Frame body

Abstract

To provide a frame body that reduces difference in expansion amount due to heat and can suppress generation of flexure due to heat expansion.SOLUTION: A frame body includes an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are made of a metal material having a low-thermal linear expansion coefficient. The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined via an adhesion layer 18. The frame body is laminated in a plurality of layers. The frame bodies adjacent in a lamination direction are joined to each other via an adhesion layer 19.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a frame that can be used to support a mask body. The frame of the present invention can be applied to, for example, a deposition mask (metal mask). [Background technology]

[0002] In mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet terminals that have a display device, In order to reduce the weight of the device and extend its operating time, a lighter LCD display has been installed instead. The adoption of low power consumption organic EL displays has begun. The deposition mask method is used to form the light-emitting layer (deposition layer) of the organic EL element on the substrate (deposition target). In this case, a larger deposition mass having more mask bodies is used. By using a vacuum to produce more products in one deposition run, This reduces the manufacturing cost of the display. Manufacturers are increasingly demanding larger deposition masks.

[0003] The deposition mask used in the deposition mask method is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes a metal mask (mask body) with multiple mask portions (evaporation patterns) and The frame is made of Invar material and is formed in a frame shape to hold the metal mask in a tensed state. The metal mask and the frame form a deposition mask. The plates are joined by hot welding.

[0004] This type of deposition mask has also been proposed by the present applicant, and is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2. The deposition mask includes a plurality of mask bodies each having a deposition pattern, and a mask body that is not uniform with respect to the mask body. It consists of a reinforcing frame that is integrally joined. The frame is made of an Invar material (a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion), and each mask body has its outer peripheral edge joined to the frame surrounding the mask body by a metal layer formed by electroforming. The mask body is joined by a metal layer formed by electroforming to the frame that surrounds the mask body.

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 the frame for fixing and holding the metal mask and the 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 of the vapor deposition layer (light-emitting layer) and the vapor deposition accuracy can be ensured. However, although the metal mask of the vapor deposition mask in Patent Document 1 is fixed and held in a tensioned state on the frame, 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 the vapor deposition accuracy will decrease. In that regard, in the vapor deposition mask of Patent Document 2, since each mask body is joined to the frame 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 of the vapor deposition layer and the vapor deposition accuracy can be ensured. However, whether the Invar material

[0007] In this regard, in the vapor deposition mask of Patent Document 2, since each mask body is joined to the frame 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 of the vapor deposition layer and the vapor deposition accuracy can be ensured. However, whether the Invar material is used or not, the reproduction accuracy of the vapor deposition layer and the vapor deposition accuracy can be ensured. However, whether the Invar material​​​​​​​ Any frame will expand slightly during the vapor deposition operation. Also, the frame is made of Invar metal plate material. However, since there are plate thickness deviations in the generally circulated metal plate materials, there are variations in the plate thickness depending on the part of the frame. For this reason, the amount of expansion is different for each part of the frame, and the difference in the amount of expansion may appear as distortion of the entire vapor deposition mask. In this way, when distortion occurs in the vapor deposition mask 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 size of the frame increases. The occurrence of distortion due to such a plate 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 plate thickness deviation dedicatedly, but the base material becomes expensive, leading to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask. Here, the plate 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 to provide a frame that can reduce the difference in the amount of expansion due to heat and suppress the occurrence of distortion caused by thermal expansion. Such a frame is used, for example, for reinforcing the mask body, and while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, it is possible to realize an increase in the size of the mask, maintain the flatness of the mask, and obtain a vapor deposition mask capable of ensuring the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0009] The vapor deposition mask of the present invention includes a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5, and a reinforcing frame 3 made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, disposed around the mask body 2. The mask body 2 and the frame 3 are integrally joined inseparably via a metal layer 8 And the frame 3 is composed of an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17 formed in the same shape, and the upper ​​It is characterized in that the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined and integrated via an adhesive layer 18.

[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. to join.

[0011] The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where the protruding arc surfaces or the concave arc surfaces face each other, and the two-dimensional or three-dimensional warpage of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 is offset, and the frame body 3 is formed flat. to form. The mask body 2 is formed in a rectangular shape, and a plurality of mask bodies 2 are arranged in a matrix.

[0012] 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 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). and horizontal frames 13. and the width dimension of the horizontal frame 13 parallel to the short side of the mask body 2 is W2, the width dimension of the vertical frame 12 is set as follows. to satisfy the inequality (W1≤W2≤W1×1.1). to set.

[0013] A form in which the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the mask body 2 can be adopted.

[0014] It 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. 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, and the entire vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 of the frame body 3 are supported by the support frame 46. Also, 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. and the auxiliary frame 47 is formed in a frame shape to support the four peripheral edges of the support frame 46. formed, and the frame opening 48 is formed in an opening shape that is slightly larger than the mask opening 11, and the entire vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 of the frame body 3 are supported by the support frame 46. to support. Also, the auxiliary frame 47 is formed in a frame shape to support the four peripheral edges of the support frame 46. by the auxiliary frame 47.

[0015] The deposition mask according to the deposition mask manufacturing method of the present invention is a deposition mask having a large number of independent deposition through holes 5. A mask body 2 having a pattern 6 in a pattern forming region 4 and a mask layer 5 arranged around the mask body 2 The deposition mask is provided with a reinforcing frame 3 made of a metal plate material having a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion. The manufacturing method includes a frame forming step of forming a reinforcing frame 3, and a step of applying steam to the surface of the matrix 24. A primary pattern resist 29 having a resist body 29a corresponding to the through hole 5 is provided. A turning process and electroforming a metal on the matrix 24 using a primary pattern resist 29. A plurality of primary electroforming layers 30 corresponding to the mask body 2 are formed at predetermined positions on the matrix 24. 1, and a primary electroforming step in which a corresponding mask opening 11 is formed in each mask opening 11 of the frame body 3. A frame disposing step of disposing the frame 3 on the matrix 24 while aligning the layer 30. The mask body 2 is provided with a pattern forming region 4 and a surface of the frame 3. In this state, a metal layer 8 is formed by electroforming, and the primary electroformed layer 30 and the frame body 3 are connected via the metal layer 8. and a second electroforming step of bonding the primary electroforming layer 30, the frame 3, and the The peeling step includes peeling off the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 8 together. The frames 16 and 17 are joined together with an adhesive layer 18 so that the convex or concave arc surfaces of the frames 16 and 17 face each other. In combination, the two-dimensional or three-dimensional curved warping of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 is offset. The method is characterized in that the frame body 3 is formed by a joining process in which the frame body 3 is formed flat in the state where the frame body 3 is in the flat state. do.

[0016] In addition, the deposition mask according to the deposition mask manufacturing method of the present invention is made up of a large number of independent deposition through holes 5. A mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 therein is provided in a pattern formation region 4, and a reinforcing frame 3 made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion is disposed around the mask body 2. In the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, a frame forming step of forming the reinforcing frame 3, a primary pattern resist 29 having a resist body 29a corresponding to the mask body 2 is provided on the surface of the master mold 24. A primary pattern patterning step, and an adhesive resist 43 is attached to the entire upper surface of the master mold 24 including the primary pattern resist 29, and then the frame 3 is adhesively fixed on the master mold 24 so as to surround the primary pattern resist 29. A frame disposing step, a step of removing the adhesive resist 43 except for the adhesive resist 43 located on the lower surface of the frame 3, and a state of covering the surface of the master mold 24 excluding the resist body 29a and the surface of the frame 3. Electrodepositing a metal to form a primary electroformed layer 30 constituting the mask body 2, and integrally forming a metal layer 8 joining the mask body 2 and the frame 3. An integral electroforming step, and a peeling step of peeling the primary electroformed layer 30, the metal layer 8, and the frame 3 integrally from the master mold 24 are included. In the frame forming step, the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are bonded with an adhesive layer 18 in a state where the protruding arc surfaces or concave arc surfaces of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 face each other. The frame 3 is formed in a flat shape including a joining step of forming the frame 3 in a state where the two-dimensional or three-dimensional warpage of the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 is offset. It is characterized in that. In the primary pattern patterning step, a photoresist layer 25 is laminated on the surface of the conductive master mold 24, and a pattern film 26 having a light-transmitting hole 26a corresponding to the primary pattern patterning is further laminated on the surface of the photoresist layer 25. A pattern patterning precursor 27 is formed.

[0017] 。Preheat the temperature of the patternning precursor 27 and the temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation, and perform the exposure operation of the photoresist layer 25 by the ultraviolet irradiation device. Perform the exposure operation of the photoresist layer 25 by the ultraviolet irradiation device in a state where they are preheated to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation.

[0018] Set the temperature range of the electroforming solution used in the first electroforming process and the temperature range of the electroforming solution used in the second electroforming process to substantially the same temperature range. Set the temperature range of the electroforming solution used in the first electroforming process and the temperature range of the electroforming solution used in the second electroforming process to substantially the same temperature range.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] 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, the generally circulated metal plate material that serves as the base material of the frame body 3 has a tendency that the plate thickness deviation becomes smaller as the thickness dimension becomes thinner because the number of passes through the rolling roller in the manufacturing process increases. Therefore, by forming the frame body 3 with the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 and joining and integrating the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 via the adhesive layer 18, 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, so that the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. As a result, even in the case of a large-sized vapor deposition mask, the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion derived from 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 the 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, vapor deposition 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, the generally circulated metal plate material that serves as the base material of the frame body 3 has a tendency that the plate thickness deviation becomes smaller as the thickness dimension becomes thinner because the number of passes through the rolling roller in the manufacturing process increases. Therefore, by forming the frame body 3 with the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 and joining and integrating the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 via the adhesive layer 18, 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, so that the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. As a result, even in the case of a large-sized vapor deposition mask, the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion derived from 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 the 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, vapor deposition Generally circulated metal plate materials, as the thickness dimension becomes thinner, the number of passes through the rolling roller in the manufacturing process increases, so the plate thickness deviation tends to become smaller as the plate thickness becomes thinner. Generally circulated metal plate materials, as the thickness dimension becomes thinner, the number of passes through the rolling roller in the manufacturing process increases, so the plate thickness deviation tends to become smaller as the plate thickness becomes thinner. Therefore, by forming the frame body 3 with the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 and joining and integrating the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 via the adhesive layer 18, 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, so that the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. Therefore, by forming the frame body 3 with the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 and joining and integrating the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 via the adhesive layer 18, 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, so that the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. As a result, even in the case of a large-sized vapor deposition mask, the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion derived from the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be suppressed. As a result, even in the case of a large-sized vapor deposition mask, the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion derived from 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. 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 the 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. 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 the 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. In addition, according to the frame body 3 in which the adhesive layer 18 is interposed between the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17, vapor deposition When an external force that causes the mask to flex and deform is applied, the frame 3 becomes flexible by the amount of the adhesive layer 18 and can be elastically deformed to effectively prevent damage to the vapor deposition mask.

[0020] When a plurality of frames 3·3 are laminated and the adjacent frames 3·3 in the lamination direction are joined via an adhesive layer 19 to form 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 generation of strain due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be further suppressed. Therefore, an increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask can be realized, and furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask can be maintained and better reproducibility accuracy and deposition accuracy of the deposition layer can be ensured. Also, as the number of adhesive layers 18·19 for joining the frames 3 increases, the frame can be elastically deformed more flexibly with respect to an external force so that damage to the vapor deposition mask can be more effectively prevented.

[0021] When the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where the two-dimensional or three-dimensional warpage is canceled to form the frame 3 in a flat shape, a slight warpage derived from the metal plate material is eliminated, the flatness can be further improved, and better reproducibility accuracy and deposition accuracy of the deposition layer can be ensured .

[0022] When 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 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, and moreover, since the length of the horizontal frame 13 is smaller than the length of the vertical frame 12, the vertical frame 12 is firmly supported by the horizontal frame 13, and the long vertical frame 12 can be prevented from flexing and deforming due to its own weight . Therefore, the deformation of the frame 3 due to its own weight can be prevented, and an increase in the size of the vapor deposition mask can be realized, and furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask can be maintained, and better reproducibility accuracy and deposition accuracy of the deposition layer can be ensured. In addition, 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. Further, 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 causes the vapor deposition mask 1 to deflect and deform is applied, the external force is evenly dispersed and locally concentrated. This can be eliminated, and deformation and breakage of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be effectively prevented. In addition, since the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 is set to (W2 ≤ W1 × 1.1), the 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, and the weight of the entire vapor deposition mask can be prevented from increasing unnecessarily, while enhancing the structural strength and rigidity of the frame body 3. When the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the mask body 2 and the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 are joined inseparably and integrally, the labor of separately forming the metal layer 8 and joining the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 is saved, and the manufacturing process can be omitted and the time can be shortened,

[0023] so that the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask can be reduced. 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 are further enhanced, preventing the vapor deposition mask from deflecting and deforming and maintaining flatness, and the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be made even more accurate.

[0024] According to the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, in the frame body forming step, the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined flatly in a state where the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface or three-dimensional curved surface is offset, so that the slight warpage derived from the metal plate material is eliminated, and the flatness can be further improved.

[0025] Therefore, it is possible to achieve enlargement while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and further maintain flatness. It is possible to obtain a vapor deposition mask that can ensure good reproducibility accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. It can be done.

[0026] According to another manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the labor for forming the metal layer 8 is saved, while omitting the steps required for manufacturing and shortening the time, the flatness can be further improved as described above. Therefore, it is possible to achieve enlargement while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and further maintain flatness. It is possible to obtain a vapor deposition mask that can ensure good reproducibility accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. It can be done.

[0027] In the primary patterning step, the temperature of the patterning precursor 27 and the temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device are preheated to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation, and the exposure operation of the photoresist layer 25 by the ultraviolet irradiation device is performed. In this way, the positional accuracy is good, and the intended shape can be provided with the primary pattern resist 29 on the master mold 24. Specifically, the master mold 24, the photoresist layer 25, and the pattern film 26 that constitute the patterning precursor 27 each have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Therefore, when the patterning precursor 27 is accommodated in the furnace at a temperature lower than the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation and the exposure operation is performed, the patterning precursor 27 is heated and expanded by ultraviolet irradiation, and the relative positional relationship among the three, 24, 25, and 26, is shifted while the exposure operation is performed. Along with this, the positional accuracy of the primary pattern resist 29 with respect to the master mold 24 decreases, and furthermore, the shape of the primary pattern resist 2 9 cannot be exposed as intended. The position of the primary pattern resist 29 is irradiated, and the patterning precursor 27 expands due to heating, and the relative positional relationship among the three, 24, 25, and 26, shifts while the exposure operation is performed. As a result, the positional accuracy of the primary pattern resist 29 with respect to the master mold 24 decreases, and furthermore, the shape of the primary pattern resist 2 9 cannot be exposed as intended. The position of the primary pattern resist 29 9 and the shape of the primary pattern resist 29 cannot be exposed as intended. The position A decrease in precision or a defective shape affects the formation of the mask body 2 in the first electroforming process or the integrated electroforming process, resulting in a problem that the mask body 2 with the intended dimensional accuracy cannot be formed by electroforming. However, by preheating the patterning precursor 27 and the temperature inside the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device to the temperature inside the furnace during the exposure operation, the temperature rise due to ultraviolet irradiation can be eliminated, and the thermal expansion of the patterning precursor 27 can be prevented. Therefore, the primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and in the intended shape can be provided on the master mold 24, and a mask body 2 with good dimensional accuracy can be formed, contributing to the improvement of the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. By setting the temperature ranges of the electroforming solutions used in the first electroforming process and the second electroforming process to be substantially the same, the primary electroforming layer 30 and the frame body 3 can be joined inseparably and integrally via the metal layer 8 that becomes the metal layer, and the joining of the mask body 2 to the frame body 3 while the mask body 2 thermally expands can be prevented. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the joining position of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 can be improved, and a vapor deposition mask with higher reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be obtained.

[0028]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] (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 are not shown in actual condition, but are schematically shown. The same applies to the figures of the following embodiments.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vapor deposition mask 1 includes a plurality of mask bodies 2 and a reinforcing frame 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, 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, on the mask body 2, a large number of bonding through holes 7 are provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4.

[0032] 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 the present 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 hand direction is 62 mm, and 30 mask bodies 2 are arranged in a 6-row 5-column matrix. Note that the mask body 2 is made of a nickel alloy such as nickel cobalt in addition to nickel, and It can be formed using other electroplated metals as materials. When the vapor deposition mask 1 of the present embodiment is applied to a vapor deposition mask for an organic EL element, the vapor deposition pattern 6 is formed to correspond to the light emitting layer of the organic EL element. When applied to a vapor deposition mask for an organic EL element, the vapor deposition pattern 6 is formed to correspond to the light emitting layer of the organic EL element.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the frame body 3 includes an outer peripheral frame 10 and a lattice frame-shaped vertical frame 12 and horizontal frame 13 that partition a mask opening 11 within the outer peripheral frame 10. The vertical frame 12 is provided parallel to the long side of the mask body 2, and the horizontal frame 13 is provided parallel to the short side of the mask body 2. In the present embodiment, the frame body 3 is made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion made of an Invar material, which 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 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 to 110 mm in the longitudinal direction and 64 mm in the short transverse direction. The frame body 3 may be formed of a Super Invar material or the like, which is a nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, and its thickness dimension can be set to, for example, about 1 to 5 mm. 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 can satisfactorily suppress dimensional changes of the mask body 2 due to the thermal influence in the vapor deposition process. 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 the present 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, the width dimension W1 of the vertical frame 12 is provided parallel to the long side of the mask body 2, and the horizontal frame 13 is provided parallel to the short side of the mask body 2. In the present embodiment, the frame body 3 is made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion made of an Invar material, which 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. In the present embodiment, the frame body 3 is made of a metal plate material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion made of an Invar material, which 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. and is formed to be sufficiently thicker than the mask body 2, and its thickness dimension is set to 1.6 mm. Also, in 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 to 110 mm in the longitudinal direction and 64 mm in the short transverse direction. Also, in 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 to 110 mm in the longitudinal direction and 64 mm in the short transverse direction. The frame body 3 may be formed of a Super Invar material or the like, which is a nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, and its thickness dimension can be set to, for example, about 1 to 5 mm. The frame body 3 may be formed of a Super Invar material or the like, which 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 can satisfactorily suppress dimensional changes of the mask body 2 due to the thermal influence in the vapor deposition process.

[0034] 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). 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 the present 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 the present 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. ​If the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13 is set larger than that of the vertical frame 12, the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be made larger than that of the vertical frame 12. Moreover, since the length of the horizontal frame 13 is smaller than that of the vertical frame 12, the vertical frame 12 is firmly supported by the horizontal frame 13, preventing the long vertical frame 12 from deflecting due to its own weight. Therefore, the deformation of the frame body 3 due to its own weight can be prevented, realizing the enlargement of the vapor deposition mask 1. Furthermore, the flatness of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be maintained, and the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the deposition pattern can be improved. In addition, the rigidity of the vertical frame 12 and the horizontal frame 13 can be made substantially uniform as a whole. When an external force is applied to deflect the vapor deposition mask 1, the external force can be evenly dispersed, eliminating local concentration, and effectively preventing deformation and damage of the vapor deposition mask 1. Additionally, regarding the width dimension W2 of the horizontal frame 13, (W2 ≦ W1 × 1.1), the increase in the weight of the frame body 3 due to the increase in the cross-sectional area of the horizontal frame 13 can be suppressed, while enhancing the structural strength and rigidity of the frame body 3 without causing the weight of the entire vapor deposition mask to increase unnecessarily. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6(a), the frame body 3 is composed of an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17 formed with the same thickness dimension and the same shape. 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 offset. Note that the two-dimensional curved warpage is a slight warpage

[0035] derived from the metal plate material, and there may also be a three-dimensional curved warpage. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 uses a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist, and the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 1 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 offset. Note that the two-dimensional curved warpage is a slight warpage derived from the metal plate material, and there may also be a three-dimensional curved warpage. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 uses a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist, and 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 offset. Note that the two-dimensional curved warpage is a slight warpage derived from the metal plate material, and there may also be a three-dimensional curved warpage. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 18 After the joining of 7, the adhesive layer 18 of the unnecessary part is removed. The adhesive layer 18 may use various commercially available adhesives. The upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the frame body 3 have the same thickness dimension in order to join in a state where the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface is offset and form the frame body 3 in a flat shape easily. The convex arc surface may be a concave arc surface or may include both. Note that if the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 can be joined flatly in a state where the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface is offset, the thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and

[0036] 17 may be different. As described above, when the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 are joined in a state where the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface is offset to form the frame body 3 in a flat shape, a slight warpage derived from the metal plate material is eliminated, and the flatness can be further improved, and a better deposition layer reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy can be ensured.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a pair (plurality) of frame bodies 3 and 3 formed by the above method are laminated, and the frame bodies 3 and 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 surface side frame body 3 are each set to 0.3 mm, and the thickness dimensions of the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 constituting the lower surface side frame body 3 are each set to 0.5 mm.

[0038] 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 laminating nickel by electroforming. Each mask body 2 is disposed in the mask opening 11, and the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 of the mask body 2 is integrally 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 on the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 and , on the upper surface of the frame body 3, on the side surface facing the pattern formation region 4, and in the gap portion between the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 , is formed in a hat-shaped cross section. Further, the metal layer 8 is also formed in the bonding through hole 7, thereby improving the bonding 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 the material .

[0039] FIGS. 6 to 10 show a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to the present embodiment. In that case, first, a frame body forming step is performed to form a reinforcing frame body 3.

[0040] (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 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-out 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 an adhesive layer 18, and a joining step of forming the frame body 3 in a flat shape in a state where the two-dimensional curved warpage is canceled is performed. The adhesive layer 18 is made of a sheet-shaped uncured photosensitive dry film resist. Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a fixing step of passing through and sandwiching between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22 and 22 arranged at a predetermined roll-to-roll dimension is performed. Further, the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 (the mask portion)

[0041] Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a fixing step of passing through and sandwiching between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22 and 22 arranged at a predetermined roll-to-roll dimension is performed. Further, the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 (the mask portion) The mask opening 11 and the portion exposed outside the outer peripheral frame 10 are removed (developed) to form the frame. Thus, the adhesive layer 18 was coated with a sheet of uncured photosensitive dry film resist. The reason for using the dry film resist is that the uncured photosensitive dry film resist has adhesive properties and This material is also used in the primary patterning process described below, so you will need to purchase a commercially available adhesive. This is because there is no need to prepare a mask for deposition, and the manufacturing cost of the deposition mask 1 can be reduced accordingly. In the cutting process, the metal plate material is cooled using a laser cutting machine while the upper and lower frames 16 are cut. You can also cut out 17.

[0042] By carrying out the above steps from metal plate materials of different thicknesses, a pair of frames is produced as shown in FIG. These frame bodies 3·3 are stacked as shown in FIG. 7(b) to form the frame body 3·3. The two are joined together with an adhesive layer 19 made of a sheet-shaped uncured photosensitive dry film resist. After that, as shown in Fig. 7(c), the upper and lower rolling rolls arranged with a predetermined roll spacing are The stacked pair of frames are then sandwiched between 22 and 22 for lamination. Got 3·3.

[0043] (Patterning pre-stage formation process) As shown in FIG. 8(a), a conductive matrix 24 made of, for example, stainless steel or brass is A photoresist layer 25 is formed on the surface. This photoresist layer 25 is a negative type. One or several sheets of photosensitive dry film resist are laminated and shaped by thermocompression. Next, a deposition through hole was formed on the photoresist layer 25 to a predetermined thickness. 5 and a pattern frame having a light transmitting hole 26a corresponding to the joining through hole 7 (primary patterning). The film 26 (glass mask) was brought into close contact to obtain the pre-patterning body 27.

[0044] (Preheating step) The pre-patterning body 27 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-patterning body 27, 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 in the furnace or in a state where a dummy master (master + photoresist layer + protective film) is accommodated. The pre-patterning 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. + protective film) is accommodated. The pre-patterning 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.

[0045] (Primary patterning step) When the preheating of the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning body 27 is completed, the pre-patterning body 27 is accommodated in 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-hole 5 and the bonding through-hole 7 is formed on the master 24. 7 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, the positional accuracy is good, and moreover, the intended The primary pattern resist 29 in the shape can be provided on the master mold 24, contributing to the reproduction accuracy of the vapor deposition layer and the high-precision improvement of the vapor deposition accuracy.

[0046] (The first electroforming process) Next, the master mold 24 is placed in an electroforming bath where the temperature condition of the electroforming solution is set at 40 to 50 °C. As shown in Fig. 8(c), within the height range of the previous resist body 29a, electroplated metal made of nickel is primary electroformed on the surface of the master mold 24 that is not covered by the resist body 29a to form a primary electroplated layer 3 0, that is, the layer that will become the mask body 2. Next, the resist body 29a is dissolved and removed As a result, as shown in Fig. 8(d), a mask body 2 having a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5 and joining through holes 7 is obtained. In Fig. 8(d), reference numeral 30a indicates the primary electroplated layer formed between the mask bodies 2·2 and removed in the subsequent peeling process is shown.

[0047] (Activation treatment process) As shown in Fig. 9(a), after forming a photoresist layer 3 3 on the entire surface of the primary electroplated layers 30·30a, a pattern film 3 4 having a light-transmitting hole 34a corresponding to the peripheral portion of the joining through hole 7 is adhered closely and housed in the furnace of an ultraviolet irradiation device, and ultraviolet light is irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying is performed. The photoresist layer 33 here is 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, the unexposed portion of the photo resist layer 33 is dissolved and removed. As a result, 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 is obtained. That is, the joining through hole 7 is obtained. The pattern resist 35 was formed such that only the peripheral portion thereof was exposed on the surface.

[0048] Next, the portion of the primary electroforming layer 30 exposed in the opening 35a of the pattern resist 35, that is, activation treatment such as acid dipping or electrolytic treatment was performed on the primary electroforming layer 30 around the joining through hole 7, and furthermore, 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 electroforming 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 manner, the joining strength between the primary electroforming layer 30 and the metal layer 8 formed in the second electroforming process described later can be significantly improved compared to the case without treatment. Instead of the previous activation treatment, a thin layer such as strike nickel or matte nickel may be formed on the primary electroforming layer 30 around the joining through hole 7. Also by this means, the joining strength between the peripheral portion of the joining through hole 7 and the metal layer 8 can be improved.

[0049] (Secondary patterning process, and frame body arrangement process) As shown in FIG. 10(a), a photoresist layer 38 is formed on the entire surface of the master mold 24 including the formation portions of the primary electroforming layers 30 and 30a. This photoresist layer 38 is 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 is adhered and accommodated in the furnace of an ultraviolet irradiation device, and ultraviolet light is irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying is performed. In this state, the portion (38a) related to the pattern formation region 4 is exposed, and ​​​​​​​​​​​​ The remaining portion of the photoresist layer 38 was left unexposed (38b) (see FIG. 10(b)).

[0050] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), a frame is placed on the matrix 24 so as to surround the primary electroforming layer 30. 3 was placed while aligning it. Here, the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b was improved. The frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the matrix 24 by using the above-mentioned method. The unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface is dissolved and removed to form the pattern forming region 4. A secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the frame body was formed. The unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the underside of the frame 3 is covered by the frame 3 and dissolved away. It remains on the matrix 24 without any deformation.

[0051] (Second electroforming process) The above-mentioned mother mold 24 was placed in an electroforming tank in which the temperature of the electroforming liquid was set to 23±3° C. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the primary electroforming layer 30 facing the outer periphery 4a of the pattern forming region 4 and the frame 3 and the surface of the matrix 24 exposed between the frame 3 and the primary electroforming layer 30, A metal layer 8 made of nickel was formed in the hole 7 by electroforming. The electrodeposit layer 30 and the frame 3 can be inseparably joined by the metal layer 8 .

[0052] (Peeling process) The primary electroforming layer 30 and the metal layer 8 are peeled off from the matrix 24, and then the two layers 30 and 8 are Then, the primary electroforming layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame 3 was peeled off. Finally, the secondary pattern resist was 40 and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b are removed to leave the deposition mass shown in FIG. Got 1 point.

[0053] In this embodiment, the temperature range of the electroforming solution in the first electroforming step is set to a higher temperature range than the temperature range of the electroforming solution in the second electroforming step. According to this, a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of inward contraction acts on the mask body 2, and the mask body 2 can be held with respect to the frame body 3. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented. In this way, the mask body 2 can be held with respect to the frame body 3 in a state where a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of inward contraction acts on the mask body 2. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented. In this way, the mask body 2 can be held with respect to the frame body 3 in a state where a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of inward contraction acts on the mask body 2. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented. In this way, the mask body 2 can be held with respect to the frame body 3 in a state where a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of inward contraction acts on the mask body 2. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented. In this way, the mask body 2 can be held with respect to the frame body 3 in a state where a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of inward contraction acts on the mask body 2. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented. In this way, the mask body 2 can be held with respect to the frame body 3 in a state where a tension is applied such that a stress in the direction of inward contraction acts on the mask body 2. Therefore, the expansion of the mask body 2 accompanying the temperature rise in the vapor deposition furnace can be absorbed by the tension, and the displacement of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 3 and the generation of wrinkles due to the expansion can be prevented.

[0054] (Second Embodiment) FIGS. 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 FIG. 11, in order to prevent the generation of distortion of the frame body 3 due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that integrally joins the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 inseparably, the metal layer 8 is not formed on the upper surface of the frame body 3 other than on the periphery of the mask opening 11, which is different from the previous first embodiment in that the metal layer 8 is divided to provide a stress relaxation portion 42. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in order to prevent the generation of distortion of the frame body 3 due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that integrally joins the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 inseparably, the metal layer 8 is not formed on the upper surface of the frame body 3 other than on the periphery of the mask opening 11, which is different from the previous first embodiment in that the metal layer 8 is divided to provide a stress relaxation portion 42. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in order to prevent the generation of distortion of the frame body 3 due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that integrally joins the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 inseparably, the metal layer 8 is not formed on the upper surface of the frame body 3 other than on the periphery of the mask opening 11, which is different from the previous first embodiment in that the metal layer 8 is divided to provide a stress relaxation portion 42. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in order to prevent the generation of distortion of the frame body 3 due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that integrally joins the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 inseparably, the metal layer 8 is not formed on the upper surface of the frame body 3 other than on the periphery of the mask opening 11, which is different from the previous first embodiment in that the metal layer 8 is divided to provide a stress relaxation portion 42. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in order to prevent the generation of distortion of the frame body 3 due to the internal stress of the metal layer 8 that integrally joins the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 inseparably, the metal layer 8 is not formed on the upper surface of the frame body 3 other than on the periphery of the mask opening 11, which is different from the previous first embodiment in that the metal layer 8 is divided to provide a stress relaxation portion 42.

[0055] In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. In the frame body 3 according to the first embodiment, since the upper surface and the three edges of both edges 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 body 3 due to the internal stress, which may adversely affect 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, and the generation of distortion in the frame body 3 can be prevented. Here, "dividing the metal layer 8" means that it is only necessary that the metal layer 8 is not formed continuously on the entire upper surface of the frame body 3, and the mode thereof is also within the scope of this embodiment. is not limited to this. Since the others are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted. The same shall apply to the following embodiments.

[0056] In the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to the present embodiment, at the final stage of the frame forming step, a step of forming a resist body 42a corresponding to the stress relaxation portion 42 on the upper surface of the frame 3 is performed, and the resist body 42a is provided on the upper surface of the frame 3. From the subsequent pre-patterning precursor forming step to the secondary patterning ning step are the same as those shown in FIGS. 8(a) to (d), FIGS. 9(a) to (c), and FIG. 10(a) described in the first embodiment. However, in the first electroforming step, the temperature range of the electroforming solution is performed in a state where the bath is set at 23 ± 2°C.

[0057] (Frame Arrangement Step) As shown in FIG. 12(a), while aligning, the frame 3 provided with the resist body 4 2a is arranged so as to surround the primary electroformed layer 30 on the master mold 24. Here, by utilizing the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b, the frame 3 is temporarily fixed on the master mold 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 12(b) , the unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface is dissolved and removed, and the secondary pattern resist 40 having the resist body 40a covering the pattern formation region 4 is formed. At this time, the unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered by the frame 3 and is not dissolved and removed, but remains on the master mold 24.

[0058] (Second Electroforming Step) The master mold 24 is placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution is set at 23 ± 3°C, and as shown in FIG. 12(c ), the upper surface of the primary electroformed layer 30 facing the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 and the resist The surface of the frame body 3 not covered by the stopper body 42a, and the surface of the master mold 24 exposed between the frame body 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30, and inside the joining through hole 7, electroformed an electrodeposited metal made of nickel to form a metal layer 8. As a result, the primary electrodeposited layer 30 and the frame body 3 can be integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8. In the present embodiment, the temperature ranges of the electroforming solutions used in the first electroforming step and the second electroforming step were set to be the same (23 ± 3°C). Thereby, since it is possible to prevent as much as possible the primary electroformed layer 30, that is, the mask body 2 from being joined to the frame body 3 while thermally expanding, the positional accuracy of the joining position of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 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. Note that in both the first electroforming step and the second electroforming step, 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 step and the temperature of the electroforming solution in the electroforming bath in the second electroforming step are the same or ±3°C. The surface of the master mold 24 exposed between the frame body 3 and the primary electroformed layer 30, and inside the joining through hole 7, electroformed an electrodeposited metal made of nickel to form a metal layer 8. As a result, the primary electrodeposited layer 30 and the frame body 3 can be integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8. In the present embodiment, the temperature ranges of the electroforming solutions used in the first electroforming step and the second electroforming step were set to be the same (23 ± 3°C). Thereby, since it is possible to prevent as much as possible the primary electroformed layer 30, that is, the mask body 2 from being joined to the frame body 3 while thermally expanding, the positional accuracy of the joining position of the mask body 2 with respect to the frame body 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. Note that in both the first electroforming step and the second electroforming step, 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 step and the temperature of the electroforming solution in the electroforming bath in the second electroforming step are the same or ± 3°C. In the present embodiment, the temperature ranges of the electroforming solutions used in the first electroforming step and the second electroforming step were set to be the same (23 ± 3°C). Thereby, since it is possible to prevent as much as possible the primary electroformed layer 30, that is, the mask body 2 from being joined to the frame body 3 while thermally expanding,

[0059] (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 body 3 was peeled off from both of these layers 30·8. 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.

[0060] ( Reference Example 1 ) From FIGS. 13 to 15, the vapor deposition mask and its manufacturing method Reference Example 1is shown. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the mask body 2 is reinforced by configuring the frame body 3 with one frame body 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. This Reference Example 1 The upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 in are formed using a 0.8 mm metal plate material as the base material, and the frame body 3 is set to the same thickness dimension as that of the previous first embodiment.

[0061] FIGS. 14 and 15 show the Reference Example manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask 1 according to, in which, first, the frame body forming step shown in FIG. 6 described in the first embodiment is performed to form the reinforcing frame body 3.

[0062] (Frame body forming step) First, for example, using a wire electrical discharge machining 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-out 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 then, 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 the warpage of the two-dimensional curved surface is offset in a state where they are offset, and a joining step of forming the frame body 3 in a flat shape is performed. The adhesive layer 18 is composed of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist. Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), a fixing step of passing between the upper and lower rolling rolls 2 22 arranged at a predetermined roll-to-roll dimension and sandwiching them is performed. Further, by removing (developing) the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer 18 (the portion exposed outside the mask

[0063] openings 11 and the outer peripheral frame 10), the frame body 3 is obtained. In this way, a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist is used for the adhesive layer 18 (the portion exposed outside the mask openings 11 and the outer peripheral frame 10), the frame body 3 is obtained. Thus, a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist is used for the adhesive layer 18 It is used 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 evaporation mask 1 can be reduced accordingly.

[0064] (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, conductive stainless steel or copper. This photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or more 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 evaporation through-hole 5 is brought into close contact with the photoresist layer 25 to obtain a patterned precursor 27.

[0065] (Preheating process) The patterned precursor 27 is preheated to the temperature inside the furnace 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 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 object to be irradiated 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 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 patterning process) Once the preheating of the furnace interior of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the patterning precursor 27 is completed, the pattern The patterning precursor 27 is housed in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in Fig. 14(a), ultraviolet light is irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp 28 for exposure, and each process of development and drying is performed. Next, the unexposed light portion is dissolved and removed, so that, as shown in Fig. 14(b), a primary pattern resist 29 having a resist body 29a corresponding to the vapor deposition through hole 5 (primary patterning) is formed on the master mold 24. In this way, when the exposure operation is performed with the furnace interior of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the patterning precursor 27 preheated to the furnace interior temperature during the exposure operation, the patterning precursor 27 is heated and expanded by ultraviolet irradiation, and the relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted, and it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of 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, which can contribute to improving the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. is heated and expanded, and the relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is shifted while the exposure operation is being performed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and in the intended shape on the master mold 24, which can contribute to improving the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. on the master mold 24, which can contribute to improving the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer.

[0067] (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 as shown in Fig. 14(c), within the range of the height of the previous resist body 29a, electroplated metal made of nickel is electroformed primarily on the surface of the master mold 24 not covered by the resist body 29a of the master mold 24 to form a primary electroplated layer 30, that is, the layer that becomes the mask body 2. Next, the resist body 29a is dissolved and removed to obtain a mask body 2 provided with a vapor deposition pattern 6 composed of a large number of independent vapor deposition through holes 5, as shown in Fig. 14(d).

[0068] (Secondary patterning process and frame body arrangement process) As shown in FIG. 15( a ), the entire surface of the matrix 24 including the portion where the primary electroforming layer 30 is to be formed is A photoresist layer 38 was formed. This photoresist layer 38 was a negative type as in the previous example. One or several sheets of the sheet-shaped photosensitive dry film resist are laminated and then heat-pressed. Then, a transparent film corresponding to the pattern forming region 4 is formed. The pattern film 39 having the holes 39a is placed in contact with the ultraviolet ray irradiation device, and the ultraviolet ray is then applied to the pattern film 39. Exposure is performed by irradiating ultraviolet light from an external light lamp 28. In this state, The portion (38a) relating to the region 4 is exposed, and the rest is the unexposed portion (38b). A resist layer 38 was obtained (see FIG. 15(b)). Prior to the cleaning step, an activation treatment step is performed to form a region that will become the outer periphery 4a of the pattern formation region 4. The electroformed layer 30 may be subjected to activation treatment such as acid immersion or electrolysis.

[0069] Next, as shown in FIG. 15(b), a frame is placed on the matrix 24 so as to surround the primary electroforming layer 30. 3 was placed while aligning it. Here, the adhesiveness of the unexposed photoresist layer 38b was improved. 15(c), the frame 3 was temporarily fixed on the matrix 24. The unexposed photoresist layer 38b exposed on the surface is dissolved and removed to form the pattern forming region 4. A secondary pattern resist 40 having a resist body 40a covering the frame body was formed. The unexposed photoresist layer 38b on the underside of the frame 3 is covered by the frame 3 and dissolved away. It remains on the matrix 24 without any deformation.

[0070] (Second electroforming process) Next, the matrix 24 is placed in an electroforming tank in which the temperature of the electroforming liquid is set to 23±3° C. As shown in 15(d), the upper surface of the primary electroforming layer 30 facing the outer peripheral edge 4a of the pattern formation region 4 , the surface of the frame body 3, and the surface of the master mold 24 exposed on the surface between the frame body 3 and the primary electroforming layer 30 , electroformed an electrodeposited metal made of nickel to form a metal layer 8. As a result, the primary electrodeposited layer 30 and the frame body 3 can be integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8.

[0071] (Peeling process) After peeling the primary electroforming layer 30 and the metal layer 8 from the master mold 24, the primary electroforming layer 30a located on the lower surface of the frame body 3 was peeled off from these two 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. 40 and the unexposed photoresist layer 38b, the vapor deposition mask 1 shown in FIG. 13 was obtained. was obtained.

[0072] (First 3 Embodiment) FIGS. 16 and 17 show a first 3 embodiment of the vapor deposition mask and its manufacturing method according to the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 are integrally joined inseparably by the metal layer 8, but the point that the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the primary electroforming layer 30 constituting the mask body 2 is different from the previous embodiments. In this way, when the metal layer 8 is integrally formed with the mask body 2, the labor of separately forming the metal layer 8 and joining the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 can be saved, the steps required for manufacturing can be omitted, and time can be shortened, so that the manufacturing cost of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be reduced.

[0073] FIG. 17 shows a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 1 according to this embodiment. In that method, first, the frame body forming step shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 described in the first embodiment is performed to form the reinforcing frame body 3.

[0074] (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, the metal plate A cutting process is performed to cut out the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17 from the material. Next, By performing etching or laser processing on the upper frame 16 and the lower frame 17, as shown in Fig. 6(a), A mask opening forming process is performed to form a plurality of openings that become the mask openings 11. Next, Then, 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 process is performed to form the frame body 3 in a flat state with the two-dimensional curved warpage canceled out. The adhesive layer 18 is made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist.

[0075] Next, as shown in Fig. 6(c), a fixing process is performed by passing through and sandwiching between the upper and lower rolling rolls 22 and 22 arranged at a predetermined inter-roll dimension. Further, 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), the frame body 3 is obtained. Thus, using 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 pattern 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.

[0076] The above-mentioned respective processes are performed on metal plates with different thicknesses to manufacture a pair of frame bodies 3 and 3 as shown in Fig. 7(a). These frame bodies 3 and 3 are laminated as shown in Fig. 7(b), and the frame bodies 3 and 3 are joined with an adhesive layer 19 made of a sheet-like uncured photosensitive dry film resist. After that, as shown in Fig. 7(c), the upper and lower rolling rolls ​​​​​​A lamination process is performed in which the material is passed between 22·22 and clamped. In this way, a pair of laminated frames 3·3 was obtained.

[0077] (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 copper, which has conductivity. This photoresist layer 25 is formed by laminating one or more sheets of negative-type sheet-like photosensitive dry film resist and thermocompression bonding to achieve a predetermined thickness. Next, a pattern film 26 (glass mask) having a light-transmitting hole 26a corresponding to the mask main body 2 is adhered closely to the photoresist layer 25, and a pre-patterning precursor 27 is obtained.

[0078] (Preheating process) The pre-patterning precursor 27 is preheated to the temperature inside the furnace 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 pre-patterning precursor 27, 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 object to be irradiated is not accommodated in the furnace, or in a state where a dummy master mold (master mold + photoresist layer + protective film) is accommodated. The pre-patterning precursor 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.

[0079] (Primary patterning process) When the preheating of the inside of the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pre-patterning precursor 27 is completed, the pre-patterning precursor 27 is accommodated in the furnace of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and as shown in Fig. 17(a), ultraviolet light Exposure is performed by irradiating ultraviolet light with the lamp 28, and then development and drying processes are carried out. Next, by dissolving and removing the unexposed light 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 ninning) is formed on the master mold 24. In this way, when the exposure operation is performed with the furnace inside the ultraviolet irradiation device and the pattern ninning precursor 27 preheated to the furnace temperature during the exposure operation, the pattern ninning precursor 27 is heated and expanded by the ultraviolet irradiation, and it is possible to eliminate the situation where the exposure operation is performed while the relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is displaced. Therefore, a primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and also in the intended shape can be provided on the master mold 24, which can contribute to improving the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. The relative positional relationship among the three members 24, 25, and 26 is displaced while the exposure operation is performed. This can be eliminated. Therefore, a primary pattern resist 29 with good positional accuracy and also in the intended shape can be provided on the master mold 24, which can contribute to improving the reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer. It can contribute to the high-precision reproduction accuracy and deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer.

[0080] (Frame Arrangement Step) As shown in FIG. 17(c), an adhesive resist 43 is formed on the entire surface of the master mold 24 including the formation portion of the primary pattern resist 29. This adhesive resist 43 is 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 have a predetermined thickness. Next, the frame 3 is arranged while aligning it around the primary pattern resist 29 on the master mold 24. Here, the frame 3 is 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 is dissolved and removed. At this time, the adhesive resist 43 on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered by the frame 3 and not dissolved and removed, remaining on the master mold 24. ) As shown, the unexposed adhesive resist 43 exposed on the surface is dissolved and removed. At this time, the adhesive resist 43 on the lower surface of the frame 3 is covered by the frame 3 and not dissolved and removed, remaining on the master mold 24.

[0081] (Integrated Electroforming Step) The above master mold 24 is placed in an electroforming bath in which the temperature condition of the electroforming solution is set at 23 ± 3°C, and as shown in Fig. 17(e ), on the surface of the master mold 24 not covered with the resist body 29a and the surface of the frame body 3 , an electrodeposited metal made of nickel is electroformed to form a metal layer 8. As a result, the primary electroformed layer 30 constituting the mask body 2 and the metal layer 8 that joins the mask body 2 and the frame body 3 can be integrally formed.

[0082] (Peeling process) After integrally peeling the primary electroformed layer 30, the metal layer 8, and the frame body 3 from the master mold 24, by removing the adhesive resist 43 located on the lower surface of the frame body 3 from both of these layers 30·8, the vapor deposition mask 1 shown in Fig 16 was obtained.

[0083] In the manufacturing method of the above 3 embodiment, the labor for forming the metal layer 8 is saved, the processes required for manufacturing are omitted, and the time is shortened, while the rigidity of the frame body 3 can be enhanced in the same manner as above. Therefore, it is possible to realize enlargement while further suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and further maintain flatness, and obtain a vapor deposition mask 1 that can ensure good reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer .

[0084] (Second 4 embodiment) FIGS. 18 to 20 show the second 4An embodiment is shown. 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 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).

[0085] 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, furthermore, when 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 are further enhanced, preventing the vapor deposition mask 1 from deflecting and deforming and maintaining the flatness so that the reproduction accuracy and vapor deposition accuracy of the vapor deposition layer can be made even higher.

[0086] In FIG. 21, the first 4A modification of the embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the evaporation mask 1 has ten mask bodies 2 arranged in a 2-row and 5-column matrix. Three such evaporation masks 1 were manufactured and supported by a support frame 46 and an auxiliary frame 47. Specifically, first, one evaporation mask 1 was prepared, its position and tension were adjusted, and then it was fixed to the support frame 46. Such fixation is achieved 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 evaporation masks 1 are similarly fixed to the support frame 46. Finally, the auxiliary frame 47 is fixed (by spot welding) to the side of the support frame 46 opposite to the side where the evaporation mask 1 is fixed. When the plurality of evaporation masks 1 are supported by the support frame 46 and the auxiliary frame 47 in this manner, the relative positions of adjacent evaporation masks 1 can be finely adjusted and arranged, and the relative positional accuracy of the mask bodies 2 of adjacent evaporation masks 1 can be improved. Therefore, good reproduction accuracy and evaporation accuracy can be ensured. Also, an evaporation mask 1 of a desired size can be freely set.

[0087] As described above, in the evaporation mask and the evaporation mask manufacturing method of each of the above embodiments, the frame body 3 is composed of an upper frame 16 and a lower frame 17, and the upper and lower frames 16 and 17 are joined together via an adhesive layer 18 and integrated. Therefore, 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, and the plate thickness deviation of the entire frame body 3 can be reduced. As a result, even for a large-sized evaporation mask 1, the occurrence of distortion due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be suppressed Moreover, since only a thin metal plate material with a generally available thickness is used 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 evaporation mask of each of the above embodiments, while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, the size of the evaporation mask 1 can be increased, and furthermore, the flatness of the evaporation mask 1 can be maintained, and good reproduction accuracy and evaporation accuracy can be This can be ensured. 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 1 to bend and deform is applied, the frame body 3 is elastically deformed flexibly by the amount of the adhesive layer 18, and the breakage of the vapor deposition mask 1 can be effectively prevented.

[0088] Also, in the vapor deposition masks of the first, second, 3 and 4 embodiments, a plurality of frame bodies 3 ·3 are laminated, and the adjacent frame bodies 3·3 in the lamination direction are joined via the adhesive layer 19. 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, so that the generation of distortion due to thermal expansion caused by the plate thickness deviation of the metal plate material can be more effectively suppressed.

[0089] As in 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 mask body 2 does not necessarily have to be plural and may be one. Prior to the joining step of the upper and lower frames 16·17, using upper and lower dies for applying a curved surface, the cut upper frame 16 and lower frame 17 are subjected to press working 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 is possible to facilitate the formation of the frame body 3 in a flat shape in the subsequent joining step. 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 step 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

[0090] 1 Vapor deposition mask​ 2 Mask body 3 Frame 4 Pattern formation region 4a Outer peripheral edge 5 Evaporation through-hole 6 Evaporation pattern 8 Metal layer 10 Outer 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

**Claim 1**: A frame body composed of a first frame component (3) arranged on the upper side, a second frame component (3) arranged on the lower side, and an adhesive layer (19) that joins these first frame component (3) and the second frame component (3), wherein each of the first frame component (3) and the second frame component (3) is composed of an upper frame (16) arranged on the upper side, a lower frame (17) arranged on the lower side, and an adhesive layer (18) that joins these upper frame (16) and the lower frame (17), each of the upper frame (16) and the lower frame (17) is made of a metal material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, the frame body is characterized in that the thickness dimension of the first frame component (3) is set smaller than the thickness dimension of the second frame component (3). **Claim 2**: The frame body according to claim 1, wherein 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.

Images