Mask plate and display panel

Abstract

A mask plate and a display panel. The mask plate comprises a mask strip. The mask strip extends in a first direction and comprise at least two mask pattern structures, wherein the at least two mask pattern structures are arranged in the first direction. The mask strip comprises a first surface and a second surface that are arranged opposite each other in the direction of thickness, the direction of thickness intersecting the first direction. The mask strip further comprises a protrusion structure, at least part of the protrusion structure being located between two adjacent mask pattern structures. The second surface includes the mask surface of the mask pattern structures and the protrusion surface of the protrusion structure; the protrusion surface is farther away from the first surface than the mask surface, and in the direction of thickness, the size of the protrusion structure is greater than the size of the mask pattern structures. By means of the provision of the protrusion structure to realize local thickening of the mask strip, the strength of the mask strip can be improved, such that the mask strip has higher stability, thereby reducing the adhesion effect on the mask pattern structures from other structures, improving the quality of vapor deposition, and mitigating the defect of vapor deposition shadowing in the display panel.

Description

Mask plate and display panel

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411328357.2, filed September 23, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference as part of the present application. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a mask plate and a display panel. BACKGROUND

[0003] In the production and preparation process of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device, a fine metal mask (FMM) can be used to realize evaporation of organic materials. Therefore, the quality of the FMM determines the evaporation quality of the organic materials, which in turn affects the display effect of the display device. SUMMARY

[0004] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a mask plate and a display panel.

[0005] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a mask plate, comprising: a mask strip; the mask strip extends along a first direction and comprises at least two mask pattern structures arranged along the first direction; wherein the mask strip comprises a first surface and a second surface oppositely arranged in a thickness direction, the thickness direction intersects the first direction; the mask strip further comprises a protruding structure, at least part of the protruding structure is located between two adjacent mask pattern structures; the second surface comprises a mask surface of the mask pattern structure and a protruding surface of the protruding structure, the protruding surface is farther away from the first surface than the mask surface, and in the thickness direction, the size of the protruding structure is greater than the size of the mask pattern structure.

[0006] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mask strip further comprises a mounting structure located on at least one side of the at least two mask pattern structures in the first direction; the second surface further comprises a mounting surface of the mounting structure, the mounting surface is farther away from the first surface than the mask surface, and in the thickness direction, the size of the mounting structure is not less than the size of the protruding structure.

[0007] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the mask strip further comprises a connecting structure, the second surface further comprises a first connecting surface of the connecting structure, the first connecting surface is connected between the mask surface and the mounting surface; in the thickness direction, a size of the connecting structure is not less than a size of the mask pattern structure and not greater than a size of the mounting structure, the size of the connecting structure gradually increases along a direction from the mask surface to the mounting surface; the direction from the mask surface to the mounting surface is parallel to the first direction.

[0008] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first surface is located in a plane, in the thickness direction, the size of the mounting structure is 10-30 microns.

[0009] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the second surface further comprises a second connecting surface of the protruding structure, the second connecting surface is connected between the mask surface and the protruding surface; in the thickness direction, a distance between the second connecting surface and a reference surface perpendicular to the thickness direction is not less than a distance between the mask surface and the reference surface, and not greater than a distance between the protruding surface and the reference surface, the distance between the second connecting surface and the reference surface gradually increases along a direction from the mask surface to the protruding surface; the direction from the mask surface to the protruding surface is parallel to the first direction.

[0010] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first surface is located in a plane, in the thickness direction, the size of the protruding structure is 3-30 microns, and the size of the mask pattern structure is 1-15 microns.

[0011] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the size of the mask pattern structure in the first direction is greater than the size of the part of the protruding surface between the adjacent two mask pattern structures in the first direction.

[0012] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the protruding structure surrounds at least part of the mask pattern structure.

[0013] For example, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the part of the protruding surface between the adjacent two mask pattern structures extends along a second direction, the second direction intersects the first direction and the thickness direction respectively.

[0014] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mask plate further comprises an auxiliary mask layer; the auxiliary mask layer comprises a support structure, the support structure comprises a first support strip extending along the first direction and a second support strip extending along a second direction, the second direction intersects the first direction and the thickness direction respectively; the second support strip comprises a support surface, the support surface is located on one side of the support structure close to the mask strip, and the orthogonal projection of the convex surface on the auxiliary mask layer intersects with the support surface; the first support strip and the second support strip intersect with each other to define a mask through hole; the orthogonal projection of the mask through hole on a reference surface perpendicular to the thickness direction overlaps with the orthogonal projection of the mask pattern structure on the reference surface.

[0015] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one mask through hole comprises a first mask opening and a second mask opening oppositely arranged in the thickness direction, and the first mask opening is located in the same plane as the support surface; in at least one of the first direction and the second direction, the size of the second mask opening is smaller than the size of the first mask opening; the orthogonal projection of the first mask opening on the reference surface comprises a first outer contour, the orthogonal projection of the second mask opening on the reference surface comprises a second outer contour, and the orthogonal projection of the mask pattern structure on the reference surface comprises a third outer contour; the range surrounded by the third outer contour is within the range surrounded by the first outer contour, and the range surrounded by the second outer contour does not exceed the range surrounded by the third outer contour.

[0016] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mask through hole comprises a first sub-mask hole and a second sub-mask hole communicating with each other in the thickness direction, the first sub-mask hole comprises the first mask opening, and the second sub-mask hole comprises the second mask opening, the second mask opening is located on one side of the second sub-mask hole away from the first sub-mask hole; in the thickness direction, the ratio of the size of the first sub-mask hole to the size of the support structure is 0.2-0.6.

[0017] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the size of the support surface in the first direction is smaller than the size of the part of the convex surface between the two adjacent mask pattern structures in the first direction.

[0018] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auxiliary mask layer comprises a mask area and an edge area surrounding the mask area, the mask through hole is located in the mask area, and the edge area is provided with a stress balance structure; at least part of the stress balance structure in the thickness direction is smaller than the size of the support structure in the thickness direction.

[0019] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the stress balancing structure comprises an auxiliary groove, the auxiliary groove comprises a groove opening and a bottom wall oppositely arranged in the thickness direction; the groove opening is closer to the mask strip than the bottom wall.

[0020] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auxiliary groove is located on at least one side of the mask area in the first direction.

[0021] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the thickness direction, the ratio of the depth of the auxiliary groove to the size of the support structure is 0.2-0.6.

[0022] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the stress balancing structure comprises an auxiliary via, the auxiliary via comprises a first auxiliary opening and a second auxiliary opening oppositely arranged in the thickness direction, the second auxiliary opening is in the same plane as the second mask opening; in at least one of the first direction and the second direction, the size of the second auxiliary opening is smaller than the size of the first auxiliary opening.

[0023] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mask plate further comprises a shielding strip, the shielding strip is configured to shield the opening of the auxiliary via.

[0024] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auxiliary via is located on at least one side of the mask area in the second direction.

[0025] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auxiliary via comprises a first sub-auxiliary hole and a second sub-auxiliary hole in communication with each other in the thickness direction, the first sub-auxiliary hole comprises the first auxiliary opening, the second sub-auxiliary hole comprises the second auxiliary opening, the second auxiliary opening is located on the side of the second sub-auxiliary hole away from the first sub-auxiliary hole; in the thickness direction, the ratio of the size of the first sub-auxiliary hole to the thickness of the support structure is 0.2-0.6.

[0026] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the size of the support structure in the thickness direction is 50-100 microns.

[0027] For example, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auxiliary mask layer includes a mask region, and the mask via is located in the mask region; the mask plate further includes a fixed frame, the fixed frame includes a connecting portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the connecting portion, the connecting portion is configured to at least surround the mask region; the connecting portion is provided with a connecting groove, at least part of the support structure is inserted into the connecting groove, and is fixedly connected with the connecting groove; the depth of the connecting groove in the thickness direction is not less than the size of the support structure in the thickness direction.

[0028] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a display panel is provided, including a plurality of sub-pixels, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels are formed by using the mask pattern structure of the mask plate of any one of the above embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not limit the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of a fine metal mask.

[0031] FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fine metal mask shown in FIG. 1A.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an evaporation substrate.

[0033] FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view of a pixel hole of the fine metal mask shown in FIG. 1A.

[0034] FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pixel hole shown in FIG. 3A.

[0035] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are schematic views of evaporation patterns obtained by evaporation through different regions of the pixel mesh hole area of the fine metal mask shown in FIG. 1A.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a mask plate provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 6A is a schematic plan view of a mask strip in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5.

[0038] FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mask strip shown in FIG. 6A.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a partial schematic view of an evaporation pattern obtained by evaporation through the mask plate shown in FIG. 5.

[0040] FIG. 8A is a schematic plan view of an auxiliary mask layer in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] FIG. 8B is a schematic view of a cross section of the auxiliary mask layer shown in FIG. 8A.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a front projection of a mask hole in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5 on a reference plane and a front projection of a mask pattern structure on the reference plane.

[0043] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a cross section of the mask plate shown in FIG. 5 taken along the AA' line.

[0044] FIG. 11A is a schematic view of a planar view of a fixed frame in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] FIG. 11B is a schematic view of a cross section of the fixed frame shown in FIG. 11A.

[0046] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of assembling the auxiliary mask layer shown in FIG. 8A and the fixed frame shown in FIG. 11A together.

[0047] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of assembling the mask strip shown in FIG. 6A, the auxiliary mask layer shown in FIG. 8A, the fixed frame shown in FIG. 11A, and the shielding strip together.

[0048] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a cross section of the mask plate shown in FIG. 5 taken along the BB' line.

[0049] FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a sub-pixel of a display panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure should be understood as having the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms “first”, “second”, and similar terms used in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish different components. The terms “include”, “contain”, and similar terms mean that the elements or objects before the terms encompass the elements or objects listed after the terms and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0052] The terms "parallel", "perpendicular", and "same" and the like used in the present disclosure include not only the strict "parallel", "perpendicular", "same" and the like, but also the "approximately parallel", "approximately perpendicular", "approximately same" and the like with a certain error, which, considering the measurement and the error related to the measurement of a specific quantity (that is, the limitation of the measurement system), represents the acceptable deviation range for the specific value determined by the person skilled in the art. The "center" in the embodiments of the present disclosure can include not only the position strictly located at the geometric center, but also the position approximately at the center within a small area around the geometric center. For example, "approximately" can mean within one or more standard deviations, or within 10% or 5% of the value.

[0053] The organic light-emitting material in the OLED display panel can be prepared by a vacuum evaporation process. A fine metal mask can be used in the evaporation process, and the precise aperture pattern on the fine metal mask can enable the organic light-emitting material to be precisely and controllably evaporated onto the substrate. The fine metal mask is usually in the form of a long strip, and a plurality of fine metal masks need to be stretched, welded and assembled by a web stretching machine to make a complete mask plate that can be used in an evaporation machine.

[0054] The PPI (Pixels Per Inch) of some mass-produced OLED display screens is 400-600, and the thickness of the mask plate is 25-40 microns. The display screen suitable for augmented reality (AR) devices and virtual reality (VR) devices needs a higher PPI, such as 850-5000 PPI, for example, the resolution of some display screens is 1200-1500 PPI.

[0055] In the research, the inventors of the present application found that due to the small pixel size of high PPI products, a plurality of technical indicators need to reach the maximum allowable limit, and the manufacturing process of the fine metal mask is greatly improved in difficulty, and the production technology and manufacturing process of some fine metal masks are difficult to meet the technical requirements of high PPI products.

[0056] For example, for some products with a PPI of 1200 or more, the thickness of the fine metal mask in the pixel mesh area needs to be reduced to 3-15 microns. In the web stretching process, the fine metal mask is prone to deformation, wrinkles and breakage and other defects. Moreover, due to the high precision requirement of the fine metal mask, the process of the web stretching process is also very difficult. In addition, in the evaporation process, the fine metal mask is difficult to control when it is attached to the substrate under the action of the magnetic field.

[0057] FIG. 1A is a plan view of a fine metal mask. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the fine metal mask shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an evaporation substrate.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the overall thickness of the fine metal mask 1 is uniform, and the pixel mesh area 01 is a mesh, and the evaporation area is divided by an additional shielding strip (not shown in the figure). Referring to FIG. 2, the evaporation substrate 2 includes a plurality of arrayed display areas 02, and the display areas 02 correspond one-to-one to the evaporation areas divided by the shielding strip of the pixel mesh area 01.

[0059] FIG. 3A is a plan view of a pixel hole of the fine metal mask shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the pixel hole shown in FIG. 3A.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, in order to meet the evaporation requirements of products with a PPI of 1200 or more, the opening size and the opening pitch of the pixel hole 001 in the pixel mesh area are very small. Moreover, the pixel hole 001 needs to achieve a small cross-sectional angle a to reduce the shielding of the evaporation material. Therefore, the overall thickness of the fine metal mask is very thin.

[0061] However, the fine metal mask with a high PPI is too thin, which results in low strength and poor stability. For example, in the process of manufacturing the fine metal mask, the fine metal mask is prone to deformation and damage, and its surface is prone to wrinkles, folds, and other defects. For example, in the process of the stretching, taking, and transferring of the fine metal mask in the stretching process, the fine metal mask is prone to defects. For example, in the cleaning process, the fine metal mask is prone to wrinkles and deformation. When the fine metal mask has the above-mentioned defects, the fine metal mask and the substrate are difficult to be flatly attached, resulting in evaporation shadow defects.

[0062] In the evaporation process, the mask plate is attracted to the lower surface of the substrate to be evaporated by the magnetic field to be attached to the substrate. However, the fine metal mask with a high PPI is difficult to be well attached to the substrate when it is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnetic field.

[0063] For example, under the action of the magnetic field, the fine metal mask has a difference in the magnetic force between the pixel mesh area and the solid material structure area around the pixel mesh area, which causes the boundary position between the pixel mesh area and the solid material structure area to be mechanically unstable. For example, due to the extremely thin thickness of the fine metal mask in the pixel mesh area, the solid material structure area is unstable when it is subjected to external force, and is prone to twisting and deformation, and wrinkles. Therefore, a gap is easily formed between the edge portion of the pixel mesh area and the substrate, and the fine metal mask and the substrate are difficult to be flatly attached, resulting in evaporation shadow defects.

[0064] FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views of evaporation patterns obtained by evaporating different areas of the pixel mesh area of the fine metal mask shown in FIG. 1A.

[0065] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, due to the above reasons, the pattern obtained by evaporation through the middle region of the pixel mesh area of the fine metal mask is good, but the pattern obtained by evaporation through the edge region of the pixel mesh area appears poor shadowing, which affects the display effect of the display panel.

[0066] The mask plate provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a mask strip. The mask strip extends along a first direction and includes at least two mask pattern structures arranged along the first direction. The mask strip includes a first surface and a second surface oppositely arranged in a thickness direction, and the thickness direction intersects the first direction. The mask strip further includes a protruding structure, at least part of the protruding structure being located between two adjacent mask pattern structures. The second surface includes a mask surface of the mask pattern structure and a protruding surface of the protruding structure, the protruding surface being farther away from the first surface than the mask surface, and in the thickness direction, the size of the protruding structure is greater than the size of the mask pattern structure.

[0067] The display panel provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of sub-pixels, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels are formed by the mask pattern structure of the mask plate described above.

[0068] The mask plate and the display panel provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure can make the mask pattern structure in the mask strip very thin to meet the requirement of high resolution. At the same time, the local thickening of the mask strip is realized by the protruding structure, which can improve the strength of the mask strip and make the stability of the mask strip better. Moreover, when the mask strip is assembled with other structures in the mask plate to form the mask plate, the mask pattern structure can be made as far away from the other structure as possible to reduce the influence of adsorption of the other structure on the mask pattern structure. Thus, the mask strip and the evaporation substrate can be better attached, and there is basically no gap, which improves the evaporation quality and improves the defect of poor shadowing of the display panel.

[0069] The mask strip and the display panel will be described below by some embodiments in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a mask plate provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6A is a plan view of a mask strip 100 in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the mask strip 100 shown in FIG. 6A.

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 5-6B, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a mask plate including a mask strip 100. The mask strip 100 extends along a first direction Y and includes at least two mask pattern structures 110 arranged along the first direction Y. The mask pattern structure 110 can include a plurality of pixel holes (not shown in the figures) arranged in an array, which can be used to form sub-pixels on an evaporation substrate (e.g., the evaporation substrate shown in FIG. 2). For example, the evaporation substrate can be used to form a display panel, and the sub-pixels can be located in a display area of the display panel. For example, the sub-pixels can include red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, or blue sub-pixels.

[0072] For example, one mask pattern structure can be used to form sub-pixels in a display area of one display panel. For example, one mask pattern structure can be used to form sub-pixels in display areas of two or more display panels, and the evaporation area of the mask pattern structure can be divided by a shielding strip so that the divided evaporation areas can correspond to the display areas one by one.

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the mask strip 100 includes a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 oppositely arranged in a thickness direction Z, which intersects the first direction Y. For example, the thickness direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction Y. For example, the thickness direction Z refers to the direction along the thickness of the mask strip 100. For example, the thickness direction Z is perpendicular to the first surface 101.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 6A, the mask strip 100 further includes a protruding structure 120, at least part of which is located between two adjacent mask pattern structures 110. Thus, the protruding structure 120 can be used to prevent the mask pattern structure 110 from being deformed unstably. Moreover, the protruding structure 120 can also shield evaporation materials to divide the evaporation area.

[0075] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the second surface 102 includes a mask surface 111 of the mask pattern structure 110 and a protruding surface 121 of the protruding structure 120, the protruding surface 121 being farther away from the first surface 101 than the mask surface 111. For example, the protruding surface 121 protrudes from the mask surface 111. For example, the mask surface 111 refers to the surface of the mask pattern structure 110. For example, the mask pattern structure 110 has a mesh structure, and the mask surface 111 is the surface of the part of the mask pattern structure 110 other than the mesh. In the thickness direction Z, the size T1 of the protruding structure 120 is greater than the size T2 of the mask pattern structure 110, so as to increase the strength of the mask strip 100 by the protruding structure 120 having a greater thickness. For example, the size T2 of the mask pattern structure 110 refers to the size of the part of the mask pattern structure 110 other than the mesh.

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 5-6B, the mask strip 100 in the mask plate provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be made very thin to meet the requirements of high resolution. At the same time, the thickness of the mask strip 100 is set differently according to the role of different positions in the mask strip 100. The local thickening of the mask strip 100 is realized by setting the protruding structure 120, which can improve the strength of the mask strip 100 and make the stability of the mask strip 100 better. In the process of making the mask plate, the mask strip 100 is not easy to be damaged and is not easy to have wrinkles, creases and other defects. In the process of the web stretching process, the defects caused by stretching, taking and transferring of the locally thickened mask strip 100 are improved. The cleaning resistance of the mask strip 100 can be enhanced, and the mask strip 100 is not easy to be deformed and damaged in the cleaning process. Moreover, when the mask strip 100 is assembled with other structures (such as the auxiliary mask layer 200 described in the embodiments below) in the mask plate to form the mask plate, the protruding structure 120 can make the mask pattern structure 110 as far away from the other structure as possible, which is conducive to reducing the adsorption of the mask pattern structure 110 by the other structure in the evaporation process. Therefore, the mask strip 100 and the evaporation substrate can be better attached to each other, and there is basically no gap between the two surfaces of the mask strip 100 and the evaporation substrate attached to each other, which improves the evaporation quality and improves the defects of evaporation shadow of the display panel.

[0077] FIG. 7 is a partial schematic view of an evaporation pattern obtained by evaporation through the mask plate shown in FIG. 5.

[0078] In combination with FIGS. 5-7, the mask strip 100 in the mask plate provided by the embodiments described above can be better attached to the evaporation substrate, the pattern obtained by evaporation in the peripheral region of the mask pattern structure 110 is good, and the defects of the shadowing phenomenon in FIG. 3B are improved.

[0079] For example, the material of the mask strip includes nickel-iron alloy or nickel-cobalt alloy and other metal materials with small thermal expansion coefficient. For example, the mask strip can be prepared by wet etching, electrochemical deposition or laser processing method.

[0080] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the first surface 101 is located in a plane. For example, the first surface 101 is entirely planar to be substantially completely attached to the evaporation substrate, and there is basically no gap between the two surfaces of the portion of the first surface 101 attached to the evaporation substrate. For example, the portions of the first surface 101 except the pixel holes of the mask pattern structure 110 are located in the same plane.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, for example, when the first surface 101 is located in a plane, the convex surface 121 refers to a surface of the convex structure 120 that is farthest from the first surface 101 in the thickness direction Z. For example, the convex surface 121 refers to a vertex of the convex structure 120 that is farthest from the first surface 101 in the thickness direction Z and a surface within a certain size range around the vertex. For example, the convex surface 121 can be a plane. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and for example, the convex surface can also be a curved surface.

[0082] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in the thickness direction Z, the maximum size T1 of the convex structure 120 is 3 microns-30 microns, and the maximum size T2 of the mask pattern structure 110 is 1 micron-15 microns. In this way, the convex structure 120 can prevent the mask pattern structure 110 from being deformed, and at the same time, the mask pattern structure 110 is very thin, which can meet the needs of high resolution.

[0083] For example, the size of the convex structure in the thickness direction can be 3 microns-25 microns. For example, the size of the convex structure in the thickness direction can be 5 microns-20 microns. For example, the size of the convex structure in the thickness direction can be 7 microns-15 microns. For example, the size of the convex structure in the thickness direction can be 10 microns-12 microns.

[0084] For example, the size of the mask pattern structure in the thickness direction can be 1 micron-10 microns. For example, the size of the mask pattern structure in the thickness direction can be 3 microns-8 microns. For example, the size of the mask pattern structure in the thickness direction can be 5 microns-7 microns.

[0085] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the size T1 of the convex structure 120 in the thickness direction Z and the size T2 of the mask pattern structure 110 are related to each other. If the size of the convex surface 121 protruding from the mask surface 111 is too small, the mask pattern structure 110 has a small distance from other structures in the mask plate and is easily affected by adsorption of other structures. If the size of the convex surface 121 protruding from the mask surface 111 is too large, the height difference between the convex surface 121 and the mask surface 111 is too large, and the stress distribution of the mask strip 100 is uneven, which is prone to breakage. Therefore, by setting the thickness range of the convex structure 120 and the mask pattern structure 110 described above, the overall stability of the mask strip 100 can be improved, the mask strip 100 can be prevented from being deformed, and the stress of the mask strip 100 as a whole is more uniform.

[0086] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the size W2 of the mask pattern structure 110 in the first direction Y is greater than the size W1 of the portion of the raised surface 121 between two adjacent mask pattern structures 110 in the first direction Y. For example, the total area of the mask surface 111 in the second surface 102 is greater than the total area of the raised surface 121. In this way, the mask pattern structures 110 are arranged more closely, and the utilization of the mask strip 100 can be improved.

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the raised structure 120 surrounds at least part of the mask pattern structure 110. For example, the raised structure 120 can surround part of the mask pattern structure 110, or can surround the mask pattern structure 110 in the circumferential direction. In this way, the mask strip 100 has higher strength, and the mask pattern structure 110 has better stability. For example, the mask pattern structure 110 is provided with the raised structure 120 on at least one side in the second direction X intersecting the first direction Y. For example, the mask pattern structure 110 is provided with the raised structure 120 on both sides in the second direction X.

[0088] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the portion of the raised surface 121 between two adjacent mask pattern structures 110 extends in the second direction X intersecting the first direction Y and the thickness direction Z. In this way, the raised structure 120 is subjected to more uniform stress. For example, the size of the raised surface 121 in the second direction X is not less than the size of the mask pattern structure 110 in the second direction X.

[0089] However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the raised surface can also be a discontinuous surface. For example, the raised structure can be a columnar raised structure. As long as the strength of the mask strip can be enhanced by the raised structure, and deformation, wrinkles, and other defects of the mask pattern structure can be prevented, the present disclosure does not limit the raised structure.

[0090] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the mask strip 100 further includes a mounting structure 130 located on at least one side of the mask pattern structure 110 in the first direction Y. For example, the mounting structure 130 can be used to fix the mask strip 100 and other structures in the mask plate together. For example, the mounting structure 130 can be located on both sides of all mask pattern structures 110 in the second direction X. For example, the mounting structure can be located on one side of all mask pattern structures in the first direction, and the present disclosure does not limit the mounting structure.

[0091] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the second surface 102 further comprises a mounting surface 131 of a mounting structure 130, the mounting surface 131 being further away from the first surface 101 than the mask surface 111. For example, the mounting surface 131 protrudes from the mask surface 111. In the thickness direction Z, the size T3 of the mounting structure 130 is not less than the size T1 of the protruding structure 120, so that the mask strip 100 is thickened except for the mask pattern structure 110 to increase the strength of the mask strip 100 through the mounting structure 130 with greater thickness. The mounting structure 130 can also prevent the mask pattern structure 110 from deforming, so that the mask strip 100 can better fit the evaporation substrate and improve the defect of evaporation shadow. Moreover, when the mask strip 100 is assembled with other structures (such as the auxiliary mask layer 200 in the later-described embodiments) in the mask plate to form a mask plate, the mounting structure 130 can make the mask pattern structure 110 as far away from the other structure as possible, which is conducive to reducing the adsorption of the mask pattern structure 110 by the other structure during the evaporation process.

[0092] For example, in the thickness direction, the size of the mounting structure can be equal to the size of the protruding structure. For example, in the thickness direction, the size of the mounting structure can be less than the size of the protruding structure. For example, the mounting surface can protrude from the protruding surface. For example, the mounting surface can be in the same plane as the protruding surface.

[0093] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the first surface 101 is in a plane, and in the thickness direction Z, the size T3 of the mounting structure 130 is 10-30 microns. For example, the mounting surface 131 can be welded together with the fixing frame 300 in the later-described embodiments. By setting the thickness of the mounting structure 130 to be 10-30 microns, the strength of the mask strip 100 can be improved, and the defect of laser melting during welding can be prevented. At the same time, the difference in thickness between the mounting structure 130 and the mask pattern structure 110 is not too large, which can improve the overall stability of the mask strip 100, prevent the mask strip 100 from deforming, and make the overall stress of the mask strip 100 more uniform.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 6A, for example, a welding area Q is schematically shown on the mounting surface 131 which is welded together with the fixing frame 300. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to different needs of the mask plate, the shape, size, and position of the welding area on the mounting surface can be adaptively changed.

[0095] For example, the mounting structure can have a dimension of 10-28 microns in the thickness direction. For example, the mounting structure can have a dimension of 12-25 microns in the thickness direction. For example, the mounting structure can have a dimension of 15-23 microns in the thickness direction. For example, the mounting structure can have a dimension of 18-20 microns in the thickness direction. For example, the mounting structure can have substantially equal dimensions at different positions in the thickness direction.

[0096] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the mask strip 100 further includes a connecting structure 140, and the second surface 102 further includes a first connecting surface 141 of the connecting structure 140, which is connected between the mask surface 111 and the mounting surface 131.

[0097] For example, the first connecting surface can be a planar surface or a curved surface, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0098] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in the thickness direction Z, the connecting structure 140 has a dimension T4 that is not less than the dimension T2 of the mask pattern structure 110 and not greater than the dimension T3 of the mounting structure 130, and the dimension T4 of the connecting structure 140 gradually increases in a direction from the mask surface 111 to the mounting surface 131. For example, the direction from the mask surface 111 to the mounting surface 131 can be parallel to the first direction Y. The connecting structure 140 can serve as a thickness transition structure between the mask pattern structure 110 and the mounting structure 130, and the gradual change in the dimension of the connecting structure 140 is advantageous for dispersing stress to prevent defects caused by stress concentration at the junction between two surfaces.

[0099] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, for example, the first connecting surface 141 can be a planar surface that intersects the thickness direction Z and is not perpendicular thereto. For example, the first connecting surface 141 can have a non-90° angle with the mask surface 111, and the first connecting surface 141 can have a non-90° angle with the mounting surface 131.

[0100] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, for example, at least two of the mask pattern structure 110, the protruding structure 120, the mounting structure 130, and the connecting structure 140 can be a one-piece structure. For example, the mask pattern structure 110, the protruding structure 120, the mounting structure 130, and the connecting structure 140 can be a one-piece structure. However, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard, and for example, the mask pattern structure, the protruding structure, the mounting structure, and the connecting structure can also be fixed to each other by assembly or the like.

[0101] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some examples, the second surface 102 further comprises a second connecting surface 122 of the protruding structure 120, which is connected between the mask surface 111 and the protruding surface 121. For example, the second connecting surface 122 can be a side surface of the protruding structure 120. For example, the protruding structure 120 is located in a portion between two adjacent mask pattern structures 110, and the second connecting surface 122 is connected to at least one side, such as both sides, of the protruding surface 121 along the first direction Y. For example, the protruding structure 120 is located in a portion on one side of the mask pattern structure 110 along the second direction X, and the second connecting surface 122 is connected to one side of the protruding surface 121 along the second direction X.

[0102] For example, the second connecting surface can be a flat surface or a curved surface, and the present disclosure does not limit the same.

[0103] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction Z is a reference surface S, and the first surface 101 is located on the reference surface S. In the thickness direction Z, a distance T5 between the second connecting surface 122 and the reference surface S is not less than a distance T2 between the mask surface 111 and the reference surface S, and is not greater than a distance T1 between the protruding surface 121 and the reference surface S, and the distance T5 between the second connecting surface 122 and the reference surface S gradually increases in a direction from the mask surface 111 to the protruding surface 121. For example, the direction from the mask surface 111 to the protruding surface 121 can be parallel to the first direction Y.

[0104] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a portion of the protruding structure 120 corresponding to the second connecting surface 122 can serve as a thickness transition structure, and the distance between the second connecting surface 122 and the reference surface S is gradually changed, which is beneficial for dispersing stress and preventing defects caused by stress concentration at the connection between two surfaces.

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, for example, the second connecting surface 122 can be a plane intersecting the thickness direction Z and not perpendicular to each other. For example, the second connecting surface 122 can have a non-90° included angle with the mask surface 111, and the second connecting surface 122 can have a non-90° included angle with the protruding surface 121.

[0106] FIG. 8A is a plan view of the auxiliary mask layer 200 in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary mask layer 200 shown in FIG. 8A.

[0107] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A and 8B, in some examples, the mask plate further comprises an auxiliary mask layer 200. The auxiliary mask layer 200 comprises a support structure 210, which comprises first support bars 211 extending along a first direction Y and second support bars 212 extending along a second direction X, the second direction X intersecting the first direction Y and the thickness direction Z respectively. For example, the first direction Y, the second direction X and the thickness direction Z are perpendicular to each other. The support structure 210 in the auxiliary mask layer 200 is subjected to a larger magnetic force in the magnetic field, which can effectively support the mask strip 100 to better conform to the evaporation substrate.

[0108] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A and 8B, the second support bar 212 comprises a support surface 212a located on the side of the support structure 210 close to the mask strip 100, and the normal projection of the convex surface 121 on the auxiliary mask layer 200 overlaps with the support surface 212a. For example, in combination with FIG. 9 in the example described below, the support surface 212a can provide a support force to the convex surface 121 to stabilize the auxiliary mask layer 200 to support the mask strip 100, thereby improving the evaporation quality.

[0109] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A and 8B, the first support bar 211 and the second support bar 212 intersect each other to define a mask through hole 220. For example, the first support bar 211 can be provided in a plurality, the second support bar 212 can be provided in a plurality, and the first support bar 211 and the second support bar 212 can define a plurality of arrayed mask through holes 220. For example, the plurality of mask through holes 220 defined by the first support bar 211 and the second support bar 212 are the same in size and shape. For example, the mask through hole 220 can expose a pixel hole in the mask pattern structure 110.

[0110] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the normal projection P220 of the mask through hole 220 in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5 on a reference surface S and the normal projection P110 of the mask pattern structure 110 on the reference surface S.

[0111] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 9, the normal projection P220 of the mask through hole 220 on the reference surface S perpendicular to the thickness direction Z overlaps with the normal projection P110 of the mask pattern structure 110 on the reference surface S. For example, one mask through hole 220 can correspond to one mask pattern structure 110 to better provide a support force to the mask strip 100 through the first support bar 211 and the second support bar 212 to prevent deformation of each mask pattern structure 110. Moreover, by providing the first support bar 211 and the second support bar 212, the structure of the auxiliary mask layer 200 can be more stable to prevent deformation of the mask through hole 220. For example, a plurality of mask through holes 220 can correspond to a plurality of display panels one by one.

[0112] For example, the orthographic projection of the mask pattern structure on the reference surface can fall within the orthographic projection of the mask via on the reference surface perpendicular to the thickness direction. For example, the overall shape of the orthographic projection of the mask pattern structure on the reference surface can match the shape of the orthographic projection of the mask via on the reference surface perpendicular to the thickness direction, such as both being rectangular.

[0113] For example, the mask strips can be provided as a plurality of mask strips, and the plurality of mask strips are arranged along the second direction. For example, the plurality of mask strips have the same size (e.g., width) along the second direction. For example, one column of mask vias arranged along the first direction corresponds to one mask strip.

[0114] For example, the material of the auxiliary mask layer includes a metal material with a small coefficient of thermal expansion, such as nickel-iron alloy or nickel-cobalt alloy. For example, the auxiliary mask layer can be prepared by wet etching, electrochemical deposition, or laser processing.

[0115] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, and 8B, in some examples, the at least one mask via 220 includes a first mask opening 220a and a second mask opening 220b oppositely arranged in the thickness direction Z, and the first mask opening 220a is located in the same plane as the support surface 212a. For example, the first mask opening 220a is closer to the mask strip 100 than the second mask opening 220b. For example, the first mask opening 220a and the second mask opening 220b are both two-dimensional patterns.

[0116] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, and 8B, in at least one of the first direction Y and the second direction X, the size of the second mask opening 220b is smaller than the size of the first mask opening 220a. For example, in the first direction Y, the size D02 of the second mask opening 220b can be smaller than the size D01 of the first mask opening 220a. For example, in the second direction X, the size D20 of the second mask opening 220b can be smaller than the size D10 of the first mask opening 220a. For example, the size of the second mask opening 220b can be smaller than the size of the first mask opening 220a in both the first direction Y and the second direction X.

[0117] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 9, the orthographic projection P220a of the first mask opening 220a on the reference surface S includes a first outer contour C1, the orthographic projection P220b of the second mask opening 220b on the reference surface S includes a second outer contour C2, and the orthographic projection of the mask pattern structure 110 on the reference surface S includes a third outer contour C3. The third outer contour C3 surrounds a range within the range surrounded by the first outer contour C1. Thus, the mask pattern structure 110 and the second mask opening 220b limit the evaporation range of the evaporation material.

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 9, the range surrounded by the second outer contour C2 does not exceed the range surrounded by the third outer contour C3 to improve the evaporation efficiency. For example, the range surrounded by the second outer contour C2 can be located within the range surrounded by the third outer contour C3. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the third outer contour can completely coincide with the second outer contour.

[0119] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, and 8B, in the process in which the mask strip 100 is upwardly attached to the evaporation substrate under the action of the magnetic field, the mask strip 100 can expand in the lateral direction (for example, the second direction X). The size of the first mask opening 220a is set to be larger, and the mask pattern structure 110 does not directly contact the support structure 210, which can prevent the two from being excessively contacted to negatively affect the mask pattern structure 110. For example, when the mask strip 100 is expanded in the lateral direction under the action of the magnetic force, there can be a certain free expansion space that is not blocked. Thus, the mask strip 100 does not form wrinkles at a position that can be blocked, and the mask strip 100 is ensured to be well attached to the evaporation substrate without being prone to gaps.

[0120] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, and 8B, in addition, in at least one of the first direction Y and the second direction X, the size of the second mask opening 220b is set to be smaller than the size of the first mask opening 220a, which can reduce the weight of the portion of the auxiliary mask layer 200 close to the mask pattern structure 110, thereby reducing the influence of the auxiliary mask layer 200 on the mask pattern structure 110 under the action of the magnetic field.

[0121] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, and 8B, in some examples, the mask through hole 220 includes a first sub-mask hole 221 and a second sub-mask hole 222 that are in communication with each other in the thickness direction Z, the first sub-mask hole 221 includes the first mask opening 220a, and the second sub-mask hole 222 includes the second mask opening 220b, which is located on the side of the second sub-mask hole 222 away from the first sub-mask hole 221. For example, the mask through hole 220 is a sleeve hole structure, so that the first mask opening 220a and the second mask opening 220b of the mask through hole 220 can have different sizes.

[0122] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in the thickness direction Z, the ratio of the size H1 of the first sub-mask hole 221 to the size T6 of the support structure 210 is 0.2-0.6. For example, the size H1 of the first sub-mask hole 221 in the thickness direction Z can be the size of the portion of the auxiliary mask layer 200 that is thinned in thickness. Thus, the magnetic force influence of the auxiliary mask layer 200 on the mask pattern structure 110 in the mask strip 100 in the magnetic field can be reduced, which is beneficial to improve the evaporation shadow defects.

[0123] For example, the ratio of the size of the first sub-mask hole to the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 0.2-0.5. For example, the ratio of the size of the first sub-mask hole to the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 0.3-0.4.

[0124] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, for example, the hole wall of the first sub-mask hole 221 is connected to the hole wall of the second sub-mask hole 222 by a first blocking surface A1. For example, the first blocking surface A1 can be a plane. For example, the shape of the orthographic projection of the first blocking surface on a reference surface S perpendicular to the thickness direction Z can be annular. For example, the size in the thickness direction Z between the first blocking surface and the support surface 212a can be the size of the first sub-mask hole 221 in the thickness direction Z.

[0125] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mask plate shown in FIG. 5 taken along the AA' line. FIG. 10 schematically shows that the support surface and the convex surface abut each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and there can be a gap between the support surface and the convex surface when the mask plate is assembled and before being placed in a magnetic field. For example, the mask strip and the auxiliary mask layer can be deformed under the action of the magnetic field, so that the support surface and the convex surface abut each other.

[0126] Referring to FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 10, in some examples, the size W3 of the support surface 212a in the first direction Y is smaller than the size W1 of the portion of the convex surface 121 between two adjacent mask pattern structures 110 in the first direction Y. In this way, the support surface 212a can stably support the convex surface 121 while facilitating reduction of the magnetic force influence of the support structure 200 on the mask pattern structure 110.

[0127] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, the auxiliary mask layer 200 includes a mask region 201 and an edge region 202 surrounding the mask region 201, the mask through hole 220 is located in the mask region 201, and the edge region 202 is provided with a stress balancing structure 230. At least part of the stress balancing structure 230 in the thickness direction Z (such as the depth of the auxiliary groove 231 in the thickness direction Z in the embodiment described later, such as the size H2 of the first sub-auxiliary hole 2321 in the thickness direction Z in the embodiment described later) is smaller than the size T6 of the support structure 210 in the thickness direction Z.

[0128] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the stress balancing structure 230 refers to a structure that can make the stress generated in the inner part of the auxiliary mask layer 200 reach a stable distribution state, and the setting of the stress balancing structure 230 is beneficial to keep the overall structure of the auxiliary mask layer 200 stable. The stress is more concentrated in the edge area 202 of the auxiliary mask layer 200, and by setting the stress balancing structure 230 in the edge area 202 around the mask area 201, it is beneficial to disperse the concentrated stress and prevent the mask via hole 220 in the mask area 201 from deforming.

[0129] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, the stress balancing structure 230 includes an auxiliary groove 231, and the auxiliary groove 231 includes a groove opening 2311 and a bottom wall 2312 oppositely arranged in the thickness direction Z. The groove opening 2311 is closer to the mask strip 100 than the bottom wall 2312. For example, the bottom wall 2312 can be used to shield the evaporation material. In this way, the stress can be dispersed by the thinned part in the auxiliary groove 231, and the stress balance of the overall auxiliary mask layer 200 is achieved.

[0130] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, the auxiliary groove 231 is located on at least one side of the mask area 201 in the first direction Y. For example, the auxiliary groove 231 can be located on both sides of the mask area 201 in the first direction Y. For example, the auxiliary groove can be located on one side of the mask area in the first direction, and the present disclosure does not limit this. Since the mask strip 100 extends along the first direction Y, by setting the auxiliary groove 231 in the first direction Y of the mask area 201, the bottom wall 2312 can be used to shield the auxiliary material, without the need to additionally increase the shielding strip, making the manufacturing more convenient, and being beneficial to the assembly of the mask strip 100, the auxiliary mask layer 200, and the fixing frame 300 in the later-described embodiments.

[0131] For example, the auxiliary groove includes a side wall connected between the groove opening and the bottom wall, which can be perpendicular to the bottom wall or have an included angle with the bottom wall other than 90°. For example, the side wall can also be in a stepped shape. The present disclosure does not limit this.

[0132] For example, in the first direction, the size of the groove opening can be smaller than the size of the first mask opening. For example, in the second direction, the size of the groove opening can be equal to the size of the first mask opening. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. According to different product requirements, in the first direction, the size of the groove opening can also be greater than or equal to the size of the first mask opening, and in the second direction, the size of the groove opening can also be smaller than or greater than the size of the first mask opening.

[0133] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, a ratio of a depth of the auxiliary groove 231 to a size T6 of the support structure 210 in the thickness direction Z is 0.2-0.6. For example, the depth of the auxiliary groove 231 can be a size of a portion of the auxiliary mask layer 200 that is thinned in thickness. For example, the depth of the auxiliary groove 231 can be the same as the size H1 of the first sub-mask hole 221 in the thickness direction Z, which is advantageous for making the stress on the support structure 210 between the mask via hole 220 and the auxiliary groove 231 more uniform and preventing deformation of the mask via hole 220.

[0134] For example, the ratio of the depth of the auxiliary groove to the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 0.2-0.5. For example, the ratio of the depth of the auxiliary groove to the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 0.3-0.4.

[0135] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, the stress balancing structure 230 includes an auxiliary via hole 232 including a first auxiliary opening 232a and a second auxiliary opening 232b oppositely arranged in the thickness direction Z, the second auxiliary opening 232b being in the same plane as the second mask opening 220b. In at least one of the first direction Y and the second direction X, the size of the second auxiliary opening 232b is smaller than the size of the first auxiliary opening 232a. For example, in the first direction Y, the size D21 of the second auxiliary opening 232b can be smaller than the size D11 of the first auxiliary opening 232a. For example, in the second direction X, the size D22 of the second auxiliary opening 232b can be smaller than the size D12 of the first auxiliary opening 232a. For example, the size of the second auxiliary opening 232b can be smaller than the size of the first auxiliary opening 232a in both the first direction Y and the second direction X.

[0136] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, by arranging the stress balancing structure 230 as the auxiliary via hole 232 of the via hole structure, the stress can be better dispersed, and it is advantageous for making the stress on the support structure 210 between the mask via hole 220 and the auxiliary via hole 232 more uniform and preventing deformation of the mask via hole 220.

[0137] For example, in the first direction, the size of the first auxiliary opening can be equal to the size of the first mask opening, and the size of the second auxiliary opening can be equal to the size of the second mask opening. For example, in the second direction, the size of the first auxiliary opening can be smaller than the size of the first mask opening, and the size of the second auxiliary opening can be smaller than the size of the second mask opening. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to different product requirements, in the first direction, the size of the first auxiliary opening can also be greater than or smaller than the size of the first mask opening, and the size of the second auxiliary opening can also be greater than or smaller than the size of the second mask opening. In the second direction, the size of the first auxiliary opening can also be equal to or greater than the size of the first mask opening, and the size of the second auxiliary opening can also be equal to or greater than the size of the second mask opening.

[0138] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A and 8B, in some examples, the mask plate further comprises a shielding strip 400 configured to shield the opening of the auxiliary through hole 232. Thus, the evaporation material can be shielded by the shielding strip. For example, the shielding strip 400 is configured to shield at least the second auxiliary opening 232b of the auxiliary through hole 232, so as to jointly limit the evaporation range of the evaporation material by the second auxiliary opening 232b and the shielding strip. For example, the shielding strip 400 can extend along the first direction Y.

[0139] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A and 8B, for example, the size of the shielding strip 400 in the second direction X can be smaller than the size D12 of the first auxiliary opening 232a in the second direction X, so as to prevent excessive contact between the shielding strip 400 and the auxiliary mask layer 200 during the evaporation process, and improve the overall stability of the auxiliary mask layer 200.

[0140] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A and 8B, in some examples, the auxiliary through hole 232 is located on at least one side of the mask area 201 in the second direction X. For example, the auxiliary through hole 232 can be located on both sides of the mask area 201 in the second direction X. For example, the auxiliary through hole can be located on one side of the mask area in the second direction, which is not limited by the present disclosure. Thus, the support structure 210 located between the mask through hole 220 and the auxiliary through hole 232 can be more uniformly stressed. Moreover, since the mask strip 100 extends along the first direction Y, the shielding strip 400 and the mask strip 100 will not interfere with each other during the assembly of the mask plate.

[0141] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, the auxiliary through hole 232 includes a first sub-auxiliary hole 2321 and a second sub-auxiliary hole 2322 that are in communication with each other in the thickness direction Z, the first sub-auxiliary hole 2321 includes the first auxiliary opening 232a, and the second sub-auxiliary hole 2322 includes the second auxiliary opening 232b, which is located on a side of the second sub-auxiliary hole 2322 away from the first sub-auxiliary hole 2321. For example, the auxiliary through hole 232 is a sleeve hole structure, so that the first auxiliary opening 232a and the second auxiliary opening 232b of the auxiliary through hole 232 can have different sizes.

[0142] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in the thickness direction Z, the ratio of the size H2 of the first sub-auxiliary hole 2321 to the thickness of the support structure 210 is 0.2-0.6. For example, the size H2 of the first sub-auxiliary hole 2321 in the thickness direction Z can be the size of the portion of the auxiliary mask layer 200 that is thinned in thickness. For example, in the thickness direction Z, the size H2 of the first sub-auxiliary hole 2321 can be equal to the size H1 of the first sub-mask hole 221, so that the support structure 210 is more balanced in stress and is less likely to deform.

[0143] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in some examples, the size T6 of the support structure 210 in the thickness direction Z is 50-100 microns, so as to stably support the mask strip 100 during evaporation. For example, the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 50-90 microns. For example, the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 60-80 microns. For example, the size of the support structure in the thickness direction can be 70-75 microns.

[0144] FIG. 11A is a plan view of the fixed frame 300 in the mask plate shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 11B is a sectional view of the fixed frame 300 shown in FIG. 11A.

[0145] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, 11A, and 11B, in some examples, the auxiliary mask layer 200 includes a mask region 201, and the mask through hole 220 is located in the mask region 201. The mask plate further includes a fixed frame 300, which includes a connecting portion 310 and a peripheral portion 320 surrounding the connecting portion 310, and the connecting portion 310 is configured to surround at least the mask region 201. The connecting portion 310 is provided with a connecting groove 311, and at least a portion of the support structure 210 extends into the connecting groove 311 and is fixedly connected with the connecting groove 311, so that the support structure 210 is fixedly connected with the fixed frame 300.

[0146] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, 11A and 11B, the depth H3 of the connecting groove 311 in the thickness direction Z is not less than the dimension T6 of the support structure 210 in the thickness direction Z. Thus, the support surface 212a of the support structure 210 does not protrude from the surface of the connecting portion 310. For example, the depth H3 of the connecting groove 311 in the thickness direction Z can be equal to the dimension T6 of the support structure 210 in the thickness direction Z. For example, the minimum depth of the connecting groove in the thickness direction can be greater than the maximum dimension of the support structure in the thickness direction.

[0147] Referring to FIGS. 5, 8A, 11A and 11B, for example, the connecting portion 310 can be fixedly connected with the mounting surface 131 of the mask strip 100. For example, the connecting portion 310 can be welded together with the mounting surface 131.

[0148] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of assembling the auxiliary mask layer 200 shown in FIG. 8A and the fixed frame 300 shown in FIG. 11A together. FIG. 13 is a schematic view of assembling the mask strip 100 shown in FIG. 6A, the auxiliary mask layer 200 shown in FIG. 8A, the fixed frame 300 shown in FIG. 11A and the shielding strip 400 together. FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a cross section of the mask plate shown in FIG. 5 along the line BB’.

[0149] Referring to FIGS. 12 to 14, the auxiliary mask layer 200 and the fixed frame 300 can be fixed together first, and then the mask strip 100 and the shielding strip 400 are fixed to the fixed frame 300 respectively to obtain the mask plate shown in FIG. 5. For example, referring to FIG. 13, one mask strip 100 can be welded to the middle position of the fixed frame 300 first, and then the other mask strips are welded to the fixed frame 300 in the order from the middle to both sides. FIG. 13 schematically shows that one shielding strip 400 is welded to the fixed frame 300, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, for example, two shielding strips 400 can be welded to both sides of the fixed frame 300 along the second direction X respectively to form the mask plate shown in FIG. 5.

[0150] FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a sub-pixel of a display panel provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 schematically shows the arrangement of the sub-pixel, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0151] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 5, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel including a plurality of sub-pixels 500, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels 500 are formed by using the mask pattern structure 110 of the mask plate 100 described above. For example, the sub-pixel 500 can include a red sub-pixel R, a green sub-pixel G and a blue sub-pixel B.

[0152] Since the sub-pixel in the display panel according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is formed by using the mask pattern structure of the mask plate described above, it also has corresponding beneficial technical effects, which are not described here again.

[0153] The following needs to be explained:

[0154] (1) In the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure, only the structures related to the embodiments of the present disclosure are involved, and other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0155] (2) In the case of no conflict, the features in the same embodiment and different embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0156] The above only describes the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure, and the protection scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A mask, comprising: A mask strip; The mask strip extends along a first direction and comprises at least two mask pattern structures arranged along the first direction; The mask strip comprises a first surface and a second surface oppositely arranged in a thickness direction intersecting the first direction; The mask strip further comprises a protruding structure, at least part of the protruding structure is located between two adjacent mask pattern structures; the second surface comprises a mask surface of the mask pattern structure and a protruding surface of the protruding structure, the protruding surface is farther away from the first surface than the mask surface, and in the thickness direction, the size of the protruding structure is greater than the size of the mask pattern structure.

2. The mask according to claim 1, wherein, The mask strip further comprises a mounting structure located at least one side of the at least two mask pattern structures in the first direction; The second surface further comprises a mounting surface of the mounting structure, the mounting surface is farther away from the first surface than the mask surface, and in the thickness direction, the size of the mounting structure is not less than the size of the protruding structure.

3. The mask of claim 2, wherein, The mask strip further comprises a connecting structure, and the second surface further comprises a first connecting surface of the connecting structure, the first connecting surface is connected between the mask surface and the mounting surface; In the thickness direction, the size of the connecting structure is not less than the size of the mask pattern structure and not greater than the size of the mounting structure, and the size of the connecting structure gradually increases in a direction from the mask surface to the mounting surface; the direction from the mask surface to the mounting surface is parallel to the first direction.

4. The mask according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The first surface is located in a plane, and in the thickness direction, the size of the mounting structure is 10-30 microns.

5. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The second surface further comprises a second connecting surface of the protruding structure, the second connecting surface is connected between the mask surface and the protruding surface; In the thickness direction, the distance between the second connecting surface and a reference surface perpendicular to the thickness direction is not less than the distance between the mask surface and the reference surface, and not greater than the distance between the protruding surface and the reference surface, and the distance between the second connecting surface and the reference surface gradually increases in a direction from the mask surface to the protruding surface; the direction from the mask surface to the protruding surface is parallel to the first direction.

6. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The first surface is located in a plane, and in the thickness direction, the size of the protruding structure is 3-30 microns, and the size of the mask pattern structure is 1-15 microns.

7. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The size of the mask pattern structure in the first direction is greater than the size of the part of the protruding surface located between the two adjacent mask pattern structures in the first direction.

8. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The protruding structure surrounds at least part of the mask pattern structure.

9. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The part of the protruding surface located between the two adjacent mask pattern structures extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction and the thickness direction.

10. The mask plate according to any one of claims 1-9, further comprising an auxiliary mask layer. The auxiliary mask layer comprises a support structure, the support structure comprises first support strips extending along the first direction and second support strips extending along the second direction, the second direction intersects with the first direction and the thickness direction respectively; the second support strips comprise support surfaces, the support surfaces are located on one side of the support structure close to the mask strips, and the orthogonal projection of the convex surface on the auxiliary mask layer intersects with the support surfaces; The first support strips and the second support strips cross each other to define mask through holes; The orthogonal projection of the mask through holes on a reference surface perpendicular to the thickness direction intersects with the orthogonal projection of the mask pattern structure on the reference surface.

11. The mask sheet of claim 10, wherein, At least one mask through hole comprises a first mask opening and a second mask opening arranged opposite in the thickness direction, and the first mask opening is in the same plane as the support surface; In at least one of the first direction and the second direction, the size of the second mask opening is smaller than the size of the first mask opening; The orthogonal projection of the first mask opening on the reference surface comprises a first outer contour, the orthogonal projection of the second mask opening on the reference surface comprises a second outer contour, and the orthogonal projection of the mask pattern structure on the reference surface comprises a third outer contour; The range surrounded by the third outer contour is within the range surrounded by the first outer contour, and the range surrounded by the second outer contour does not exceed the range surrounded by the third outer contour.

12. The mask sheet of claim 11, wherein, The mask through hole comprises a first sub-mask hole and a second sub-mask hole communicating with each other in the thickness direction, the first sub-mask hole comprises the first mask opening, the second sub-mask hole comprises the second mask opening, and the second mask opening is located on the side of the second sub-mask hole away from the first sub-mask hole; In the thickness direction, the ratio of the size of the first sub-mask hole to the size of the support structure is 0.2-0.

6.

13. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein The size of the support surface in the first direction is smaller than the size of the part of the convex surface between the adjacent two mask pattern structures in the first direction.

14. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein The auxiliary mask layer comprises a mask area and an edge area surrounding the mask area, the mask through hole is located in the mask area, and the edge area is provided with a stress balance structure; At least part of the stress balance structure in the thickness direction is smaller than the size of the support structure in the thickness direction.

15. The mask sheet of claim 14, wherein, The stress balance structure comprises an auxiliary groove, the auxiliary groove comprises a groove opening and a bottom wall arranged opposite in the thickness direction; the groove opening is closer to the mask strip than the bottom wall.

16. The reticle of claim 15, wherein, The auxiliary groove is located on at least one side of the mask area in the first direction.

17. The mask sheet according to claim 15 or 16, wherein In the thickness direction, the ratio of the depth of the auxiliary groove to the size of the support structure is 0.2-0.

6.

18. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein The stress balance structure comprises an auxiliary through hole, the auxiliary through hole comprises a first auxiliary opening and a second auxiliary opening arranged opposite in the thickness direction, and the second auxiliary opening is in the same plane as the second mask opening; In at least one of the first direction and the second direction, a size of the second auxiliary opening is smaller than a size of the first auxiliary opening.

19. The mask plate of claim 18, further comprising a shielding bar configured to shield an opening of the auxiliary via.

20. The reticle of claim 18 or 19, wherein, The auxiliary via is located at least one side of the mask region in the second direction.

21. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein The auxiliary via comprises a first sub-auxiliary hole and a second sub-auxiliary hole which are in communication with each other in the thickness direction, the first sub-auxiliary hole comprises the first auxiliary opening, the second sub-auxiliary hole comprises the second auxiliary opening, the second auxiliary opening is located at a side of the second sub-auxiliary hole away from the first sub-auxiliary hole; In the thickness direction, a ratio of a size of the first sub-auxiliary hole to a thickness of the support structure is 0.2-0.

6.

22. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 10 to 21, wherein A size of the support structure in the thickness direction is 50-100 microns.

23. The mask sheet according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein The auxiliary mask layer comprises a mask region, the mask via is located in the mask region; The mask plate further comprises a fixed frame, the fixed frame comprises a connecting portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the connecting portion, the connecting portion is configured to surround at least the mask region; The connecting portion is provided with a connecting groove, at least part of the support structure is inserted into the connecting groove and fixedly connected with the connecting groove; a depth of the connecting groove in the thickness direction is not less than a size of the support structure in the thickness direction.

24. A display panel comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, wherein, The plurality of sub-pixels are formed by using the mask pattern structure of the mask plate of any one of claims 1-23. In at least one of the first direction and the second direction, a size of the second auxiliary opening is smaller than a size of the first auxiliary opening.

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