Alternating Inorganic-Metal Deposition Mask for Precise Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Silicon masks used in high-resolution deposition processes for wearable devices like HMDs and AR glasses face issues with mechanical strength, cleaning damage, and thermal expansion, leading to misalignment and deposition defects.
Innovation Solution
A deposition mask with a multilayer structure comprising alternately stacked inorganic and metal layers, providing high mechanical strength and reduced thermal expansion, facilitating accurate alignment and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a silicon mask with a thin mask membrane is used to achieve high-resolution deposition, then manufacturing precision is improved, but mechanical strength deteriorates and the mask becomes susceptible to cleaning damage
Solution Approach 1:
The mask membrane is constructed as a composite structure with a silicon substrate providing mechanical strength and a deposited inorganic layer pattern providing the mask function. This composite approach allows the thin mask membrane to maintain high precision while the silicon substrate provides the necessary mechanical strength and cleaning durability
2Strength
If a plating film mask membrane is used to increase mechanical strength, then strength is improved and cleaning becomes easier, but alignment accuracy deteriorates due to high coefficient of thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The inorganic layer pattern is formed by depositing inorganic materials (such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride) on the silicon substrate. These inorganic materials have coefficients of thermal expansion matched to silicon, eliminating the thermal expansion mismatch problems associated with plating films while maintaining mechanical strength and alignment accuracy
3Ease of operation
If a plating film mask membrane is used to simplify cleaning, then ease of operation is improved, but deposition quality deteriorates due to thickness deviation and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of silicon substrate with deposited inorganic layer pattern provides both the mechanical strength for easy cleaning and the thermal expansion matching for high deposition accuracy. The inorganic layer materials (silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride) ensure thickness uniformity and alignment precision while the silicon substrate provides cleaning durability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The multilayer deposition mask enhances mechanical strength, allows for easy cleaning, and reduces deposition defects by minimizing thermal expansion, ensuring precise alignment and improved manufacturing quality.
Implementation Method 1
since the mask membrane made of a plating film has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), there is a high possibility of misalignment with a backplane substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a deposition mask and a deposition equipment including the same. A deposition mask includes a substrate comprising cell areas and a mask frame area excluding the cell areas, and a mask membrane disposed in each of the cell areas. A cross-sectional structure of the mask membrane includes a multilayer in which inorganic layers and metal layers are alternately stacked each other.