Vapor deposition mask intermediate and method for manufacturing vapor deposition mask

Abstract

Provided are a deposition mask intermediate, a deposition mask, and a method for manufacturing a deposition mask, which make it possible to easily remove the end portion of the deposition mask after the deposition mask is fixed to a frame. [Solution] The mask includes a belt-shaped portion (11), a frame-shaped portion (12) surrounding the belt-shaped portion (11), and a connecting portion (13) located between the belt-shaped portion (11) and the frame-shaped portion (12) and connecting the belt-shaped portion (11) to the frame-shaped portion (12). The belt-shaped portion (11) includes an edge (11e) having a pair of long sides (11e1) and a pair of short sides (11e2), a mask portion (11a) having a plurality of mask holes (11h), and a peripheral portion (11b) surrounding the mask portion (11a). In the peripheral portion (11b), a first weak portion (11c) is located between the mask portion (11a) and the short side (11e2) in the longitudinal direction (DL) of the belt-shaped portion (11) and has a shape extending from one long side (11e1) toward the other long side (11e1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaporation mask intermediate , oh and a method for manufacturing an evaporation mask.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacture of display elements included in an organic EL display device, vacuum evaporation using an evaporation mask is used. The evaporation mask used for vacuum evaporation is a thin metal plate having a strip shape. The evaporation mask includes a mask portion having a plurality of mask holes for forming a display element and a peripheral portion surrounding the mask portion. The evaporation mask has a strip shape and has an edge formed by a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] After the evaporation mask is fixed to a frame that supports the evaporation mask, it is mounted on a vacuum evaporation apparatus together with the frame. When the evaporation mask is fixed to the frame, each end in the longitudinal direction is pulled in a direction away from the other end, so that a tension along the longitudinal direction of the evaporation mask is applied to the evaporation mask. The evaporation mask is fixed to the frame in a state where tension is applied. At this time, among the peripheral portions, the portion closer to the mask portion than the short side is fixed to the frame, so that the portion including the short side in the evaporation mask protrudes from the outer edge of the frame.

[0005] For the purpose of reducing the installation area of the evaporation mask and preventing the evaporation mask from getting caught on other members during the operation of mounting the evaporation mask on a vacuum evaporation apparatus, the portion of the evaporation mask that protrudes from the frame is removed from the evaporation mask. Therefore, from the viewpoint of enhancing the efficiency of evaporation using the evaporation mask, it is required that the operation of removing the end portion of the evaporation mask after fixing the evaporation mask to the frame be easier.

[0006] The present invention enables the operation of removing the end portion of the evaporation mask after fixing the evaporation mask to the frame to be easier, and provides an intermediate evaporation mask. body, oh and aims to provide a method for manufacturing an evaporation mask.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The intermediate evaporation mask for solving the above problems includes a strip portion, a frame-shaped portion surrounding the strip portion, and a connecting portion located between the strip portion and the frame-shaped portion and connecting the strip portion to the frame-shaped portion. The strip portion includes an edge having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides, a mask portion having a plurality of mask holes, and a peripheral portion surrounding the mask portion. Among the peripheral portion, a fragile portion having a shape extending from one of the long sides toward the other long side is located between the mask portion and the short side in the longitudinal direction of the strip portion.

[0008] The evaporation mask for solving the above problems is an evaporation mask having a strip shape, and includes an edge having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides, a mask portion having a plurality of mask holes, and a peripheral portion surrounding the mask portion. Among the peripheral portion, a fragile portion having a shape extending from one of the long sides toward the other long side is located between the mask portion and the short side in the longitudinal direction of the evaporation mask.

[0009] A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask for solving the above problems includes forming a strip portion, a frame portion surrounding the strip portion, and a connecting portion located between the strip portion and the frame portion and connecting the strip portion to the frame portion, and obtaining a vapor deposition mask by cutting the connecting portion to separate the strip portion from the frame portion. The strip portion has an edge including a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides. The strip portion includes a mask portion having a plurality of mask holes and a peripheral portion surrounding the mask portion. Among the peripheral portions, a fragile portion having a shape extending from one of the long sides toward the other long side is located between the mask portion and the short side in the longitudinal direction of the strip portion.

[0010] According to the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, vapor deposition mask, and method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, by cutting the fragile portion, it is possible to separate both ends including the short sides of the strip portion from the portion including the mask portion in the strip portion. Therefore, after attaching the vapor deposition mask formed from the strip portion to the frame, it is easy to remove the end portion of the vapor deposition mask.

[0011] In the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, the fragile portion may include a plurality of half-etching portions, and the plurality of half-etching portions may be arranged in a staggered manner along the direction from one of the long sides toward the other long side.

[0012] According to the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, it is possible to increase the interval between adjacent etching portions in the direction in which the fragile portion extends compared to the case where a plurality of etching portions are arranged linearly and at equal intervals in the direction in which the fragile portion extends. Thereby, when transporting the vapor deposition mask intermediate, it becomes less likely that an unintended cut of the fragile portion occurs.

[0013] In the vapor deposition mask intermediate, the peripheral portion and the frame-shaped portion have a first plate thickness, and the connecting portion includes at least one of a half-etching line along the edge of the strip-shaped portion and a plurality of half-etching portions arranged along the edge of the strip-shaped portion. The half-etching line and the half-etching portion may have a second plate thickness that is thinner than the first plate thickness. According to this vapor deposition mask intermediate, at least a portion where the half-etching line or the half-etching portion is formed in the connecting portion can be made easier to cut.

[0014] In the vapor deposition mask intermediate, the long side includes a non-connected portion that is not connected to the frame-shaped portion. The non-connected portion includes a portion adjacent to the mask portion in the width direction of the strip-shaped portion, and a slit may be located between the non-connected portion and the frame-shaped portion.

[0015] According to the vapor deposition mask intermediate, when the strip-shaped portion is separated from the frame-shaped portion by cutting the connecting portion, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion due to the force applied to the connecting portion to cut the connecting portion.

[0016] In the vapor deposition mask intermediate, the fragile portion is a first fragile portion, and the frame-shaped portion includes an inner edge surrounding the strip-shaped portion and an outer edge forming the outer shape of the frame-shaped portion. The frame-shaped portion may further include a second fragile portion having a linear shape extending from the slit toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the slit. According to this vapor deposition mask intermediate, since the frame-shaped portion can be cut along the second fragile portion, the operation of separating the strip-shaped portion from the frame-shaped portion becomes easier.

[0017] In the vapor deposition mask intermediate, the slit includes an extending portion extending along the edge of the strip-shaped portion and a protruding portion protruding from the extending portion toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the extending portion. The second fragile portion may be connected to the protruding portion.

[0018] According to the above-described vapor deposition mask intermediate, since the second weak portion is connected to the protruding portion, the distance between the end portion of the second weak portion and the strip-shaped portion can be made longer than the case where the second weak portion is connected to the extending portion. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip-shaped portion due to the force for cutting the second weak portion.

[0019] In the above-described vapor deposition mask intermediate, the unconnected portion extends to a position closer to the short side than the mask portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion, the connecting portion connects the portion other than the unconnected portion on the long side to the frame-shaped portion, the protruding portion protrudes from the end portion of the slit toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the extending portion, and the first weak portion may be located closer to the mask portion than the protruding portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion.

[0020] According to the above-described vapor deposition mask intermediate, when the force for cutting the second weak portion acts on the second weak portion, it is possible to suppress the first weak portion from being cut together with the second weak portion as compared with the case where the first weak portion and the protruding portion are aligned in the width direction of the strip-shaped portion.

[0021] In the above-described vapor deposition mask intermediate, the peripheral portion and the frame-shaped portion have a first plate thickness, the connecting portion is one of the plurality of connecting portions, the plurality of connecting portions are spaced apart along the edge of the strip-shaped portion, each connecting portion has the first plate thickness, and a slit may be located along a portion of the edge of the strip-shaped portion other than the portion connected by the connecting portion. According to this vapor deposition mask intermediate, since the slit is located along a portion of the edge of the strip-shaped portion other than the portion connected by the connecting portion, the operation of cutting the connecting portion is easy.

[0022] In the above-described vapor deposition mask intermediate, the long side includes an unconnected portion that is not connected to the frame-shaped portion, and the unconnected portion may include a portion adjacent to the mask portion in the width direction of the strip-shaped portion.

[0023] According to the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, when separating the strip-shaped portion from the frame-shaped portion by cutting the connecting portion, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion due to the force applied to the connecting portion to cut the connecting portion.

[0024] In the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, the weak portion is a first weak portion, the frame-shaped portion includes an inner edge surrounding the strip-shaped portion and an outer edge forming the outer shape of the frame-shaped portion, a portion of the slit along the long side is a slit portion, and the frame-shaped portion may further include a second weak portion having a linear shape extending from the slit portion toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the slit portion. According to this vapor deposition mask intermediate, since the frame-shaped portion can be cut along the second weak portion, the operation of separating the strip-shaped portion from the frame-shaped portion becomes easier.

[0025] In the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, the slit portion includes an extending portion extending along the edge of the strip-shaped portion and a protruding portion protruding from the extending portion toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the extending portion, and the second weak portion may be connected to the protruding portion.

[0026] According to the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, since the second weak portion is connected to the protruding portion, it is possible to increase the distance between the end of the second weak portion and the strip-shaped portion compared to the case where the second weak portion is connected to the portion along the strip-shaped portion among the slits. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip-shaped portion due to the force for cutting the second weak portion.

[0027] In the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, the slit portion includes a portion located closer to the short side than the mask portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion, the protruding portion is located closer to the short side than the mask portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion, and the first weak portion may be located closer to the mask portion than the protruding portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion.

[0028] According to the above vapor deposition mask intermediate, when the first weak portion and the protruding portion are aligned in the width direction of the strip-shaped portion, when a force for cutting the second weak portion acts on the second weak portion, it is possible to suppress the first weak portion from being cut together with the second weak portion.

[0029] The mask device for solving the above problems includes the above vapor deposition mask and a frame that supports the vapor deposition mask. The vapor deposition mask includes a front surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface, the weak portion includes a half-etching portion that opens to the front surface, and a part of the front surface is attached to the frame.

[0030] According to the above mask device, since the half-etching portion opens toward the frame, when the vapor deposition mask is bent so that a part of the back surface faces another part of the back surface, compared with the case where the half-etching portion opens to the back surface, the force required to bend the vapor deposition mask along the first weak portion can be reduced.

Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate the operation of removing the end portion of the vapor deposition mask after fixing the vapor deposition mask to the frame.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0033] [First Embodiment] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 13, a first embodiment of a vapor deposition mask intermediate, a vapor deposition mask, and a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask will be described. Hereinafter, the structure of the vapor deposition mask intermediate and the structure of the mask apparatus will be described in order.

[0034] [Structure of Vapor Deposition Mask Intermediate] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the structure of the vapor deposition mask intermediate will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 includes a strip portion 11, a frame portion 12, and a connecting portion 13. The frame portion 12 surrounds the strip portion 11. The connecting portion 13 is located between the strip portion 11 and the frame portion 12 and connects the strip portion 11 to the frame portion 12. In FIG. 1, dots are provided at the portion of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 where the connecting portion 13 is located. The direction in which the strip portion 11 extends is the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11, and the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction DL is the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. In the example shown in FIG. 1, in the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10, two strip portions 11 are arranged along the width direction DW. Note that in the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10, each strip portion 11 may not be arranged with other strip portions 11 in the width direction DW. Alternatively, in the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10, three or more strip portions 11 may be arranged in the width direction DW.

[0035] The strip portion 11 includes an edge 11e, a mask portion 11a, and a peripheral portion 11b. The edge 11e has a pair of long sides 11e1 and a pair of short sides 11e2. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the short side 11e2 has a U-shaped notch e21. Note that the short side 11e2 may not have the notch e21. Each long side 11e1 extends along the longitudinal direction DL, and each short side 11e2 extends along the width direction DW. The pair of long sides 11e1 are parallel to each other, and the pair of short sides 11e2 are parallel to each other.

[0036] The mask portion 11a has a plurality of mask holes 11h. The peripheral portion 11b surrounds the mask portion 11a. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the strip portion 11 includes a plurality of mask portions 11a arranged along the longitudinal direction DL. Therefore, the peripheral portion 11b has a ladder shape surrounding the plurality of mask portions 11a. Note that the strip portion 11 may include only one mask portion 11a. Further, the strip portion 11 may include a plurality of mask portions 11a arranged along the width direction DW.

[0037] Among the peripheral portions 11b, a first vulnerable portion 11c having a shape extending from one long side 11e1 toward the other long side 11e1 is located between the mask portion 11a and the short side 11e2 in the longitudinal direction DL. The first vulnerable portion 11c is a portion that is more easily cut than the portions of the peripheral portion 11b other than the first vulnerable portion 11c. That is, the mechanical strength of the first vulnerable portion 11c is lower than the mechanical strength of the portions of the peripheral portion 11b other than the first vulnerable portion 11c. Thus, since the first vulnerable portion 11c is located in the peripheral portion 11b, by cutting the first vulnerable portion 11c, both ends of the strip portion 11 including the short side 11e2 can be separated from the portion of the strip portion 11 including the mask portion 11a.

[0038] The long side 11e1 includes a non-connected portion that is not connected to the frame portion 12. The non-connected portion includes a portion adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. A slit 10S is located between the non-connected portion and the frame portion 12. Therefore, when the strip portion 11 is separated from the frame portion 12 by cutting the connecting portion 13, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion 11a due to the force applied to the connecting portion 13 to cut the connecting portion 13.

[0039] In a plan view facing the plane in which the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 spreads, the slit 10S is a portion where a metal thin plate for forming the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 is removed between the strip portion 11 and the frame portion 12. In the present embodiment, the slit 10S is also located in a portion of the long side 11e1 that does not adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW, but the slit 10S may have a shape that is at least adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the region surrounded by the notch e21 is a through portion that penetrates the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of the mask portion 11a that is orthogonal to the plane in which the strip portion 11 spreads and along the width direction DW. As shown in FIG. 2, the mask portion 11a has a plurality of mask holes 11h. Each mask hole 11h includes a large hole 11hL and a small hole 11hS. The large hole 11hL opens to the surface 10F of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 and has a shape that tapers from the surface 10F of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 toward the back surface 10R. The small hole 11hS opens to the back surface 10R of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 and has a shape that tapers from the back surface 10R of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 toward the surface 10F.

[0041] In the present embodiment, in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, the large holes 11hL of each mask hole 11h are in contact with the large holes 11hL of adjacent mask holes 11h. On the other hand, in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, the small holes 11hS of each mask hole 11h are separated from the small holes 11hS of adjacent mask holes 11h. Note that, in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, the large holes 11hL of each mask hole 11h may be separated from the large holes 11hL of adjacent mask holes 11h.

[0042] Of the surfaces of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10, the front surface 10F includes the surface of the vapor deposition mask formed from the strip portion 11 that faces the vapor deposition source when the vapor deposition mask is mounted on the vapor deposition apparatus. In contrast, the back surface 10R includes the surface that faces the object to be vapor-deposited when the vapor deposition mask is mounted on the vapor deposition apparatus. A vapor deposition pattern having a shape corresponding to the connection portion between the large holes 11hL and the small holes 11hS is formed on the object to be vapor-deposited.

[0043] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example of the cross-sectional structure of the first weak portion 11c that is orthogonal to the front surface 10F of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 and along the width direction DW. The first weak portion 11c may have a half-etching line or may have a plurality of half-etching portions arranged at intervals. The half-etching line and the half-etching portions have a second plate thickness. The second plate thickness is thinner than the first plate thickness. Alternatively, the first weak portion 11c may have a plurality of through holes arranged at intervals. When the first weak portion 11c has a plurality of half-etching portions, the plurality of half-etching portions may be arranged linearly along the width direction DW or may be arranged in a staggered pattern along the width direction DW.

[0044] Alternatively, the first weak portion 11c may have a half-etching line and a plurality of through holes arranged along the extending direction of the half-etching line on the half-etching line. Alternatively, the first weak portion 11c may have a half-etching portion and a through hole arranged along the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. In this case, the half-etching portion and the through hole may be arranged alternately.

[0045] The half-etching line and the half-etching portions of the first weak portion 11c have a second plate thickness. In contrast, the portion of the peripheral portion 11b of the strip portion 11 where the half-etching line is not located has the first plate thickness.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional structure of the first weak portion 11c when the first weak portion 11c has a half-etching line. As shown in FIG. 3, the first weak portion 11c has a half-etching line 11c1 extending along the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. In the present embodiment, the half-etching line 11c1 is a linear depression formed on the surface 10F of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10. Note that the half-etching line 11c1 may be formed on the back surface 10R of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10. The half-etching line 11c1 has a second plate thickness T2, and portions other than the half-etching line 11c1 in the peripheral portion 11b of the strip portion 11 have a first plate thickness T1.

[0047] When the first weak portion 11c has the half-etching line 11c1, the width of the half-etching line 11c1 may be constant in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, or may include a plurality of sizes. The width of the half-etching line 11c1 is the thickness of the half-etching line 11c1 along the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of the first weak portion 11c when the first weak portion 11c has a half-etching line and a plurality of through holes arranged along the direction in which the half-etching line extends on the half-etching line.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the first weak portion 11c has a half-etching line 11c1 extending along the width direction DW of the strip portion 11 and through holes 11c2 arranged at intervals along the width direction DW on the half-etching line 11c1. In the present embodiment, the plurality of through holes 11c2 are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction DW, but the plurality of through holes 11c2 may be arranged irregularly in the width direction DW.

[0050] The width of the half-etching line 11c1 may be constant in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, or may include a plurality of sizes. Also, the width of the through hole 11c2 may be constant in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, or the plurality of through holes 11c2 may include through holes 11c2 having different widths from each other. The width of the half-etching line 11c1 and the width of the through hole 11c2 may be equal to each other, or may be different from each other.

[0051] In addition, in the present embodiment, the connecting portion 13 includes at least one of a half-etching line along the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 and a plurality of half-etching portions arranged along the edge 11e of the strip portion 11. The half-etching line and the half-etching portion have a second plate thickness T2 that is thinner than the first plate thickness T1. The connecting portion 13 has the same structure as the first weak portion 11c described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Thereby, at least a portion of the connecting portion 13 where the half-etching line or the half-etching portion is formed can be easily cut.

[0052] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of a part of the planar structure of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 shown in FIG. 1. The vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 is conveyed by a roll-to-roll apparatus while the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 is being manufactured from a thin metal plate. The conveyance directions of the thin metal plate and the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 are in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. FIG. 5 shows an end portion of the strip portion 11 that is located upstream in the conveyance direction of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5, the frame portion 12 includes an inner edge 12e1 that surrounds the strip portion 11 and an outer edge 12e2 that forms the outer shape of the frame portion 12. The inner edge 12e1 is formed by the boundary with the connecting portion 13 and the boundary with the slit 10S. The vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 includes a second weak portion 12a. The second weak portion 12a has a linear shape that extends from the slit 10S toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 in the frame portion 12. Thereby, since the frame portion 12 can be cut along the second weak portion 12a, the operation of separating the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12 becomes easy.

[0054] In this embodiment, the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 has a plurality of second weak portions 12a. Each second weak portion 12a has a shape that extends from upstream to downstream in the conveyance direction of the strip portion 11 along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. The vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 has four second weak portions 12a for one strip portion 11. Of the four second weak portions 12a, two second weak portions 12a are located upstream of the center of the strip portion 11 in the conveyance direction of the strip portion 11. On the other hand, the other two second weak portions 12a are located downstream of the center of the strip portion 11 in the conveyance direction of the strip portion 11. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the pair of second weak portions 12a located downstream are arranged at positions that are line-symmetric with respect to the pair of second weak portions 12a located upstream with respect to the symmetry axis passing through the center of the strip portion 11 in the longitudinal direction DL and extending along the width direction DW.

[0055] For one strip portion 11, a pair of second weak portions 12a located upstream sandwich the strip portion 11 in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. Also, for one strip portion 11, a pair of second weak portions 12a located downstream sandwich the strip portion 11 in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11.

[0056] Similar to the first weak portion 11c, the second weak portion 12a may have a half-etching line or may have a plurality of half-etching portions arranged at intervals. Alternatively, the second weak portion 12a may have a half-etching line and a plurality of through holes arranged along the extending direction of the half-etching line on the half-etching line. Alternatively, the second weak portion 12a may have a half-etching portion and a through hole arranged along the extending direction of the second weak portion 12a. In this case, the half-etching portion and the through hole may be arranged alternately. When the second weak portion 12a has a half-etching line or a half-etching portion, the half-etching line or the half-etching portion can be recessed on the back surface 10R of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10.

[0057] Figures 6 and 7 show an enlarged view of region A shown in Figure 5. That is, Figures 6 and 7 show an enlarged view of a region including the connection portion between the slit 10S and the second weakened portion 12a. Figure 6 shows an example of the shape of the slit 10S, while Figure 7 shows another example of the shape of the slit 10S.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, the slit 10S includes an extending portion 10S1 and a protruding portion 10S2. The extending portion 10S1 is a portion extending along the long side 11e1 of the strip portion 11. The protruding portion 10S2 is a portion protruding from the extending portion 10S1 toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the extending portion 10S1. In the example shown in Figure 6, the outer shape of the protruding portion 10S2 has a rectangular shape extending along a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the extending portion 10S1 extends. The second weakened portion 12a is connected to the protruding portion 10S2.

[0059] Since the second weakened portion 12a is connected to the protruding portion 10S2, it is possible to increase the distance between the end portion of the second weakened portion 12a and the strip portion 11 as compared with the case where the second weakened portion 12a is connected to the extending portion 10S1. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip portion 11 due to the force for cutting the second weakened portion 12a.

[0060] Among the protruding portion 10S2, the end portion connected to the extending portion 10S1 is the base end, and the end portion opposite to the base end is the tip end. The second weakened portion 12a is connected in the middle of the protruding portion 10S2 from the base end toward the tip end. Note that the second weakened portion 12a may be connected to the tip end of the protruding portion 10S2.

[0061] The unconnected portion of the long side 11e1 extends to a position closer to the short side 11e2 than the mask portion 11a in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. That is, the slit 10S along the long side 11e1 extends to a position closer to the short side 11e2 than the mask portion 11a. The connecting portion 13 connects the portion of the long side 11e1 other than the unconnected portion to the frame portion 12. The protruding portion 10S2 extends from the end of the slit 10S toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the extending portion 10S1. The first weak portion 11c is located closer to the mask portion 11a than the protruding portion 10S2 in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11.

[0062] Thereby, when the force for cutting the second weak portion 12a acts on the second weak portion 12a, the first weak portion 11c is suppressed from being cut together with the second weak portion 12a as compared with the case where the first weak portion 11c and the protruding portion 10S2 are aligned in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11.

[0063] In addition, the connection portion between the slit 10S and the connecting portion 13 may be set as the starting point of cutting when cutting the connecting portion 13 to remove the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12. In this case, the force required to cut the connecting portion 13 acts on the connection portion between the slit 10S and the connecting portion 13. Therefore, when the protruding portion 10S2 and the first weak portion 11c are aligned in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, that is, when the first weak portion 11c is connected to the end of the extending portion 10S1, the first weak portion 11c may be cut simultaneously with the cutting of the connecting portion 13. In this regard, according to the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 of the present embodiment, since the positions of the protruding portion 10S2 and the first weak portion 11c are displaced in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11, the first weak portion 11c is suppressed from being cut when the connecting portion 13 is cut.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 7, the protruding portion 10S2 is located at the end of the extending portion 10S1 in the longitudinal direction DL. The protruding portion 10S2 has a shape that protrudes toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the extending portion 10S1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the outer shape of the protruding portion 10S2 has a trapezoidal shape. In the trapezoid defined by the protruding portion 10S2, the angle formed by the hypotenuse connecting the upper base and the lower base and the portion extending along the longitudinal direction DL in the connecting portion 13 is the second angle θ2. The second angle θ2 may be 20° or more and 50° or less. The second vulnerable portion 12a is connected to the vertex formed by the hypotenuse and the lower base in the trapezoid defined by the protruding portion 10S2. The angle formed by the straight line extended from the lower base along the longitudinal direction DL and the second vulnerable portion 12a is the first angle θ1. The first angle θ1 may be smaller than the second angle θ2.

[0065] As described above, in the frame-shaped portion 12, for one strip portion 11, a pair of second vulnerable portions 12a located upstream in the conveyance direction and a pair of second vulnerable portions 12a located downstream are formed. The protruding portion 10S2 connected to each second vulnerable portion 12a may have the shape described with reference to FIG. 6 or the shape described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0066] FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of the region B shown in FIG. 5. That is, FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of the region including the upstream end portion of the second vulnerable portion 12a. As shown in FIG. 8, the upstream end of each second vulnerable portion 12a is connected to an upstream through portion 12h1 that penetrates the frame-shaped portion 12. The two upstream through portions 12h1 are arranged side by side with a predetermined interval in the width direction DW. When forming the vapor deposition mask from the strip portion 11, for example, a portion of the frame-shaped portion 12 sandwiched by the two upstream through portions 12h1 in the width direction DW is cut by an instrument capable of cutting the frame-shaped portion 12, thereby forming a cut piece. Then, by pulling up the cut piece in a direction intersecting the plane in which the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 spreads, it is possible to simultaneously apply a force for cutting the two second vulnerable portions 12a to the two second vulnerable portions 12a.

[0067] In addition, at each of the pair of second weakened portions 12a that sandwich the two strip-shaped portions 11 in the width direction DW, the upstream end portion is connected to the upstream through portion 12h1. Further, in the frame-shaped portion 12, another upstream through portion 12h1 that pairs with the upstream through portion 12h1 is formed. These two upstream through portions 12h1 are arranged along the width direction DW.

[0068] FIG. 9 shows a region including the downstream end portion in the second weakened portion 12a. As shown in FIG. 9, the frame-shaped portion 12 includes a gripped piece 12b continuous with the downstream end portions of the two second weakened portions 12a, and a downstream through portion 12h2 surrounding the gripped piece 12b. Thereby, since it is possible to grip the gripped piece 12b continuous with the downstream end portion of the second weakened portion 12a with an instrument or with a person's finger, it is easy to apply a force for cutting the second weakened portion 12a to the second weakened portion 12a. By pulling up the gripped piece 12b in a direction intersecting the plane in which the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 spreads, it is possible to simultaneously apply a force for cutting the two second weakened portions 12a to the two second weakened portions 12a.

[0069] In addition, at each of the pair of second weakened portions 12a that sandwich the two strip-shaped portions 11 in the width direction DW, the downstream end portion is connected to the gripped piece 12b, and the gripped piece 12b is surrounded by the downstream through portion 12h2. The downstream end portion in one second weakened portion 12a is connected to the gripped piece 12b.

[0070] [Structure of Vapor Deposition Mask] With reference to FIGS. 10 to 13, the structure of the vapor deposition mask will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the vapor deposition mask 11M has a longitudinal direction DL and a width direction DW, similar to the strip portion 11. The longitudinal direction DL of the vapor deposition mask 11M corresponds to the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11, and the width direction DW of the vapor deposition mask 11M corresponds to the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. The vapor deposition mask 11M has a strip shape extending along the longitudinal direction DL. By cutting the connecting portion 13 of the vapor deposition mask intermediate body 10, the strip portion 11 is removed from the frame portion 12, and thereby, it is possible to form the vapor deposition mask 11M from the strip portion 11.

[0071] The mask device 20 includes the vapor deposition mask 11M and the frame 21. The vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame 21 such that the mask portion 11a of the vapor deposition mask 11M is located within the region surrounded by the frame 21. Among the vapor deposition mask 11M, the portion including the first fragile portion 11c is attached to the frame 21. The vapor deposition mask 11M may be attached to the frame 21 by an adhesive, may be attached to the frame by a fastening member, or may be attached to the frame 21 by welding.

[0072] When the vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame 21, the short side 11e2 of the vapor deposition mask 11M is pulled in a direction away from the other short side 11e2, and thereby, the vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame 21 in a state where a tension for stretching the dimension along the longitudinal direction DL is applied to the vapor deposition mask 11M.

[0073] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the mask device 20 includes two vapor deposition masks 11M, but the mask device 20 may include only one vapor deposition mask 11M or may include three or more vapor deposition masks 11M. Regardless of the number of vapor deposition masks 11M included in the mask device 20, in the vapor deposition mask 11M, the portion including the first fragile portion 11c is attached to the frame 21.

[0074] When the vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame 21, a part of the surface 11F of the vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame. As a result, the large holes 11hL in the mask holes 11h are open toward the area surrounded by the frame 21. Further, the half-etching line or the half-etching part provided in the first fragile part 11c is open toward the frame 21.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 11, after the vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame 21, by cutting the first fragile part 11c, a portion of the vapor deposition mask 11M closer to the short side 11e2 than the first fragile part 11c is removed. The vapor deposition mask 11M has a cut mark 11cm formed by cutting the first fragile part 11c at each of both ends in the longitudinal direction DL.

[0076] FIGS. 12 and 13 show an enlarged view of the area D shown in FIG. 11. FIGS. 12 and 13 show the structure of the cut mark 11cm when the area D is viewed from a perspective facing the back surface 11R of the vapor deposition mask 11M. FIG. 12 shows the cut mark 11cm formed when the first fragile part 11c includes the half-etching line 11c1, as described above with reference to FIG. 3. On the other hand, FIG. 13 shows the cut mark 11cm formed when the first fragile part 11c includes the half-etching line 11c1 and a plurality of through holes 11c2 arranged along the extending direction of the half-etching line 11c1 on the half-etching line, as described above with reference to FIG. 4.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 12, when the first weak portion 11c includes the half-etching line 11c1, the cutting mark 11cm has a portion that curls up from the front surface 11F to the back surface 11R of the vapor deposition mask 11M over the width direction DW of the vapor deposition mask 11M. When the first weak portion 11c is cut, the vapor deposition mask 11M is bent so that the first weak portion 11c becomes a bent portion. At this time, since a part of the front surface 11F of the vapor deposition mask 11M is attached to the frame, the vapor deposition mask 11M is bent so that a part of the back surface 11R of the vapor deposition mask 11M faces another part of the back surface 11R.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 13, when the first weak portion 11c includes the half-etching line 11c1 and a plurality of through holes 11c2, the cutting mark 11cm includes a plurality of curls cm1 and a plurality of depressions cm2. The curls cm1 and the depressions cm2 are alternately arranged in the direction in which the cutting mark 11cm extends. In the cutting mark 11cm, the plurality of curls cm1 are portions formed by cutting the half-etching line 11c1. In the cutting mark 11cm, each depression cm2 is a portion corresponding to each through hole 11c2. Each curl cm1 curls up from the front surface 11F to the back surface 11R of the vapor deposition mask 11M.

[0079] In the vapor deposition mask 11M of the present embodiment, since the half-etching line 11c1 opens to the front surface 10F, when the vapor deposition mask 11M formed from the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 is attached to the frame 21, the half-etching line 11c1 opens toward the frame 21. Therefore, compared with the case where the half-etching line 11c1 opens to the back surface 10R, when the vapor deposition mask 11M is bent so that a part of the back surface 10R faces another part of the back surface 10R, the force required to bend the vapor deposition mask 11M along the first weak portion 11c can be reduced. Thereby, the load required for bending the vapor deposition mask 11M can be reduced. Also, the time required to cut the vapor deposition mask 11M along the first weak portion 11c can be shortened. Even when the first weak portion 11c includes a half-etching portion, the same effect as the case including the half-etching line 11c1 can be obtained.

[0080] [Test Example] Deposition masks 11M of Test Examples 1 to 4 in which the structures of the first weak portions 11c are different from each other were formed. FIGS. 14 to 17 referred to below show the structures of the first weak portions 11c in a plan view facing the surface 11F of the deposition mask 11M. Each first weak portion 11c is located on the surface 11F of the deposition mask 11M.

[0081] [Test Example 1] As shown in FIG. 14, in Test Example 1, the first weak portion 11c was formed by a half-etching line 11c1 extending along the width direction DW.

[0082] [Test Example 2] As shown in FIG. 15, in Test Example 2, the first weak portion 11c was formed by a plurality of half-etching portions 11c3 by dividing the half-etching line 11c1 of Test Example 1 at equal intervals in both the width direction DW and the longitudinal direction DL. At this time, in the width direction DW, the plurality of half-etching portions 11c3 were arranged with an interval GW therebetween. Also, in the longitudinal direction DL, two half-etching portions 11c3 were arranged with an interval GL therebetween. Note that the width of each half-etching portion 11c3 was set to a length of 1 / 3 of the width W of Test Example 1, and the interval GL was set to a length of 1 / 3 of the width W.

[0083] [Test Example 3] As shown in FIG. 16, in Test Example 3, the first weak portion 11c was formed by a plurality of half-etching portions 11c3 arranged at equal intervals along the width direction DW. The shape of each half-etching portion 11c3 was set to a rectangular shape. In the width direction DW, the interval GW between the half-etching portions 11c3 was made smaller than the interval GW of Test Example 2.

[0084] [Test Example 4] As shown in FIG. 17, in Test Example 4, similar to Test Example 3, the first fragile portion 11c was formed by a plurality of half-etching portions 11c3. The shape of each half-etching portion 11c3 was set to the same shape as the half-etching portion 11c3 of Test Example 3. On the other hand, the plurality of half-etching portions 11c3 were arranged in a staggered pattern. At this time, for two adjacent half-etching portions 11c3 in the width direction DW, in the longitudinal direction DL, the position of the other half-etching portion 11c3 with respect to the position of one half-etching portion 11c3 was shifted by the width W of the half-etching portion 11c3. Also, the interval GW between two adjacent half-etching portions 11c3 in the width direction DW was set the same as in Test Example 3.

[0085] [Evaluation Method and Evaluation Method] By attaching a part of the surface 11F of the vapor deposition mask 11M of each test example to the frame 21, the mask device 20 was formed. Next, each vapor deposition mask 11M was cut along the first fragile portion 11c. When the number of times of bending required until the vapor deposition mask 11M was cut along the first fragile portion 11c was counted, in Test Examples 1, 3, and 4, it was confirmed that the vapor deposition mask 11M was cut along the first fragile portion 11c by bending the vapor deposition mask 11M twice. In contrast, in Test Example 2, it was confirmed that the vapor deposition mask 11M was cut along the first fragile portion 11c by bending the vapor deposition mask 11M four times. Thus, it was confirmed that according to the vapor deposition masks 11M of Test Examples 1, 3, and 4, it is possible to cut the vapor deposition mask 11M by a smaller number of bends compared to the vapor deposition mask 11M of Test Example 2.

[0086] Note that in the vapor deposition mask 11M of Test Example 4, since the interval between the half-etching portions 11c3 in the longitudinal direction DL is longer than that of the vapor deposition masks 11M of Test Examples 2 and 3, an unintentional cut of the first fragile portion 11c is less likely to occur during the conveyance of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10. In this regard, the vapor deposition mask 11M of Test Example 4 is more preferable than the vapor deposition masks 11M of Test Examples 2 and 3.

[0087] As described above, according to the first embodiment of the vapor deposition mask intermediate, the vapor deposition mask, and the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask, the following effects can be obtained. (1-1) Since the first weak portion 11c is located in the peripheral portion 11b, by cutting the first weak portion 11c, both ends of the strip portion 11 including the notch e21 can be separated from the portion of the strip portion 11 including the mask portion 11a.

[0088] (1-2) When separating the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12 by cutting the connecting portion 13, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion 11a due to the force applied to the connecting portion 13 to cut the connecting portion 13.

[0089] (1-3) At least a portion of the connecting portion 13 where the half-etching line or the half-etching portion is formed can be made easier to cut. (1-4) Since the frame portion 12 can be cut along the second weak portion 12a, the operation of separating the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12 becomes easier.

[0090] (1-5) Since the second weak portion 12a is connected to the protruding portion 10S2, the distance between the end of the second weak portion 12a and the strip portion 11 can be made longer than when the second weak portion 12a is connected to the extending portion 10S1. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip portion 11 due to the force for cutting the second weak portion 12a.

[0091] (1-6) When the force for cutting the second weak portion 12a acts on the second weak portion 12a, it is possible to suppress the first weak portion 11c from being cut together with the second weak portion 12a, as compared with the case where the first weak portion 11c and the protruding portion 10S2 are aligned in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11.

[0092] [Second Embodiment] Referring to FIGS. 18 to 21, a second embodiment of a vapor deposition mask intermediate, a vapor deposition mask, and a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask will be described. In the second embodiment, the structure of the connecting portion is different from that of the connecting portion in the first embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, while explaining such differences in detail, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment will be given to the parts common to the first embodiment in the second embodiment, and the detailed description of such parts will be omitted. Hereinafter, the structure of the vapor deposition mask intermediate will be described.

[0093] [Structure of Vapor Deposition Mask Intermediate] Referring to FIGS. 18 to 21, the structure of the vapor deposition mask intermediate will be described. As shown in FIG. 18, the vapor deposition mask intermediate 30 includes a strip portion 11 and a frame portion 12, similar to the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 of the first embodiment. The vapor deposition mask intermediate 30 includes a plurality of connecting portions 33. The strip portion 11 is connected to the frame portion 12 by the connecting portions 33.

[0094] In the vapor deposition mask intermediate 30, the peripheral portion 11b and the frame portion 12 have a first plate thickness. The plurality of connecting portions 33 are spaced apart along the edge 11e of the strip portion 11, and each connecting portion 33 has a first plate thickness. A slit 30S is located along a portion of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 other than the portion to which the connecting portion 33 is connected. Since the slit 30S is located along a portion of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 other than the portion to which the connecting portion 33 is connected, the operation of cutting the connecting portion 33 is easy.

[0095] The long side 11e1 includes a non-connected portion that is not connected to the frame portion 12. The non-connected portion includes a portion adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. Therefore, when the strip portion 11 is separated from the frame portion 12 by cutting the connecting portion 33, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion 11a due to the force applied to the connecting portion 33 to cut the connecting portion 33.

[0096] The connecting portion 33 preferably connects a portion of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 other than the bottom of the U-shaped notch e21 to the frame portion 12. Thereby, when the vapor deposition mask formed from the strip portion 11 is attached and tension is applied to the vapor deposition mask, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the vapor deposition mask due to the cutting marks of the connecting portion 33.

[0097] FIGS. 19 and 20 show an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to region A in FIG. 5 of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 30. FIG. 19 shows an example of the shape of the slit 30S, while FIG. 20 shows another example of the shape of the slit 30S.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 19, the portion of the slit 30S along the long side 11e1 is the slit portion 30S1. The vapor deposition mask intermediate 30, similar to the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 of the first embodiment, has a linear second weak portion 32a in the frame portion 12 that extends from the slit portion 30S1 toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the slit portion 30S1. Thereby, since the frame portion 12 can be cut along the second weak portion 32a, the operation of separating the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12 becomes easier.

[0099] The slit portion 30S1 includes an extending portion S11 that extends along the edge 11e of the strip portion 11, and a protruding portion S12 that protrudes from the extending portion S11 toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the extending portion S11. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the outer shape of the protruding portion S12 has a rectangular shape that extends along a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the extending portion S11 extends. The second weak portion 32a is connected to the protruding portion S12. Since the second weak portion 32a is connected to the protruding portion S12, it is possible to increase the distance between the end of the second weak portion 32a and the strip portion 11 compared to the case where the second weak portion 32a is connected to the portion along the strip portion 11 in the slit 30S. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip portion 11 due to the force for cutting the second weak portion 32a.

[0100] The slit portion 30S1 includes a portion located closer to the short side 11e2 than the mask portion 11a in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. The protruding portion S12 is located closer to the short side 11e2 than the mask portion 11a in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. The first weakened portion 11c is located closer to the mask portion 11a than the protruding portion S12 in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. When the force for cutting the second weakened portion 32a acts on the second weakened portion 32a, the first weakened portion 11c is less likely to be cut together with the second weakened portion 32a than when the first weakened portion 11c and the protruding portion S12 are aligned in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11.

[0101] Of the protruding portion S12, the end connected to the extending portion S11 is the base end, and the end on the side opposite to the base end is the tip end. The second weakened portion 32a is connected midway from the base end to the tip end of the protruding portion S12. Note that the second weakened portion 32a may be connected to the tip end of the protruding portion S12.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 20, the protruding portion S12 is located midway along the extension of the extending portion S11 along the longitudinal direction DL. The protruding portion S12 has a shape that protrudes toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the extending portion S11. In the example shown in FIG. 20, the outer shape of the protruding portion S12 has a trapezoidal shape. In the trapezoid defined by the protruding portion S12, the angle formed by the hypotenuse connecting the upper base and the lower base and the extending portion S11 is the fourth angle θ4. The fourth angle θ4 may be 20° or more and 50° or less. The second weakened portion 32a is connected to the vertex formed by the hypotenuse and the lower base in the trapezoid defined by the protruding portion S12. The angle formed by the straight line extended from the lower base along the longitudinal direction DL and the second weakened portion 32a is the third angle θ3. The third angle θ3 may be smaller than the fourth angle θ4.

[0103] As described above, in the frame portion 12, for one strip portion 11, a pair of second weakened portions 32a located upstream in the transport direction and a pair of second weakened portions 32a located downstream are formed. The protruding portion S12 connected to each second weakened portion 32a may have the shape described with reference to FIG. 19 or the shape described with reference to FIG. 20.

[0104] As described above, according to the second embodiment of the vapor deposition mask intermediate, the vapor deposition mask, and the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask, in addition to the above-described (1-1), the following effects can be obtained.

[0105] (2-1) Since the slit 30S is located along the portion of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 other than the portion to which the connecting portion 33 is connected, the operation of cutting the connecting portion 33 is easy to perform. (2-2) When separating the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12 by cutting the connecting portion 33, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion 11a due to the force applied to the connecting portion 33 in order to cut the connecting portion 33.

[0106] (2-3) Since the frame portion 12 can be cut along the second weak portion 32a, the operation of separating the strip portion 11 from the frame portion 12 becomes easy. (2-4) Since the second weak portion 32a is connected to the protruding portion S12, the distance between the end portion of the second weak portion 32a and the strip portion 11 can be made longer than the case where the second weak portion 32a is connected to the portion along the strip portion 11 in the slit 30S. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip portion 11 due to the force for cutting the second weak portion 32a.

[0107] (2-5) When the first weak portion 11c and the protruding portion S12 are aligned in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, when the force for cutting the second weak portion 32a acts on the second weak portion 32a, it is possible to suppress the first weak portion 11c from being cut together with the second weak portion 32a.

[0108] [Modification Example] Note that each embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. [Slit] · The protruding portions 10S2 and S12 may be aligned with the first weak portion 11c in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, or may be located closer to the mask portion 11a than the first weak portion 11c in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. From the viewpoint of suppressing the cutting of the first weak portion 11c when the second weak portions 12a and 32a are cut as described above, it is preferable that the protruding portions 10S2 and S12 are not aligned with the first weak portion 11c in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. Further, from the viewpoint of increasing the distance between the second weak portions 12a and 32a and the mask portion 11a and thereby suppressing deformation such as wrinkles in the mask portion 11a, it is preferable that the protruding portions 10S2 and S12 are located closer to the short side 11e2 than the first weak portion 11c.

[0109] · The slits 10S and 30S include an extending portion 10S1 and S11 extending along the long side 11e1, and may not include the protruding portions 10S2 and S12. In this case, the second weak portions 12a and 32a may be connected to the extending portions 10S1 and S11. Even in this case, by providing the vapor deposition mask intermediate bodies 10 and 30 with the second weak portions 12a and 32a, it is possible to obtain the effects according to (1-4) and (2-3) described above.

[0110] · In each embodiment, the portion of the slits 10S and 30S along the long side 11e1 is adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11, and may not be located closer to the short side 11e2 than the mask portion 11a in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11. In this case, the second weak portions 12a and 32a may extend from any part of the portion of the slits 10S and 30S that extends along the long side 11e1 toward the side opposite to the strip portion 11 with respect to the slits 10S and 30S.

[0111] [Second weak portion] · Instead of the gripped pieces 12b and the downstream through - portions 12h2 that the vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 have, the upstream through - portions 12h1 may be applied. That is, at the downstream ends of the second weak portions 12a, 32a located on the downstream side, through - portions having a structure equivalent to that of the upstream through - portions 12h1 may be applied. Also, instead of the upstream through - portions 12h1 that the vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 have, the gripped pieces 12b and the downstream through - portions 12h2 may be applied. That is, at the upstream ends of the second weak portions 12a, 32a located on the upstream side, gripped pieces having a structure equivalent to that of the gripped pieces 12b, and through - portions having a structure equivalent to that of the downstream through - portions 12h2 may be applied. In any case, since the vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 have the second weak portions 12a, 32a, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above - mentioned (1 - 4), (2 - 3).

[0112] · The vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 do not necessarily have the upstream through - portions 12h1 to which the upstream ends of the second weak portions 12a, 32a are connected. Even in this case, since the vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 have the second weak portions 12a, 32a, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above - mentioned (1 - 4), (2 - 3).

[0113] · The vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 do not necessarily have the gripped pieces 12b to which the downstream ends of the second weak portions 12a, 32a are connected, and the downstream through - portions 12h2. Even in this case, since the vapor - deposition mask intermediates 10, 30 have the second weak portions 12a, 32a, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above - mentioned (1 - 4), (2 - 3).

[0114] · The second weak portions 12a, 32a may be connected to any position from the base end to the tip end in the protruding portions 10S2, S12. Even in this case, since the second weak portions 12a, 32a are connected to the protruding portions 10S2, S12, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above - mentioned (1 - 5), (2 - 4).

[0115] · The vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 may not have the second weakened portions 12a and 32a. Even in this case, since the vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 are provided with the first weakened portion 11c, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above-described (1-1).

[0116] [Connecting portion] · The connecting portions 13 and 33 may connect the portion adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW of the strip portion 11 to the frame portion 12 among the long sides 11e1. Even in this case, since the vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 have the first weakened portion 11c, the effects according to the above-described (1-1) can be obtained. As described above, from the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of deformation such as wrinkles in the strip portion 11 due to the cutting of the connecting portions 13 and 33, it is preferable that the portion adjacent to the mask portion 11a in the width direction DW among the long sides 11e1 is not connected to the frame portion 12.

[0117] · The connecting portion 33 of the second embodiment may be formed from a portion along a part of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 and having the first plate thickness T1, and a plurality of through holes arranged on the portion. Even in this case, the effects according to the above-described (2-1) can be obtained.

[0118] · The connecting portions 13 and 33 may connect the entire circumference of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11 to the frame portion 12. For example, in the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 of the first embodiment, the half-etching line may be formed along the entire circumference of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11, or the half-etching line and a plurality of through holes along the half-etching line may be formed along the entire circumference of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11. Also, for example, in the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10 of the first embodiment, the half-etching portions may be formed at intervals along the entire circumference of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11. For example, in the vapor deposition mask intermediate 30 of the second embodiment, a plurality of through holes may be formed at intervals along the entire circumference of the edge 11e of the strip portion 11.

[0119] · In the first embodiment, the half-etching line or half-etching portion of the connecting portion 13 may open to the surface 10F of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10. In other words, the connecting portion 13 may include a half-etching line or half-etching portion that is recessed on the surface 10F. Even in this case, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above-described (1-3).

[0120] [First fragile part] · As long as the first fragile part 11c extends from one long side 11e1 toward the other long side 11e1, it may extend along a direction intersecting the width direction DW of the strip portion 11. Even in this case, since the vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 have the first fragile part 11c, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above-described (1-1).

[0121] · As described above, the half-etching line 11c1 of the first fragile part 11c may open to the back surface 10R of the vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30. In other words, the half-etching line 11c1 may be recessed on the back surface 10R. Even in this case, since the vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 have the first fragile part 11c, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above-described (1-1).

[0122] · The vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 have a pair of first fragile parts 11c sandwiching the mask part 11a in the longitudinal direction DL of the strip portion 11, but may have two or more pairs of first fragile parts 11c. Even in this case, since the vapor deposition mask intermediates 10 and 30 have the first fragile part 11c, it is possible to obtain the effects according to the above-described (1-1).

[0123] [Mask hole] · As shown in FIG. 21, the mask hole 11h may have an arcuate shape that is recessed from the surface 10F toward the back surface 10R in a cross section orthogonal to the surface 10F of the vapor deposition mask intermediate 10, and may have a surface opening 11hF that opens to the surface 10F and a back surface opening 11hR that opens to the back surface 10R.

[0124] [Mask device] · In the mask device 20, the back surface 11R of the vapor deposition mask 11M may be attached to the frame 21. Even in this case, since the vapor deposition mask intermediate bodies 10, 30 have the first weak portion 11c, the effects according to the above-described (1-1) can be obtained.

Explanation of Signs

[0125] 10, 30... Vapor deposition mask intermediate body 10S, 30S... Slit 10S1, S11... Extending portion 10S2, S12... Protruding portion 11... Band-shaped portion 11a... Mask portion 11b... Peripheral portion 11c... First weak portion 11e... Edge 11e1... Long side 11e2... Short side 11h... Mask hole 11M... Vapor deposition mask 12... Frame-shaped portion 12a, 32a... Second weak portion 12e1... Inner edge 12e2... Outer edge 13, 33... Connecting portion 30S1... Slit portion

Claims

1. A strip portion, a frame portion surrounding the strip portion, and a connecting portion located between the strip portion and the frame portion and connecting the strip portion to the frame portion. The strip portion includes an edge having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides, a mask portion having a plurality of mask holes, and a peripheral portion surrounding the mask portion. Among the peripheral portions, a fragile portion having a shape extending from one of the long sides toward the other long side is located between the mask portion and the short side in the longitudinal direction of the strip portion. The fragile portion includes a plurality of half-etching portions. The plurality of half-etching portions are arranged in a staggered pattern along the direction from one of the long sides toward the other long side. The long side includes a non-connected portion that is not connected to the frame portion, and the non-connected portion includes a portion adjacent to the mask portion in the width direction of the strip portion. A slit is located between the non-connected portion and the frame portion. The fragile portion is a first fragile portion. The frame portion includes an inner edge surrounding the strip portion and an outer edge forming the outer shape of the frame portion. The frame portion further includes a second fragile portion having a linear shape extending from the slit toward the side opposite to the strip portion with respect to the slit. A vapor deposition mask intermediate.

2. The peripheral portion and the frame portion have a first plate thickness. The connecting portion includes at least one of a half-etching line along the edge of the strip portion and a plurality of half-etching portions arranged along the edge of the strip portion, and the half-etching line and the half-etching portions have a second plate thickness that is thinner than the first plate thickness. The vapor deposition mask intermediate according to Claim 1.

3. The slit includes an extending portion extending along the edge of the strip portion and a protruding portion protruding from the extending portion toward the side opposite to the strip portion with respect to the extending portion. The second fragile portion is connected to the protruding portion. The vapor deposition mask intermediate according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The non-connected portion extends to a position closer to the short side than the mask portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip portion. The connecting portion connects the portion of the long side other than the non-connected portion to the frame portion. The protruding portion protrudes from the end of the slit toward the side opposite to the strip portion with respect to the extending portion. The first fragile portion is located closer to the mask portion than the protruding portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip portion. The vapor deposition mask intermediate according to Claim 3.

5. The peripheral portion and the frame-shaped portion have a first plate thickness, The connecting portion is one of a plurality of connecting portions, the plurality of connecting portions are spaced apart along the edge of the strip-shaped portion, and each connecting portion has the first plate thickness, The slit is located along a portion of the edge of the strip-shaped portion other than the portion to which the connecting portion is connected. The vapor deposition mask intermediate according to claim 1.

6. The slit includes an extending portion extending along the edge of the strip-shaped portion and a protruding portion protruding from the extending portion toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the extending portion. The second weak portion is connected to the protruding portion. The vapor deposition mask intermediate according to claim 5.

7. The slit includes a portion located closer to the short side than the mask portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion. The protruding portion is located closer to the short side than the mask portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion. The first weak portion is located closer to the mask portion than the protruding portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion. The vapor deposition mask intermediate according to claim 6.

8. Forming a strip-shaped portion, a frame-shaped portion surrounding the strip-shaped portion, and a connecting portion located between the strip-shaped portion and the frame-shaped portion and connecting the strip-shaped portion to the frame-shaped portion, and Obtaining a vapor deposition mask by cutting the connecting portion to separate the strip-shaped portion from the frame-shaped portion. The strip-shaped portion has an edge having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides. The strip-shaped portion includes a mask portion having a plurality of mask holes and a peripheral portion surrounding the mask portion. Among the peripheral portions, a weak portion having a shape extending from one of the long sides toward the other long side is located between the mask portion and the short side in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion. The weak portion includes a plurality of half-etching portions. The plurality of half-etching portions are arranged in a staggered manner along the direction from one of the long sides toward the other long side. The long side includes a non-connected portion that is not connected to the frame-shaped portion, and the non-connected portion includes a portion adjacent to the mask portion in the width direction of the strip-shaped portion. A slit is located between the non-connected portion and the frame-shaped portion. The weak portion is a first weak portion. The frame-shaped portion includes an inner edge surrounding the strip-shaped portion and an outer edge forming the outer shape of the frame-shaped portion. The frame-shaped portion further includes a second weak portion having a linear shape extending from the slit toward the side opposite to the strip-shaped portion with respect to the slit. Method for manufacturing a steaming mask.

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