodated in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus, and as shown in Fig. 14(a), ultraviolet light is irradiated with the ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying is performed. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portion, as shown in Fig. 14(b), a primary pattern resist 29 having a resist body 29a corresponding to the evaporation through hole 5 (primary patterning) was formed on the master mold 24. In this way, when the exposure operation is performed with the inside of the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus and the patterning precursor 27 preheated to the furnace temperature during the exposure operation, the patterning precursor 27 is heated and expanded by the ultraviolet irradiation, and it is possible to eliminate the exposure operation being performed while the relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted. Therefore, a primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and in the intended shape can be provided on the master mold 24, contributing to improving the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the deposited layer.

[0054] (First electroforming process) Next, the master mold 24 is placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution is adjusted to 40 to 50°C, and within the range of the height of the previous resist body 29a as shown in Fig. 14(c), electroplated metal made of nickel is electroformed on the surface of the master mold 24 not covered by the resist body 29a for the first time to form a first electroplated layer 30, that is, the layer that becomes the mask body 2. Next, by dissolving and removing the resist body 29a, as shown in Fig. 14(d), a mask body 2 having a deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent evaporation through holes 5 was obtained.

[0055] (Secondary patterning process and frame body arrangement process) As shown in Fig. 15(a), a photoresist layer 38 was formed on the entire surface of the master mold 24 including the formation portion of the primary electroformed layer 30. This photoresist layer 38 was formed by laminating one or more sheets of negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist in the same manner as before and thermocompression bonding to obtain a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 39 having a light-transmitting hole 39a corresponding to the pattern formation region 4 was adhered closely and housed in the furnace of an ultraviolet irradiation device, and ultraviolet light was irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure. In this state, the portion (38a) related to the pattern formation region 4 was exposed, and a photoresist layer 38 with the unexposed portion (38b) other than that was obtained (see Fig. 15(b)). In this embodiment as well, an activation treatment step may be performed prior to the secondary patterning step, and an activation treatment such as acid dipping or electrolytic treatment may be performed on the primary electroformed layer 30 that becomes the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4.

[0056] Next, as shown in Fig. 15(b), the frame 3 was arranged while aligning it so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 on the master mold 24. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the master mold 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b. Further, as shown in Fig. 15(c), the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface was dissolved and removed to form a secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4. At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 was covered by the frame 3 and not dissolved and removed, and remained on the master mold 24.

[0057] (Second electroforming step) Next, the master mold 24 was placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution was adjusted to 23 ± 3°C. As shown in Fig. 15(d), an electrodeposited metal made of nickel was electroformed on the upper surface of the primary electroformed layer 30 facing the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4, the surface of the frame 3, and the surface of the master mold 24 exposed on the surface between the frame 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30 to form a metal layer 8. Thereby, the primary electrodeposited layer 30 and the frame 3 can be integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8.

[0058] (Peeling step) After peeling the primary electroformed layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master form 24, the primary electroformed layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled from both of these layers 30 and 8. Finally, by removing the secondary pattern resist 40 and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b, the vapor deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 13 was obtained.

[0059] (Fourth Embodiment) FIGS. 16 and 17 show a fourth embodiment of the vapor deposition mask and its manufacturing method according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the mask main body 2 and the frame 3 are integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8, but the point that the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the primary electroformed layer 30 constituting the mask main body 2 is different from the previous embodiments. In this way, when the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the mask main body 2, the labor of separately forming the metal layer 8 and joining the mask main body 2 and the frame 3 can be saved, and the steps required for manufacturing can be omitted and the time can be shortened, so that the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced.

[0060] FIG. 17 shows a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to the present embodiment. In this method, first, the frame forming step shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 described in the first embodiment is performed to form the reinforcing frame 3.

[0061] (Frame Forming Step) First, for example, using a wire electrical discharge machining machine or the like that has little thermal influence on a metal plate material, a cutting step of cutting out from the metal plate material to the sizes of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 is performed. Next, by performing etching or laser processing on the cut upper frame 16 and lower frame 17, a mask opening forming step of forming a plurality of openings that become the mask openings 11 as shown in FIG. 6(a) is performed. Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), in a state where the protruding arc surfaces of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 derived from the metal plate material face each other, both frames 16 and 17 are joined by the adhesive layer 18, and a joining step of forming the frame 3 in a flat shape in a state where the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface is offset is performed. The adhesive layer 18 is made of a sheet-shaped uncured photosensitive dry film resist.

[0062] Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a fixing process is performed in which the material is passed between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22·22 arranged at a predetermined inter-roll dimension and clamped. Further, the frame body 3 is obtained by removing (developing) the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 (the portion exposed outside the mask opening 11 and the outer peripheral frame 10). In this way, the use of the sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist for the adhesive layer 18 is because the uncured photosensitive dry film resist has adhesiveness and is also a material used in the primary patterning process and the like described later. Therefore, there is no need to separately prepare a commercially available adhesive or the like, and the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced accordingly.

[0063] The above-described respective processes are performed on metal plate materials having different thicknesses to manufacture a pair of frame bodies 3·3 as shown in FIG. 7(a). These frame bodies 3·3 are laminated as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the frame bodies 3·3 are joined by an adhesive layer 19 made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7(c), a lamination process is performed in which the material is passed between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22·22 arranged at a predetermined inter-roll dimension and clamped. Thus, a pair of laminated frame bodies 3·3 is obtained.

[0064] (Pre-patterning precursor formation process) As shown in FIG. 17(a), a photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface of a master mold 24 made of, for example, stainless steel or brass having conductivity. This photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or several sheets of negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist and thermocompression bonding to have a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having a light-transmitting hole 26a corresponding to the mask body 2 is brought into close contact with the photoresist layer 25 to obtain a pre-patterning precursor 27.

[0065] (Preheating process) The pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is preheated to the temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure operation, for example, using a heater plate, a preheating furnace, or the like. In parallel with the preheating of the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning, the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device is also preheated to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation. The preheating of the inside of the ultraviolet irradiation device's furnace is performed by turning on the ultraviolet lamp 28 in a state where the irradiation target is not accommodated inside the furnace or in a state where a dummy mold (mold + photoresist layer + protective film) is accommodated. The pre-stage body 27 and the inside of the furnace are preheated to, for example, 23 ± 3°C. Incidentally, the maximum temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device during the exposure operation is around 26°C.

[0066] (Primary pattern patterning process) When the preheating of the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is completed, the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is accommodated inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in Fig. 17(a), ultraviolet light is irradiated with the ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying is performed. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed portion, as shown in Fig. 17(b), a primary pattern resist 29 having a resist body 29a corresponding to the mask body 2 (primary pattern patterning) is formed on the mold 24. In this way, when the exposure operation is performed in a state where the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning are preheated to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation, the pre-stage body 27 of pattern patterning is heated and expanded by ultraviolet irradiation, and it is possible to eliminate the occurrence that the exposure operation is performed while the relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted. Therefore, a primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and in the intended shape can be provided on the mold 24, contributing to the improvement of the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer.

[0067] (Frame body arrangement process) As shown in FIG. 17(c), an adhesive resist 43 was formed on the entire surface of the master mold 24 including the formation portion of the primary pattern resist 29. This adhesive resist 43 was formed by laminating one or several sheets of a negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist in the same manner as before and thermocompression bonding so as to have a predetermined thickness. Next, the frame 3 was arranged while aligning it so as to surround the primary pattern resist 29 on the master mold 24. Here, the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the master mold 24 by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed adhesive resist 43. Further, as shown in FIG. 17(d), the unexposed adhesive resist 43 exposed on the surface was dissolved and removed. At this time, the adhesive resist 43 on the lower surface of the frame 3 was covered by the frame 3 and not dissolved and removed but remained on the master mold 24.

[0068] (Integrated electroforming process) The master mold 24 was placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution was adjusted to 23 ± 3°C. As shown in FIG. 17(e), an electrodeposited metal made of nickel was electroformed on the surface of the master mold 24 not covered by the resist body 29a and on the surface of the frame 3 to form a metal layer 8. Thereby, the primary electroformed layer 30 constituting the mask body 2 and the metal layer 8 joining the mask body 2 and the frame 3 can be integrally formed.

[0069] (Peeling process) After integrally peeling the primary electroformed layer 30, the metal layer 8, and the frame 3 from the master mold 24, the adhesive resist 43 located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was removed from these two layers 30 and 8, thereby obtaining the vapor deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 16.

[0070] According to the manufacturing method of the fourth embodiment described above, the steps required for manufacturing can be omitted and the time can be shortened by saving the labor of forming the metal layer 8, while enhancing the rigidity of the frame 3 in the same manner as above. Therefore, it is possible to realize enlargement while further suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and it is further possible to maintain flatness and obtain a vapor deposition mask 1 capable of ensuring good reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer.

[0071] (Fifth Embodiment) FIGS. 18 to 20 show a fifth embodiment of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 18, the vapor deposition mask 1 in this embodiment includes a support frame 46 fixed to the lower surface of the frame body 3 and an auxiliary frame 47 fixed to the lower surface of the support frame 46. The outer shapes of the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 are made to match the frame body 3. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a frame opening 48 corresponding to the mask opening 11 of the frame body 3 is formed in the support frame 46, and the frame opening 48 is formed in an opening shape that is slightly larger than the mask opening 11. The entire vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 of the frame body 3 are supported by the support frame 46. Further, the auxiliary frame 47 is formed in a frame shape, and the four peripheral edges of the support frame 46 are supported by the auxiliary frame 47. After the vapor deposition mask 1, the support frame 46, and the auxiliary frame 47 are aligned with each other, the three components 1, 46, and 47 are joined and integrated by spot welding. The welding points 49 of the spot welding are provided at the four corner portions and the four peripheral edge portions on the extension lines of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 (see FIG. 20).

[0072] As described above, when the entire vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 of the frame body 3 are supported by the support frame 46 and further the four peripheral edges of the support frame 46 are supported by the auxiliary frame 47, the structural strength and rigidity of the entire vapor deposition mask can be further enhanced, preventing the vapor deposition mask 1 from deflecting and deforming and maintaining flatness, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be made even higher.

[0073] FIG. 21 shows a modified example of the fifth embodiment of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, ten mask bodies 2 of the vapor deposition mask 1 are arranged in a 2-row and 5-column matrix. Three of these vapor deposition masks 1 were manufactured and supported by a support frame 46 and an auxiliary frame 47. Specifically, first, one vapor deposition mask 1 was prepared, and after adjusting its position and tension, it was fixed to the support frame 46. Such fixing is performed by spot welding the corner portions of the frame body 3 and the peripheral portions on the extension lines of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13. The remaining two vapor deposition masks 1 are similarly fixed to the support frame 46. Finally, the auxiliary frame 47 is fixed (spot welding) to the side of the support frame 46 opposite to the side where the vapor deposition mask 1 is fixed. In the form of supporting a plurality of vapor deposition masks 1 with the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 in this way, the relative positions of adjacent vapor deposition masks 1 can be finely adjusted and arranged, and the relative positional accuracy of the mask bodies 2 of adjacent vapor deposition masks 1 can be improved. Therefore, good reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy can be ensured. Also, a vapor deposition mask 1 of a desired size can be freely set.

[0074] As described above, in the vapor deposition mask and the vapor deposition mask manufacturing method of each of the above embodiments, the frame body 3 is composed of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17, and the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 are joined and integrated via the adhesive layer 18. Therefore, when forming the frame body 3 having the same thickness as the conventional one, a thinner metal plate material can be used to form the frame body 3, and the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. Thereby, even in the case of a large-sized vapor deposition mask 1, the occurrence of distortion due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be suppressed. Also, since it is only necessary to use a thin metal plate material having a generally circulated thickness for the base material, there is no need to use a dedicated metal plate material to form the frame body 3. As described above, according to the vapor deposition mask of each of the above embodiments, it is possible to realize the enlargement of the vapor deposition mask 1 while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and further maintain the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1, and ensure good reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy. Also, according to the frame body 3 in which the adhesive layer 18 is interposed between the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17, when an external force that causes the vapor deposition mask 1 to deflect and deform is applied, the frame body 3 elastically deforms flexibly by the amount of the adhesive layer 18, and the breakage of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be effectively prevented.

[0075] Also, in the vapor deposition masks of the first, second, fourth, and fifth embodiments, since a plurality of frames 3·3 are laminated and the frames 3·3 adjacent to each other in the lamination direction are joined via an adhesive layer 19, when forming a frame 3 having the same thickness as the conventional one, a thinner metal plate material can be used to form the frame 3, so that the occurrence of distortion due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be further suppressed.

[0076] As in each of the above embodiments, the number and arrangement mode of the mask bodies 2 included in the vapor deposition mask 1 are not limited to those shown in the above embodiments. Also, the number of mask bodies 2 does not necessarily have to be plural and may be one. Prior to the joining process of the upper and lower frames 16·17, pressing can be performed on the cut upper frame 16 and lower frame 17 using upper and lower dies for applying a curved surface to apply a two-dimensional curved surface or a three-dimensional curved surface. In this case, by applying a two-dimensional curved surface or a three-dimensional curved surface having a line-symmetric relationship, it can be facilitated to form the frame 3 in a flat shape in the subsequent joining process. The primary electroforming layer 30 and the metal layer 8 may have a two-layer structure of bright nickel and matte nickel electroformed thereon. In this case, the bright nickel is difficult to adhere to the master mold 24, and the peeling process of the vapor deposition mask 1 from the master mold 24 in the manufacturing process can be advanced with good work efficiency.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1 Vapor deposition mask 2 Mask body 3 Frame 4 Pattern formation region 4a Outer peripheral edge 5 Vapor deposition through hole 6 Vapor deposition pattern 8 Metal layer 10 Outer peripheral frame 11 Mask opening 12 Vertical frame 13 Horizontal frame 16 Upper frame 17 Lower frame 18 Adhesive layer 19 Adhesive layer 24 Master mold 25 Photoresist layer 26-pattern film 26a light-transmitting hole 27 pattern-nining precursor 29 primary pattern resist 29a resist body 30 primary electroforming layer 43 adhesive resist 46 support frame 47 auxiliary frame 48 frame opening W1 width dimension of the vertical frame W2 width dimension of the horizontal frame

Claims

A vapor deposition mask comprising a mask body (2) having a vapor deposition pattern (6) composed of a plurality of independent vapor deposition through holes (5), and a reinforcing frame (3) made of a metal material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, arranged around the mask body (2) so as to surround the mask body (2). The frame (3) is composed of an upper frame (16) and a lower frame (17). The upper frame (16) and the lower frame (17) are made of a metal material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and the upper frame (16) and the lower frame (17) are joined and integrated via an adhesive layer (18). The vapor deposition mask is characterized in that the upper frame (16) and the lower frame (17) are joined in a state where convex arc surfaces or concave arc surfaces face each other. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of frames (3, 3) are laminated, and adjacent frames (3, 3) in the lamination direction are joined via an adhesive layer (19). The mask body (2) is formed in a rectangular shape, and a plurality of mask bodies (2) are arranged in a matrix. The frame (3) includes an outer peripheral frame (10), and a lattice frame-shaped vertical frame (12) and a horizontal frame (13) that partition a plurality of mask openings (11) within the outer peripheral frame (10). When the width dimension of the vertical frame (12) parallel to the long side of the mask body (2) is (W1), and the width dimension of the horizontal frame (13) parallel to the short side of the mask body (2) is (W2), the width dimension (W1) of the vertical frame (12) and the width dimension (W2) of the horizontal frame (13) are set to satisfy the inequality (W1 ≤ W2 ≤ W1 × 1.1). The vapor deposition mask according to claim 1 or 2.

Images