Full-size mask assembly and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a full-size mask assembly with improved mask accuracy and mechanical strength by overcoming manufacturing limits of an existing stick mask and technical limit of an enlarged area of a mask, for vapor depositing a vapor-depositing substance on a substrate, and a manufacturing method thereof.SOLUTION: A full-size mask assembly includes: a frame 100 on which an opening is formed and that has a support part surrounding the opening; an auxiliary mask 200 for a structure supported by the support part and having plural columns forming a lattice form so that plural auxiliary mask openings 210 for structure are formed; and plural cell unit masks 300 supported by the auxiliary mask 200 for the structure and including a vapor deposition pattern part for passing the vapor-depositing substance. A method for manufacturing a full-size mask assembly, in which the respective cell unit masks 300 face the auxiliary openings 210 for the structures formed on the auxiliary mask for the structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a full-size mask assembly and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a full-size mask assembly for depositing a deposition material on a substrate and a method for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

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

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

[0004] The biggest obstacle to manufacturing high-resolution OLEDs for small and medium-sized OLED products is the deposition process, which is crucial for forming RGB pixels in the OLED manufacturing process. A fine metal mask (hereinafter referred to as the "mask") with the same pattern as the thin film to be formed on the substrate is aligned, and the original material of the thin film is deposited to form the desired patterned thin film. This deposition process involves heating the organic material in a deposition source located at the bottom of the chamber, sublimating the heated organic material, and then passing it through a mask located at the top to deposit it on the TFT glass.

[0005] During the deposition process, the mask is attached to the TFT glass without any gaps between them. If gaps occur, poor deposition occurs due to a shadow effect. For proper deposition, the 10-30μm thick mask must be pulled taut to maintain flatness with the TFT glass and maintain elasticity. To keep the mask taut, additional wings are formed on the edges of the mask for tension, and the wings are gripped and pulled with clamps that can apply tension. After aligning the holes in the mask to match the pattern of the thin film to be formed on the substrate, the parts that overlap the edges of the mask are welded to the frame to create the mask frame.

[0006] In the case of AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) panels, the 6th generation half size has been achieved for mass production, but larger areas such as 7th and 8th generations are inevitable. This is because without such large area increases, it will be impossible to simultaneously manufacture large AMOLED panels through multi-panel production.

[0007] Furthermore, the higher the resolution, the more minute the patterning work required. To achieve this, the size of the holes in the mask and the spacing between them must become smaller. The alignment accuracy between the TFT glass and the mask must also be precise. Furthermore, the mask thickness must also become thinner. This makes mask manufacturing more difficult and leads to a sharp decline in yield. Furthermore, as the TFT glass area increases, the etching error for pattern formation increases, and the sagging phenomenon in the center of the mask due to its own weight becomes more severe.

[0008] FIG. 1a is a schematic diagram showing a tensioned stick mask 1 according to the prior art.

[0009] Until now, it has not been possible to manufacture masks individually, so stick-type mask assemblies have been used in which multiple masks 1a are manufactured in the form of a stick and attached to a frame. The stick mask 1 consists of multiple masks 1a and wings required for tension.

[0010] As the resolution and area increase, the width and length of the stick mask 1 also increase, and as a result, the number of masks 1a that make up the stick mask 1 and the size of each mask also increase. The stick mask 1 must also be manufactured with high resolution and large area, but manufacturing is difficult because it is difficult to ensure etching uniformity. In addition, when applying tensile force to fix the stick mask 1 manufactured according to the design drawings in a taut state, problems such as deformation of the stick mask 1 and wrinkles on the mask surface occur.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to fix the stick mask 1, which has been manufactured according to the design drawings, in a taut state, clamps are used to hold the wings of the stretched stick mask 1, but in this case problems arise when the mask is stretched.

[0012] FIG. 1b is a schematic diagram showing the deformation state of a tensioned stick mask 1 according to the prior art.

[0013] The stick mask 1 is pulled taut in the length direction (hereinafter referred to as the "Y direction") and then assembled into the stick mask assembly. As shown in Figure 1b, pulling the stick mask 1 in the Y direction causes contraction in the direction perpendicular to the length of the stick mask 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "X direction"). The longer the length of the stick mask 1, the greater the degree of contraction of each mask 1a.

[0014] Currently, the stick mask 1 can only be stretched in the Y direction, not the X direction. Therefore, correction in the X direction is necessary, but in reality, this is achieved by taking shrinkage in the X direction into consideration when designing the stick mask 1.

[0015] However, the tensile force applied to the stick mask 1 to actually manufacture the stick mask assembly differs from the tensile force considered during design. Therefore, errors occur in the R, G, and B positions in the X direction during production of the stick mask assembly. The higher the resolution of the stick mask 1 and the longer the length, the more frequent such errors become.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a problem that occurs when welding the stick mask 1 to a frame according to the prior art.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, to produce a stick mask assembly, the stick mask 1 is pulled and aligned to the R, G, and B positions, and then the welding area 1b of the stick mask is welded to the frame at the top of the stick mask 1. In this case, the welding area 1b supports only the edges of both ends of the stick mask 1 and is welded to the frame.

[0018] After using a stick mask assembly a certain number of times, the mask must be washed. During the washing and storage stages, the stick mask 1 is fixed to the frame only at both ends, which means that it has weak mechanical strength and can easily separate from the frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0019] (Patent Document 0001) Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1742816 (2017.06.02.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0020] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a full-size mask assembly that overcomes the manufacturing limitations of existing stick masks and the technical limitations of increasing the mask area, and improves the accuracy and mechanical strength of the mask.

[0021] Another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a full-size mask assembly that can apply tensile force to a cell-unit mask in the X and Y directions, thereby improving pixel position accuracy (PPA). [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a full-size mask assembly using a cell-unit mask.

[0023] A full-size mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a frame having a frame opening formed therein and a support portion surrounding the frame opening; a structural auxiliary mask supported by the support portion and having a plurality of support posts in a lattice shape so as to form a plurality of structural auxiliary mask openings; and a plurality of cell unit masks supported by the structural auxiliary masks and having deposition pattern portions through which a deposition material can pass.

[0024] According to an embodiment, each of the cell unit masks may be individually coupled to the structural auxiliary mask.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the first position alignment hole is located at a corner on one side of the deposition pattern portion, and the first position alignment hole may be arranged to be vertically aligned within the structural auxiliary mask opening.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the second position alignment holes are reference holes provided in a plurality of the deposition pattern portions, and the centers of the second position alignment holes may be aligned to coincide with the TFT positions of the TFT glass in the vertical direction.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the support pillar may include a first cell unit support portion that supports the cell unit mask in a first direction; a second cell unit support portion that supports the cell unit mask in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a cell unit separator portion that forms a lattice shape with a predetermined interval between the first cell unit support portion and the second cell unit support portion and does not contact the cell unit mask.

[0028] According to an embodiment, a plurality of the cell unit masks may be arranged intermittently in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the cell unit mask may have an area larger than the auxiliary structural mask opening in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the deposition pattern portion may have an area smaller than the structural auxiliary mask opening in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the cell unit mask may further include two or more cell unit connectors on the one surface.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the cell unit joints may be a plurality of welding points arranged side by side.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the cell unit coupling portion may be one of a first cell unit coupling portion in the first direction formed along an edge portion or a second cell unit coupling portion in the second direction.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the cell unit joints may include a first cell unit joint in the first direction and a second cell unit joint in the second direction formed along an edge.

[0035] A full-size mask assembly using a cell unit mask according to yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a structural auxiliary mask made of a plurality of support posts in a lattice shape so that a plurality of structural auxiliary mask openings are formed. The full-size mask assembly includes a plurality of cell unit masks that are supported by the structural auxiliary mask and have deposition pattern portions at positions facing the structural auxiliary mask openings, and each of the cell unit masks can be individually bonded to the structural auxiliary mask.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the support pillar may include a first cell unit support portion that supports the cell unit mask in a first direction; a second cell unit support portion that supports the cell unit mask in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a cell unit separator portion that has a lattice shape and is spaced apart at a predetermined interval between the first cell unit support portion and the second cell unit support portion, and does not support the cell unit mask.

[0037] According to an embodiment, a plurality of the cell unit masks may be arranged intermittently in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0038] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a full-size mask assembly using a cell unit mask.

[0039] A manufacturing method of a full-size mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which each cell unit mask is provided facing a structural auxiliary mask opening formed in a structural auxiliary mask, may include: a structural auxiliary mask aligning step of aligning the structural auxiliary mask to face a frame opening formed in a frame; a structural auxiliary mask stretching step of stretching the structural auxiliary mask in a first direction and a second direction; a structural auxiliary mask fixing step of fixing the structural auxiliary mask to the frame by forming a weld between the frame and the structural auxiliary mask; a cell unit mask aligning step of aligning the cell unit mask to face the structural auxiliary mask opening in the structural auxiliary mask; and a cell unit mask fixing step of fixing the cell unit mask to the structural auxiliary mask by forming a cell unit joint between the structural auxiliary mask and the cell unit mask.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the cell unit mask aligning step may further include a cell unit mask pulling step in which a cell mask gripper applies a pulling force to the cell unit mask in a first direction and a second direction; a cell unit mask first position aligning step in which a first position alignment hole located at a corner of a deposition pattern portion through which a deposition material passes is vertically aligned within the structural auxiliary mask opening; a cell unit mask second position aligning step in which a plurality of second position alignment holes of the deposition pattern portion are vertically aligned to TFT positions of a TFT glass; and a cell unit mask mounting step in which the cell unit mask is mounted in the structural auxiliary mask opening.

[0041] According to an embodiment, the cell unit mask second position alignment step may align the center of the second position alignment hole with the TFT position.

[0042] According to an embodiment, the cell unit mask fixing step may include welding the structural auxiliary mask and the cell unit mask together using a laser beam positioned under a full-size mask assembly.

[0043] A method for manufacturing a full-size mask assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a cell unit mask alignment step of individually aligning each cell unit mask by facing each cell unit mask to a structural auxiliary mask opening formed in the structural auxiliary mask fixed to a frame.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the cell unit mask aligning step may further include a cell unit mask pulling step in which a cell mask gripper applies a pulling force to the cell unit mask in a first direction and a second direction; a cell unit mask first position aligning step in which a first position alignment hole located at a corner of a deposition pattern portion through which a deposition material passes is vertically aligned within the structural auxiliary mask opening; a cell unit mask second position aligning step in which a plurality of second position alignment holes of the deposition pattern portion are vertically aligned to TFT positions of a TFT glass; and a cell unit mask mounting step in which the cell unit mask is mounted in the structural auxiliary mask opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by providing each cell unit mask, the mask manufacturing area is minimized, making manufacturing easier, which has the advantages of increasing production efficiency, enabling high-precision mask manufacturing, and reducing production costs.

[0046] In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by implementing each cell unit mask, it is possible to solve the problem that full-size masks using stick masks have difficulty in responding to the size increase of the original glass, and therefore it has the advantage that it is possible to manufacture not only 6th generation full size but also full sizes beyond that.

[0047] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by implementing each cell unit mask, it is possible to apply tensile force to the cell unit mask in the Y direction as well as the X direction, which has the advantage of allowing for more precise control of the total pitch of the mask.

[0048] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, each cell unit mask has two or more cell unit connectors, thereby minimizing deformation caused by use of a full-size mask assembly and improving durability.

[0049] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a cell unit joint consisting of a plurality of welds is provided along the periphery of the cell unit mask, thereby increasing the joining strength of the cell unit mask within the full-size mask assembly. This has the advantage of reducing the number of cleaning cycles and the time required for mask replacement, and improving productivity by extending the continuous operating time of the deposition device.

[0050] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the underside of the cell unit mask, which is the backside of the contact surface of the TFT glass, is welded to the deposition surface. This allows the substrate to be attached to the full-size mask assembly without floating during deposition even if burrs are generated during welding, which has the advantage of eliminating deposition defects due to the shadow phenomenon. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1a] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a stick mask according to the prior art and a deformed state of the stick mask when stretched. [Figure 1b] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a stick mask according to the prior art and a deformed state of the stick mask when stretched. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining problems that occur when welding a stick mask to a frame according to the prior art. [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view of a full-size mask assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing the structure of a structural auxiliary mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a structural auxiliary mask fixed to a frame according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7a]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cell unit mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7b] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cell unit mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7c] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cell unit mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of aligning a cell unit mask to a first position with a structural auxiliary mask fixed to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of aligning a cell unit mask to a first position with a structural auxiliary mask fixed to a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a cell unit mask according to an embodiment of the present invention is aligned to a first position. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a cell unit mask according to an embodiment of the present invention is aligned to a second position. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic view showing a welding direction when a cell unit mask is joined to a structural auxiliary mask by welding according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a structural auxiliary mask in a full-size mask assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cell-unit mask in a full-size mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a full-size mask assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a method for aligning the cell-by-cell mask in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments described herein are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0053] In this specification, when a component is referred to as being on another component, it means that it may be formed directly on the other component or that a third component may be interposed between them. Also, in the drawings, the shapes and sizes are exaggerated for the purpose of effectively explaining the technical content.

[0054] Furthermore, although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used to describe various components in various embodiments of this specification, these components should not be limited by such terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, what is referred to as a "first component" in one embodiment may be referred to as a "second component" in another embodiment. Each embodiment described and exemplified herein also includes its complementary embodiment. Furthermore, "and / or" is used herein to mean the inclusion of at least one of the components listed before and after it.

[0055] In this specification, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, component, or combination thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood to exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, components, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "coupled" is used to mean both indirectly and directly coupling multiple components.

[0056] In addition, in the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related well-known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0057] In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the first direction indicates the X axis of a Cartesian coordinate system in the width direction, and the second direction indicates the Y axis of the Cartesian coordinate system in the length direction. At this time, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0058] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a full-size mask assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for aligning a cell unit mask 300 to a first position on a structural auxiliary mask 200 fixed to a frame 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] 3 and 8, a full-size mask assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be used in a deposition process for depositing a deposition material on a substrate (not shown). Such a full-size mask assembly 10 may include a frame 100, a structural auxiliary mask 200, and a plurality of cell unit masks 300. In this case, the full-size mask assembly 10 may have a structure in which the frame 100, the structural auxiliary masks 200, and the cell unit masks 300 are sequentially stacked in the vertical direction.

[0060] Frame 100

[0061] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a frame 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] 3 and 4, a frame 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an inner frame opening 120 and a support portion 110. A structural auxiliary mask 200 and a plurality of cell unit masks 300, which will be described later, may be coupled to the frame 100. The frame 100 may be made of a metal material with high rigidity so as to prevent deformation due to a compressive force acting in the tensile direction of the structural auxiliary masks 200 and the cell unit masks 300. The frame 100 may also have a uniform thickness and a rectangular shape.

[0063] 4, one or more frame openings 120 may be formed in the frame 100. Accordingly, the frame openings 120 may have a substantially rectangular shape. The frame openings 120 may have a size and shape corresponding to a plurality of cell unit masks 300 arranged at regular intervals to expose the plurality of cell unit masks 300 (described later) in the vertical direction.

[0064] The support portion 110 has a shape surrounding the central frame opening 120 and is provided under the structural auxiliary mask 200 (described later) to support one side of the structural auxiliary mask 200. That is, the support portion 110 can support the lower side of the structural auxiliary mask 200 that is in surface contact with the structural auxiliary mask 200 in a vertical direction. In addition, the support portion 110 can have a size and shape corresponding to the structural auxiliary mask 200 so that it can be coupled to the structural auxiliary mask 200.

[0065] A structural auxiliary mask 200, which is yet another configuration of the full-size mask assembly 10, will now be described.

[0066] Structural auxiliary mask 200

[0067] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a structural auxiliary mask 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of a structural auxiliary mask 200 fixed to a frame 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a structural auxiliary mask 200 in a full-size mask assembly 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] 3, 5, 6, and 13, a structural auxiliary mask 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention can support cell unit masks 300 (described later) while maintaining a constant total pitch, which is a manufacturing tolerance of the cell unit masks 300. The structural auxiliary mask 200 has a plurality of structural auxiliary mask openings 210 formed in the center and includes a plurality of support posts 220 forming a grid. Such a structural auxiliary mask 200 can be interposed between the frame 100 and a plurality of cell unit masks 300.

[0069] The structural auxiliary mask 200 may have a plurality of structural auxiliary mask openings 210 in a lattice pattern at the center, with the support posts 220 of each lattice arranged symmetrically in the first and second directions. The structural auxiliary mask openings 210 may have a lattice pattern for convenience of manufacturing and processing, or may have different sizes or be irregular, and do not necessarily need to be arranged in a lattice pattern.

[0070] The structural auxiliary mask 200 may have symmetrical sizes, shapes, widths, etc. of the support posts 220 so that uniform tension can be applied to the frame 100 and the cell unit mask 300. The structural auxiliary mask 200 may be made of a material that has a high thermal expansion coefficient and is not prone to deformation such as sagging so that it does not become twisted due to temperature changes caused by heat generated during processing. The structural auxiliary mask 200 may have a plate shape and a thickness of 100 μm to 200 μm.

[0071] Structural auxiliary mask opening 210

[0072] 5, 6, 8, and 13 again, the structural auxiliary mask openings 210 may have a substantially rectangular shape. The structural auxiliary mask openings 210 may have a lattice area equal to the spacing between the support pillars 220 to vertically expose the deposition pattern portions 310 of the cell unit mask 300 (described later). In addition, the structural auxiliary mask openings 210 may be formed to have a size and shape corresponding to the deposition pattern portions 310. One structural auxiliary mask opening 210 may correspond to one cell unit mask 300. Therefore, patterns corresponding to multiple organic light emitting display devices (OLEDs) can be simultaneously deposited in a single process using one full-size mask assembly 10.

[0073] Post 220

[0074] 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for aligning a cell unit mask 300 to a first position on a structural auxiliary mask 200 fixed to a frame 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a cell unit mask 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is aligned to the first position, and FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a structural auxiliary mask 200 in a full-size mask assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] 5 and 8 to 10, the support pillars 220 are in surface contact with the cell unit support portions of the cell unit masks 300, which will be described later, to support each cell unit mask 300. The support pillars 220 are generally arranged parallel to each other in the first and second directions, and a plurality of support pillars 220 may have the same width and length in each direction. The support pillars 220 may be arranged in a lattice pattern to provide areas between the structural auxiliary mask openings 210.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 13, the support 220 includes a first cell unit support portion 221, a second cell unit support portion 222, and a cell unit spacer 223, and may further include a protrusion 224 at an end.

[0077] The first cell unit supporting portion 221 can support the cell unit mask 300 in a first direction. The first cell unit supporting portion 221 has a certain width in a second direction and can come into surface contact with the cell unit mask 300.

[0078] The second cell unit supporting member 222 may support the cell unit mask 300 in the second direction. The second cell unit supporting member 222 may have a constant width in the first direction and may be in surface contact with the cell unit mask 300. In this case, the second cell unit supporting member 222 may support the cell unit mask 300 with a width different from that of the first cell unit supporting member 221.

[0079] The cell unit spacing portions 223 are regions between the first cell unit support portion 221 and the second cell unit support portion 222, and a plurality of them may be spaced apart to form a lattice shape at predetermined intervals. The cell unit spacing portions 223 may include regions of the support 220 excluding the first cell unit support portion 221 and the second cell unit support portion 222. That is, the cell unit masks 300 may be spaced apart at regular intervals by the cell unit spacing portions 223 alone. Unlike stick masks, the cell unit spacing portions 223 may have regions that do not contact the cell unit masks 300 in the second direction. That is, the cell unit spacing portions 223 refer to regions where the cell unit masks 300 are spaced apart without contacting each other in the first and second directions.

[0080] The protrusions 224 may be regions that protrude and extend from the edges of the support posts 220. The protrusions 224 are regions that are gripped by a clamping device (not shown) to apply a tensile force to the structural auxiliary mask 200, and may be in surface contact with the frame 100 and supported by the frame 100. The structural auxiliary mask 200 can be pulled to the frame 100 by pulling a pair of protrusions 224 in each of the first and second directions in both directions.

[0081] In this case, a clamp device (not shown) may be installed on each of the protrusions 224 to tension the structural auxiliary mask 200. The clamp devices (not shown) apply a tensioning force to both ends of the protrusions 224, thereby fixing the structural auxiliary mask 200 to the frame 100 in a taut, stretched state. In this case, the protrusions 224 may be configured with an area that is joined to the frame 100 (hereinafter referred to as a "frame joint") and an area that is not joined. As a result, a spatial separation may be formed between the inside of the frame 100 and the support posts 220 of the structural auxiliary mask 200.

[0082] The frame connecting portion is an end portion of the protrusion 224 and is a region having a certain length. The frame connecting portion is a region that comes into surface contact with the support portion 110 and is connected and fixed to the frame 100 by a method such as welding. The frame connecting portion can integrate the frame 100 and the structural auxiliary mask 200 by welding the structural auxiliary mask 200, which is stretched in the first and second directions, to the frame 100 by a welding method. However, the structural auxiliary mask 200 can also be fixed to the frame 100 by a method other than welding.

[0083] Such a frame joint minimizes the contact area with the frame 100, thereby minimizing the phenomenon in which thermal stress from the frame 100 is transmitted to the structural auxiliary mask 200, and thus minimizing the thermal stress transmitted to the cell unit mask 300 supported by the structural auxiliary mask 200.

[0084] The coupling structure between the frame 100 and the auxiliary structural mask 200 in the full-size mask assembly 10 constructed as above will now be described.

[0085] 8 and 9, the full-size mask assembly 10 pulls the protrusions 224 facing each other at both ends of each support column 220 that constitutes the structural auxiliary mask 200 in opposite directions. At this time, the frame 100 and the structural auxiliary mask 200 can be connected in various ways, but the full-size mask assembly 10 shown in FIG. 8 shows a state in which the frame connecting portion of the structural auxiliary mask 200 is in surface contact with the support portion 110 of the frame 100 and welded in the tensioned state.

[0086] A cell unit mask 300, which is yet another configuration of the full-size mask assembly 10, will now be described.

[0087] Cell-by-cell mask 300

[0088] 7a to 7c are schematic diagrams showing the structure of a cell unit mask 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the cell unit mask 300 in a full-size mask assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] 3 and 7a to 13, the cell unit mask 300 allows a deposition material to pass through a deposition pattern unit 310 and be deposited on a substrate (not shown) during a deposition process, forming a thin film (such as a metal layer or an organic light-emitting layer) of a desired shape. The cell unit mask 300 includes a deposition pattern unit 310 and may further include a cell unit connector 320. The cell unit mask 300 is plate-shaped and has a thickness of 10 μm to 30 μm, so that one surface can be in direct surface contact with and supported by the structural auxiliary mask 200.

[0090] The cell unit mask 300 may have an area larger than the structural auxiliary mask opening 210 in the first and second directions. In addition, the deposition pattern portion 310, which will be described later, may have an area smaller than the structural auxiliary mask opening 210 in the first and second directions. That is, the structural auxiliary mask opening 210 may be formed in an area larger than the deposition pattern portion 310 but smaller than the cell unit mask 300.

[0091] Deposition pattern section 310

[0092] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a cell unit mask 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention is aligned to a first position, and FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a cell unit mask 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention is aligned to a second position.

[0093] 10 and 11, the deposition pattern unit 310 may be used to align the cell unit mask 300 with the structural auxiliary mask 200 fixed to the frame 100, or may be used as one of the R, G, and B pixels of an organic light emitting display (OLED) for passing a deposition material during a deposition process. The deposition pattern unit 310 may include a first alignment hole 311 and a second alignment hole 312. The deposition pattern unit 310 may be disposed at a position opposite the structural auxiliary mask opening 210, and may be formed as an array of a plurality of holes, or alternatively, may be formed as a plurality of slits.

[0094] The first alignment holes 311 can be used to perform a first alignment of each cell unit mask 300 with respect to the structural auxiliary mask 200. In this case, the first alignment holes 311 can be located at a corner on one side where the deposition pattern portion 310 is located. For the first alignment, the positions of the structural auxiliary mask openings 210 and the first alignment holes 311 can be used. That is, since the inner length of the structural auxiliary mask openings 210 is longer than the length of the deposition pattern portion 310, prior to the second alignment, the cell unit masks 300 can be roughly aligned by aligning the first alignment holes 311 of the cell unit masks 300 to positions corresponding to the inner sides of the structural auxiliary mask openings 210.

[0095] The second position alignment holes 312 can be used to align each cell unit mask 300 to a TFT position on the TFT glass. In this case, the second position alignment holes 312 may be reference holes selected from a plurality of holes in the deposition pattern unit 310. The second position alignment can be performed using the center of the second position alignment holes 312. During the deposition process, the deposition pattern unit 310 of the cell unit mask 300 corresponds to the TFT position on the TFT glass, so the position of each cell unit mask 300 can be aligned based on the absolute coordinate value of the corresponding TFT position.

[0096] The cell unit support portion may be a region of the cell unit mask 300 excluding a region corresponding to the deposition pattern portion 310. The cell unit support portion may be a region that is in surface contact with the support pillar 220 and partially overlaps with the cell unit coupling portion 320. The cell unit support portion may be supported by the structural auxiliary mask 200 while being in surface contact with the first cell unit support portion 221 in a first direction and the second cell unit support portion 222 in a second direction.

[0097] Cell unit coupling portion 320

[0098] FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the welding direction when the cell unit mask 300 is joined to the structural auxiliary mask 200 by welding according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] 7a to 7c and 13, the cell unit connector 320 may be provided on one surface of the cell unit mask 300, i.e., the lower surface of the cell unit mask 300, which is the deposition direction surface. The cell unit connector 320 is a region of the cell unit support that is connected and fixed to the structural auxiliary mask 200 by a method such as welding. When the cell unit connector 320 is fixed to the structural auxiliary mask 200 by a method such as welding, a plurality of welding points 321 may be provided at regular intervals along the periphery of the cell unit mask 300. The welding points 321 on the lower surface of the cell unit mask 300 and the upper surface of the structural auxiliary mask 200 may face each other and be connected without floating. However, the cell unit mask 300 may also be fixed to the structural auxiliary mask 200 by a method other than welding.

[0100] The cell unit joint 320 may include a first cell unit joint 322 formed in a first direction along the periphery of the cell unit mask 300 and / or a second cell unit joint 323 formed in a second direction along the periphery.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the cell unit coupling unit 320 may be both the first cell unit coupling unit 322 and the second cell unit coupling unit 323. According to another embodiment, the cell unit coupling unit 320 may be either the first cell unit coupling unit 322 or the second cell unit coupling unit 323.

[0102] This is proportional to the size of the deposition pattern portion 310. That is, if the size of the deposition pattern portion 310 is relatively large, both the first cell unit connecting portion 322 and the second cell unit connecting portion 323 can be welded to increase the bonding strength with the structural auxiliary mask 200. Conversely, if the size of the deposition pattern portion 310 is relatively small, the cell unit mask 300 can be easily supported even with a small bonding area, so either the first cell unit connecting portion 322 or the second cell unit connecting portion 323 can be selectively welded. That is, while the cell unit supports of the cell unit mask 300 are supported by the first cell unit supporting portion 221 and the second cell unit supporting portion 222 of the structural auxiliary mask 200, the first cell unit connecting portion 322 and / or the second cell unit connecting portion 323 of the cell unit mask 300 can be welded to the underside of the cell unit mask 300 by a laser beam (not shown) positioned below the full-size mask assembly 10.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 12, the first cell unit coupling part 322 or the second cell unit coupling part 323 is welded to the deposition surface by a laser beam (not shown) positioned at the bottom of the cell unit mask 300, which is the back surface of the full-size mask assembly 10 opposite the contact surface of the TFT glass, i.e., the bottom of the full-size mask assembly 10. This allows the substrate to be attached to the full-size mask assembly without floating during deposition even if burrs are generated during welding.

[0104] In addition, each cell unit mask 300 constituting the full-size mask assembly 10 may be provided intermittently in the first and second directions while being supported by the structural auxiliary mask 200. That is, each cell unit mask 300 may be fixedly coupled to the structural auxiliary mask 200 while being spaced apart by the length of the cell unit spacing portion 223 in the first and second directions.

[0105] The coupling structure of the structural auxiliary mask 200 and the cell unit mask 300 in the full-size mask assembly 10 constructed as above will now be described.

[0106] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the full-size mask assembly 10 can combine the cell unit mask 300 with the structural auxiliary mask 200 by performing a series of first and second position alignment processes on the cell unit mask 300.

[0107] While a cell mask gripper (not shown) supports the cell unit mask 300, it applies tensile force in a first direction and a second direction to align the cell unit mask 300 to a first position so that the first position alignment hole 311 of the cell unit mask 300 enters the auxiliary structural mask opening 210 of the auxiliary structural mask 200. Then, it is possible to align the cell unit mask 300 to a second position by vertically aligning the center of the second position alignment hole 312 of the cell unit mask 300 with the TFT position of the TFT glass.

[0108] The cell mask gripper (not shown) can control the position of the cell unit mask 300 by a vacuum method or an electrostatic induction method, etc. Such a cell mask gripper (not shown) can control the position value of the cell unit mask 300 in the first direction, the second direction, and the vertical direction as well as the flatness in the horizontal direction.

[0109] At this time, the structural auxiliary mask 200 and each cell unit mask 300 can be joined in various ways, but the full-size mask assembly 10 shown in Figures 13 and 14 can be welded along each welding point 321 of the cell unit joining portion 320 provided on the edge of the cell unit mask 300.

[0110] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a full-size mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0111] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a method for manufacturing a full-size mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a method for aligning the cell unit mask 300 in FIG.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 15, the manufacturing method of the full-size mask assembly may include a structural auxiliary mask alignment step s10, a structural auxiliary mask tensioning step s20, a structural auxiliary mask fixing step s30, a cell unit mask alignment step s40, and a cell unit mask fixing step s50.

[0113] In the structural auxiliary mask alignment step s10, the structural auxiliary mask 200 can be aligned so as to face the frame opening 120 of the frame 100.

[0114] In the structural auxiliary mask tensioning step s20, the structural auxiliary mask 200 can be tensioned in the first and second directions using a clamping device (not shown). A tension force can be applied to the structural auxiliary mask 200 by pulling in opposite directions while holding the protrusions 224 facing each other at both ends of each support column 220 of the structural auxiliary mask 200 with the clamping device (not shown).

[0115] In the structural auxiliary mask fixing step s30, the frame 100 and the structural auxiliary mask 200 can be joined by welding to fix the structural auxiliary mask 200 to the frame 100. The frame connecting portion of the structural auxiliary mask 200 can be welded to the support portion 110 of the frame 100 in a state of surface contact.

[0116] In the cell unit mask alignment step s40, the cell unit mask 300 can be aligned to face the structural auxiliary mask opening 210 of the structural auxiliary mask 200. The cell unit mask alignment step s40 can be divided into the following steps.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 16, the cell unit mask alignment step s40 may further include a cell unit mask tension step s41, a cell unit mask first position alignment step s42, a cell unit mask second position alignment step s43, and a cell unit mask mounting step s44.

[0118] In the cell unit mask tensioning step s41, a cell mask gripper (not shown) can apply tension in the first and second directions to each cell unit mask 300. That is, the cell mask gripper (not shown) that can apply tension to the cell unit mask 300 can tension the cell unit mask 300 in the first and second directions while supporting one side of the cell unit mask 300 in the vertical direction.

[0119] In the cell unit mask first position alignment step s42, a cell mask gripper (not shown) can move the individual cell unit mask 300 to each structural auxiliary mask opening 210. That is, the cell unit mask 300 can be aligned to a first position such that the first position alignment hole 311 of the cell unit mask 300 enters the structural auxiliary mask opening 210 while the cell mask gripper (not shown) applies a pulling force to support the cell unit mask 300.

[0120] In the cell unit mask second position alignment step s43, a camera (not shown) can be used to align the positions of the cell unit masks 300. A camera (not shown) located below the full-size mask assembly 10 can be used to check whether the center of the second position alignment hole 312 is aligned with the center of the TFT position on the TFT glass within 1 μm in the first and second directions, and the position of the cell mask gripper (not shown) can be fine-tuned in the first or second direction to align the cell unit mask 300 to the second position.

[0121] In the cell unit mask mounting step s44, the cell unit mask 300 can be mounted in the structural auxiliary mask opening 210. The cell unit mask 300 can be mounted in the structural auxiliary mask opening 210 by moving a cell mask gripper (not shown) vertically.

[0122] That is, in the cell unit mask first position alignment step s42 and the cell unit mask second position alignment step s43, the position of the cell unit mask 300 is aligned in the first and second directions, and in the cell unit mask mounting step s44, the cell unit mask 300 is aligned in the vertical direction, thereby aligning each cell unit mask 300 within the full-size mask assembly 10.

[0123] In the cell unit mask fixing step s50, the cell unit joint 320 may be formed between the structural auxiliary mask 200 and the cell unit mask 300 to fix the cell unit mask 300 to the structural auxiliary mask 200. In this case, the cell unit mask 300 may be fixed using a method such as welding.

[0124] Among various embodiments, when examining the cell unit mask fixing step s50 using welding in detail, the cell unit mask 300 can be attached using a cell mask gripper (not shown) and then supported on the structural auxiliary mask 200, and the first cell unit connecting portion 322 and / or the second cell unit connecting portion 323 provided along the edge of the cell unit mask 300 can be joined to the structural auxiliary mask 200.

[0125] More specifically, the cell unit mask 300 can be welded through the respective welding points 321 formed in the first cell unit joint 322 and / or the second cell unit joint 323 using a laser light (not shown) provided in the downward direction of the full-size mask assembly 10.

[0126] Meanwhile, a manufacturing method of a full-size mask assembly according to another embodiment may include a cell unit mask alignment step of aligning the cell unit mask 300 to face the structural auxiliary mask opening of the structural auxiliary mask 200 fixed to the frame 100.

[0127] The cell unit mask alignment step may further include a cell unit mask pulling step in which a cell mask gripper (not shown) applies a pulling force to the cell unit mask 300 in a first direction and a second direction; a cell unit mask first position alignment step in which a first position alignment hole 311 located at a corner of one side of the deposition pattern portion 310, through which the deposition material passes, is vertically aligned within the structural auxiliary mask opening 210; a cell unit mask second position alignment step in which a plurality of second position alignment holes 312 of the deposition pattern portion 310 are vertically aligned to the TFT positions of the TFT glass; and a cell unit mask mounting step in which the cell unit mask 300 is mounted in the structural auxiliary mask opening 210.

[0128] Although the present invention has been described in detail using the preferred embodiment, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the specific embodiment, but should be interpreted by the appended claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention, by those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 10: Full size mask assembly 100: Frame 110: Support part 120: Frame opening 200: Structural auxiliary mask 210: Structural auxiliary mask opening 220: Prop 221: First cell unit support part 222: Second cell unit support part 223: Cell unit isolation section 224:Protrusion 300: Cell-by-cell mask 310: Vapor deposition pattern section 311: First position alignment hole 312: Second position alignment hole 320: Cell unit joint 321: Welding point 322: First cell unit joint 323: Second cell unit joint

Claims

1. 1. A full size mask assembly comprising: a frame having a frame opening formed therein and a support portion surrounding the frame opening; a structural auxiliary mask supported by the support portion to prevent deformation and having a plurality of support posts in a lattice configuration so that a plurality of structural auxiliary mask openings are formed; and a plurality of cell unit masks each having a deposition pattern portion supported by an upper surface of the structural auxiliary mask and allowing a deposition material to pass therethrough; the plurality of support pillars include a first cell unit support portion supporting the cell unit mask in a first direction, a second cell unit support portion supporting the cell unit mask in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a cell unit spacer portion spaced apart from the first cell unit support portion and the second cell unit support portion, the cell unit spacer portion being a region between the first cell unit support portion and the second cell unit support portion, the structural auxiliary mask includes a frame joint portion joined to the frame by welding in a tensioned state; A full-size mask assembly in which burrs generated during welding of the structural auxiliary mask and the cell unit mask are formed on the lower surface of the structural auxiliary mask.

2. A full-size mask assembly, comprising: a frame having a frame opening formed therein and a support portion surrounding the frame opening; a structural auxiliary mask supported by the support portion to prevent deformation and having a plurality of support posts in a lattice configuration so that a plurality of structural auxiliary mask openings are formed; and a plurality of cell unit masks each having a deposition pattern portion supported by an upper surface of the structural auxiliary mask and allowing a deposition material to pass therethrough; the plurality of support pillars include a first cell unit support portion supporting the cell unit mask in a first direction, a second cell unit support portion supporting the cell unit mask in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a cell unit spacer portion spaced apart from the first cell unit support portion and the second cell unit support portion, the cell unit spacer portion being a region between the first cell unit support portion and the second cell unit support portion, the structural auxiliary mask includes a frame joint portion joined to the frame by welding in a tensioned state; the thickness of the structural auxiliary mask is 100 μm to 200 μm, and the thickness of the cell unit mask is 10 μm to 30 μm; The structural auxiliary mask is welded to the structural auxiliary mask, and a burr is formed on the lower surface of the structural auxiliary mask. Full size mask assembly.

Images