Mask Drying Device

Abstract

To provide a mask drier capable of removing impurities remaining on a mask, effectively in a short time.SOLUTION: A mask drier for drying a mask assembly including a mask frame having an opening formed therein, and a stick mask formed by welding and joining skirts on both ends onto the mask frame by applying a tension in a first direction, may include an infrared lamp 100 capable of emitting an infrared ray, and a pair of first brackets 200 separating mutually alongside the skirt, having a support surface 210 forming a prescribed angle with one surface of the stick mask, for supporting the infrared lamp on the support surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mask drying device, and more particularly to a mask drying device that can increase the usable life of a mask. [Background technology]

[0002] Among display devices, organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) have the advantages of a wide viewing angle, excellent contrast, and fast response speed, and as a result, the range of applications for OLEDs is gradually expanding.

[0003] The electrodes and intermediate layers including the light-emitting layer of the organic light-emitting display device (OLED) can be formed by various methods, one of which is a deposition method.

[0004] The biggest challenge in manufacturing high-resolution OLEDs is the deposition process, which is important for creating RGB pixels in the OLED process. A fine metal mask (hereinafter referred to as the mask) with the same pattern as the thin film formed on the substrate is aligned, and the original material of the thin film is deposited to form a thin film with the desired pattern. This deposition process involves heating the organic material in a deposition source located at the bottom of the chamber, sublimating the heated organic material, and depositing it on the substrate through the mask located at the top.

[0005] The organic deposition apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a mask frame, a mask, a substrate, and an organic deposition vessel, and the mask is fixed to the mask frame by welding in a tensioned state.

[0006] When performing multiple deposition processes using a mask, deposition materials such as organic matter are deposited on the surface of the mask. The deposited deposition materials can cause deformation of the mask, so a periodic mask cleaning process is required to maintain the precision of the deposition pattern and the deposition yield at a certain level.

[0007] To remove the organic slurry deposited on the mask after the deposition process, the mask cleaning system mainly undergoes a cleaning process and a drying process. In the cleaning process, a cleaning liquid such as deionized water (DIW) is supplied to the mask to perform the mask cleaning process, and in the drying process, an air knife process is performed in which high-pressure gas is sprayed onto the mask to remove impurities such as residues and cleaning liquid so that they are desorbed together with the high-pressure gas, and a hot air drying process is performed in which hot air is sprayed onto the mask to remove remaining impurities.

[0008] The conventional drying process has the disadvantage that it is difficult to effectively remove impurities remaining in the gaps in the welded joints at the contact positions between the mask frame and the mask. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0006335 (Publication Date: January 16, 2015) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a mask drying apparatus capable of effectively removing impurities remaining on a mask in a short period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a mask drying apparatus.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mask drying apparatus for drying a mask assembly including a mask frame having an opening formed therein, and a stick mask having both ends of a skirt welded to the mask frame by applying tension in a first direction, and the mask drying apparatus may include an IR lamp capable of emitting infrared rays, and a first bracket having a support surface that forms a predetermined angle with one surface of the stick mask and capable of supporting the IR lamp on the support surface.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the stick mask may further include a second bracket having a support surface that forms a predetermined angle with another surface of the stick mask and capable of supporting the infrared lamp on the support surface.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the mask may further include a second bracket having a first support surface that forms a first angle with the other side of the stick mask, and a second support surface that extends from the first support surface and forms a second angle with the other side of the stick mask, and that is capable of supporting the infrared lamp on the first support surface and the second support surface.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the first support surface may have an obtuse included angle with the second support surface.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the stick mask may further include a pair of second brackets spaced apart from each other and aligned with the skirt, facing the other side of the stick mask, having a curved cross-section with an arbitrary radius of curvature, and supporting the infrared lamp on the curved surface.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the device may further include a drying chamber that accommodates the mask assembly and improves the efficiency of concentrating the infrared light. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, infrared rays are irradiated to the parts of the stick mask that overlap with the mask frame and are difficult to dry, and the high-temperature infrared rays effectively vaporize the cleaning solution and ultrapure water, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, instead of using a physical external force, the mask assembly can be dried without being damaged by instantly increasing the surface temperature to cause volatilization or evaporation, thereby increasing the shelf life of the mask assembly.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the present invention, by doubly irradiating infrared rays from the first bracket and the second bracket, it is possible to increase the rate at which the surface temperature of the mask assembly rises, thereby improving drying performance.

[0021] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, infrared lamps are provided on the first and second supporting surfaces of the second bracket, which are different from each other, and the infrared irradiation intensity is increased at a specific portion, thereby improving the drying speed of the overlapping and difficult-to-dry portions at the joint area between the stick mask and the mask frame, thereby increasing productivity and operating efficiency.

[0022] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the IR lamp is housed in a drying chamber, which has the advantage of blocking external airflow, providing a stable internal temperature change even in the event of an instantaneous temperature rise in the IR lamp, and managing the high-intensity infrared rays of the IR lamp to eliminate any harmful effects on the human body of workers. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mask assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mask drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mask drying apparatus of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a mask drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5(a) to 5(c) are side cross-sectional views of mask drying apparatuses according to different embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing a mask drying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 7(a) to 7(d) are bottom views of mask drying apparatuses according to different embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mask drying device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and may be embodied in other forms. The embodiments described herein are provided so that the disclosed content can be thorough and complete, and so that the idea of ​​the present invention can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0025] In this specification, when any component is referred to as being on another component, it means that it may be directly formed on the other component, or a third component may be interposed between them. Also, in the drawings, the shapes and sizes are exaggerated for the purpose of effectively explaining the technical contents.

[0026] In addition, although terms such as first, second, and third are used in various embodiments of this specification to describe various components, these components are not limited by such terms. These terms are used simply to distinguish any component from other components. Thus, what is referred to as a first component in any one embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment. Each embodiment described and exemplified herein also includes its complementary embodiment. In addition, in this specification, "and / or" is used to mean at least one of the components listed before and after it.

[0027] In the specification, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, components, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood as excluding the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, components, or combinations thereof. In addition, in the specification, the term "connected" is used to mean both indirect connection of multiple components and direct connection.

[0028] In addition, in the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0029] In the following, for convenience of explanation, the first direction refers to the Y-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, the second direction refers to the X-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, and the third direction refers to the Z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, where the first direction is perpendicular to the second and third directions.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mask assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mask drying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mask drying apparatus of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c) are side cross-sectional views of mask drying apparatuses according to different embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a mask drying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d) are bottom views of mask drying apparatuses according to different embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mask drying apparatus of FIG. 7(d).

[0031] Each of the components constituting the mask drying apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0032] After an organic material deposition process is performed on a substrate (not shown) using the mask assembly 1, a mask cleaning and drying process is performed periodically to remove foreign materials deposited on the mask assembly 1.

[0033] The mask assembly 1 may include a mask frame 2 and a stick mask 3. An opening may be formed in the mask frame 2. The stick mask 3 may include a deposition pattern portion and a skirt 4. The skirt 4 is at both ends of the stick mask 3, and may be welded and joined onto the mask frame 2 by a welding machine (not shown) in a state where it is stretched in one direction by a tensioning machine (not shown).

[0034] 1 to 8, in the mask drying apparatus 10, a drying step of drying the mask assembly 1 can be performed after the mask cleaning step.

[0035] The mask drying apparatus 10 can dry the cleaning liquid and ultra-pure water (DIW) remaining on the cleaned mask assembly 1. The mask drying apparatus 10 includes an IR lamp 100 and a first bracket 200, and may further include a second bracket 300 and a drying chamber 400.

[0036] The IR lamp 100 can emit infrared light and may include an infrared light source, a lens, and a reflector.

[0037] The IR lamp 100 emits infrared rays in the form of direct light, and can heat the irradiated area to a high temperature in a short period of time.

[0038] The IR lamp 100 has different illumination intensities and can be turned on or off depending on the specifications of the mask assembly 1, which differ from one another.

[0039] 2 to 8, the first bracket 200 may have a support surface 210 that forms a predetermined angle with one surface of the stick mask 3. The first bracket 200 may have a plurality of IR lamps 100 arranged spaced apart on the support surface 210.

[0040] The first bracket 200 may have at least one support surface 210. The IR lamps 100 may be arranged in rows and columns on the support surface 210 at regular intervals. Further referring to Fig. 5, the first bracket 200 according to one embodiment may have a length in one direction to face a joining region of the stick mask 3 fixed at regular intervals in the mask assembly 1.

[0041] The first bracket 200 can adjust the distance from the mask assembly 1 to adjust the infrared radiation distance of the IR lamp 100 .

[0042] The support surface 210 according to one embodiment may be disposed to face one side of the stick mask 3. The support surface 210 may face one side of the stick mask 3 so that the IR lamps 100 face the area to be dried.

[0043] According to an embodiment, the first brackets 200 may be arranged in a pair spaced apart from each other alongside the skirts 4 at both ends of the stick mask 3 .

[0044] The first brackets 200 may be arranged in different shapes depending on the size or arrangement of the mask assembly 1 .

[0045] 2, 3, and 5(a) to 5(c), the second bracket 300 can have the IR lamps 100 disposed on at least one or more support surfaces 310, 320. The second brackets 300 can be arranged in pairs spaced apart from each other and aligned with the skirts 4 on both ends of the stick mask 3.

[0046] The second bracket 300 can adjust the distance from the mask assembly 1 to adjust the infrared radiation distance of the IR lamp 100 .

[0047] The second bracket 300 according to an embodiment may have support surfaces 310, 320 that form a predetermined angle with the other surface of the stick mask 3. A plurality of IR lamps 100 may be spaced apart from each other on the support surfaces 310, 320. The IR lamps 100 may be arranged on the support surfaces at regular intervals in rows and columns.

[0048] The second bracket 300 according to another embodiment may have a first support surface 310 and a second support surface 320. The first support surface 310 may face the other surface of the stick mask 3 at a first angle.

[0049] The second supporting surface 320 may face the other surface of the stick mask 3 at a second angle. The second supporting surface 320 may be an extension of the first supporting surface 310.

[0050] A plurality of IR lamps 100 may be spaced apart from each other on the first supporting surface 310 and the second supporting surface 320. The IR lamps 100 may be arranged on the first supporting surface 310 and the second supporting surface 320 at regular intervals in rows and columns.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the first supporting surface 310 may have an obtuse included angle with the second supporting surface 320. The IR lamps 100 arranged on the first supporting surface 310 and the second supporting surface 320, respectively, can improve the drying performance of the cleaning liquid by irradiating the overlapping portions of the mask frame 2 and the stick mask 3 in an overlapping manner.

[0052] According to still another embodiment, the second bracket 300 faces the other side of the stick mask 3 and may have a curved cross section 310 having any radius of curvature. The IR lamps 100 may be supported on the curved surface. A plurality of IR lamps 100 may be overlapped on the curved cross section 310 to irradiate infrared rays to the overlapping portions of the mask frame 2 and the stick mask 3, thereby improving drying performance.

[0053] 6, the drying chamber 400 may have an accommodation space formed therein for accommodating the mask assembly 1. The drying chamber 400 may have a structure that forms a closed space. The drying chamber 400 may include an opening / closing means (not shown) that allows the mask assembly 1 to enter and exit. The drying chamber 400 may be maintained at a constant temperature and humidity to enhance the drying performance of the mask drying device 10.

[0054] A reflective film may be applied to the inner wall of the drying chamber 400. Even when infrared rays emitted from the IR lamp are irradiated in a direction other than the mask assembly 1, the reflective film allows the infrared rays reflected by the reflective film to be directed toward the mask assembly 1, thereby increasing the optical concentration efficiency of the infrared rays.

[0055] The mask cleaning method using the mask drying device will be described below in chronological order.

[0056] A method for cleaning a mask using the mask drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mask cleaning step and an infrared irradiation step, and may further include an air knife drying step.

[0057] In the mask cleaning step, foreign matter deposited on the mask assembly may be cleaned with a cleaning solution, which may be composed of at least one of a chemical and ultrapure water.

[0058] In the air knife drying stage, the mask assembly may be dried using a jet of compressed air.

[0059] In the infrared irradiation step, infrared rays may be irradiated to the mask assembly. In the infrared irradiation step, the frequency of infrared irradiation may be increased in vertical or horizontal directions on a specific region of the mask assembly to increase the surface temperature of the specific region in a short period of time, thereby increasing the evaporation rate of the cleaning solution.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiment, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the specific embodiment, but should be interpreted by the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that a person having ordinary knowledge in this technical field can make various modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10 Mask drying device 100 IR Lamps 200 First Bracket 210 Support surface 300 2nd bracket 310 1st support surface 320 Second support surface 400 Drying Chamber 1 Mask assembly 2 Mask Frame 3. Stick Mask 4. Skirt

Claims

1. A mask drying device for drying a mask assembly including a mask frame having an opening and a stick mask having skirts welded to the mask frame by applying tension in a first direction, the mask drying device comprising: An IR lamp capable of emitting infrared rays; a first bracket having a support surface that forms a predetermined angle with one surface of the stick mask and capable of supporting the IR lamp on the support surface; a second bracket having a support surface that forms a predetermined angle with another surface of the stick mask and capable of supporting the IR lamp on the support surface; The support surface of the first bracket has an acute included angle with the support surface of the second bracket.

2. The support surface of the second bracket is a first support surface that forms a first angle with the other surface of the stick mask; and a second support surface that extends from the first support surface and forms a second angle with the other surface of the stick mask, The mask drying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the IR lamp is supportable on the first support surface and the second support surface.

3. The mask drying apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first support surface has an obtuse included angle with the second support surface.

4. The support surface of the second bracket is The stick mask includes a cross section of a curved surface having a given radius of curvature, the cross section facing the other surface of the stick mask; The IR lamp is supported on the curved surface; The mask drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of second brackets are spaced apart from each other alongside the skirt.

5. The mask drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a drying chamber for housing the mask assembly and improving optical concentration efficiency of the infrared light.

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