阅读说明：本技术 蒸镀掩模、蒸镀掩模及有机半导体元件的制造方法 (Vapor deposition mask, and method for manufacturing organic semiconductor element ) 是由 西田光志 崎尾进 岸本克彦 于 2017-01-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种蒸镀掩模(100)的制造方法,所述蒸镀掩模(100)具备树脂层(10)和形成在树脂层(10)上的磁性金属体(20),其包含如下工序：(A)准备具有至少一个第一开口部(25)的磁性金属体(20)的工序；(B)准备基板(60)的工序；(C)在对基板(60)的表面赋予含有树脂材料的溶液或树脂材料的清漆后,通过进行热处理而形成树脂层(10)的工序；(D)将基板(60)上所形成的树脂层(10)以覆盖至少一个第一开口部(25)的方式固定于磁性金属体(20)上的工序；(E)在树脂层(10)中的位于磁性金属体(20)的至少一个第一开口部(25)内的区域形成多个第二开口部(13)的工序；(F)在工序(E)之后,自树脂层(10)剥离基板(60)的工序。(A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask (100), the vapor deposition mask (100) comprising a resin layer (10) and a magnetic metal body (20) formed on the resin layer (10), the method comprising the steps of: (A) preparing a magnetic metal body (20) having at least one first opening (25); (B) a step for preparing a substrate (60); (C) a step of forming a resin layer (10) by applying a solution containing a resin material or a varnish of a resin material to the surface of a substrate (60) and then performing a heat treatment; (D) a step of fixing the resin layer (10) formed on the substrate (60) to the magnetic metal body (20) so as to cover the at least one first opening (25); (E) forming a plurality of second openings (13) in a region of the resin layer (10) that is located within the at least one first opening (25) of the magnetic metal body (20); (F) and (E) peeling the substrate (60) from the resin layer (10).)

1. A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask including a resin layer and a magnetic metal body formed on the resin layer, the method comprising:

(A) preparing a magnetic metal body having at least one first opening;

(B) preparing a substrate;

(C) a step of forming a resin layer by applying a solution containing a resin material or a varnish of a resin material to the surface of the substrate and then performing heat treatment;

(D) fixing the resin layer formed on the substrate to the magnetic metal body so as to cover the at least one first opening after the step (a), the step (B), and the step (C);

(E) forming a plurality of second openings in the resin layer;

(F) a step of peeling the substrate from the resin layer after the steps (D) and (E),

the step (D) includes:

(D1) forming a metal layer on a part of the resin layer by plating;

(D2) a step of bonding the resin layer to the magnetic metal body via the metal layer,

in the step (D), a magnetic metal is not present in a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

the step (E) is performed after the step (D),

the plurality of second opening portions are formed in a region of the resin layer that is located within the at least one first opening portion of the magnetic metal body.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1,

the step (E) is performed between the step (C) and the step (D).

4. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

further comprising a step of providing a frame on the peripheral edge of the magnetic metal body.

5. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

in the step (C), the heat treatment is performed under such a condition that a tensile stress of more than 0.2MPa at room temperature is generated in the resin layer in the in-plane direction of the layer.

6. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

in the step (F), after the substrate is peeled, the magnetic metal body is applied with a compressive stress from the resin layer.

7. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the step (D2) is a step of bonding the resin layer to the magnetic metal body through the metal layer by fusing the metal layer to the magnetic metal body.

8. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

the width of the at least one first opening in the short side direction is 30mm or more.

9. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

the thickness of the magnetic metal body is 1000 [ mu ] m or more.

10. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

the vapor deposition mask is used for forming a plurality of devices on one vapor deposition target substrate, and has a plurality of unit regions corresponding to one of the plurality of devices,

the magnetic metal body has an open mask structure having one first opening for each of the plurality of unit regions.

11. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

in the step (D), the metal layer is not formed in a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening portion.

12. A vapor deposition mask is characterized by comprising:

a frame;

a magnetic metal body supported on the frame and including at least one first opening;

a resin layer disposed on the magnetic metal body and covering the at least one first opening;

an adhesive layer located between the resin layer and the magnetic metal body, joining the resin layer and the magnetic metal body;

the resin layer has a tensile stress in an in-plane direction of the layer,

the magnetic metal body receives a compressive stress from the resin layer in an in-plane direction,

the tensile stress of the resin layer at room temperature is 3MPa or more,

the resin layer is formed by forming a resin film having a tensile stress of 3MPa or more at room temperature on a substrate, fixing the resin film to the magnetic metal body, and then peeling the substrate from the resin film,

the resin layer and the magnetic metal body are fixed to the frame without performing a stretching step in a predetermined direction.

13. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 12,

a magnetic metal is not present in a region of the resin layer located within the at least one first opening portion.

14. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 12 or 13,

the adhesive layer is a metal layer, and the metal layer is a plating layer disposed on the resin layer.

15. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 14,

the metal layer is not disposed in a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening.

16. A method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor device is characterized in that,

comprises the following steps: using the evaporation mask of any of claims 12 to 15, evaporating an organic semiconductor material on a workpiece.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask having a structure in which a resin layer and a metal layer are laminated. The present invention also relates to a vapor deposition mask and a method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor element using the vapor deposition mask.

Background

In recent years, organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices have been receiving attention as next-generation displays. In the organic EL display devices that are currently mass-produced, the formation of the organic EL layer is mainly performed using a vacuum deposition method.

The vapor deposition mask is generally a metal mask (metal mask). However, with the progress of high definition of organic EL display devices, it has become difficult to form vapor deposition patterns with high accuracy using a metal mask. The reason for this is that: with the conventional metal processing technique, it is difficult to form small openings corresponding to a short pixel pitch (e.g., about 10 to 20 μm) with high accuracy on a metal plate (e.g., about 100 μm in thickness) serving as a metal mask.

Therefore, as a vapor deposition mask for forming a high-definition vapor deposition pattern, a vapor deposition mask having a structure in which a resin layer and a metal layer are laminated (hereinafter, also referred to as a "laminated mask") has been proposed.

For example, patent document 1 discloses a laminated mask in which a resin film and a holding member that is a metal magnetic body are laminated. A plurality of openings corresponding to a desired vapor deposition pattern are formed in the resin film. The holding member is formed with a slit having a size larger than the opening of the resin film. The opening of the resin film is disposed in the slit. Therefore, when the laminated mask of patent document 1 is used, vapor deposition patterns are formed corresponding to the plurality of openings of the resin film. Even a small opening can be formed with high accuracy on a resin film thinner than a general metal mask metal plate.

When the resin film is formed with the small openings as described above, a laser ablation method is suitably used. Patent document 1 describes the following method: a resin film placed on a support material (e.g., a glass substrate) is irradiated with a laser beam to form an opening having a desired size.

Fig. 28 (a) to (d) are schematic process cross-sectional views for explaining a conventional method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask disclosed in patent document 1.

In patent document 1, as shown in fig. 28 (a), a metal layer 82 having an opening (slit) 85 is formed on a resin film 81 to obtain a laminated film 80. Next, as shown in fig. 28 (b), the laminated film 80 is attached to the frame 87 with the laminated film 80 being tensioned in a predetermined in-plane direction. Thereafter, as shown in fig. 28 (c), the laminated film 80 is placed on the glass substrate 90. At this time, the surface of the resin film 81 opposite to the metal layer 82 is brought into close contact with the glass substrate 90 via a liquid 88 such as ethanol. Thereafter, as shown in fig. 28 (d), the resin film 81 is irradiated with the laser light L at the portion exposed by the slit 85 of the metal layer 82, thereby forming a plurality of openings 89 in the resin film 81. This procedure produces a laminated vapor deposition mask 900.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2014-205870

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

However, the conventional manufacturing method illustrated in fig. 28 has the following problems: it is difficult to process the resin film with high precision, and burrs are generated at the periphery of the opening of the resin film.

If burrs are formed in the resin film, it becomes difficult to bring the completed vapor deposition mask into close contact with a substrate to be vapor deposited (hereinafter also referred to as "vapor deposition target substrate"), and a gap may be formed between the vapor deposition mask and the vapor deposition target substrate. Therefore, if a conventional vapor deposition mask is used, a high-definition vapor deposition pattern corresponding to the openings of the vapor deposition mask may not be obtained. Details are as described later.

Further, although attempts have been made to remove burrs by wiping or the like after processing of the resin film, no method has been proposed that can suppress the generation of burrs itself.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a laminated vapor deposition mask which can be suitably used for forming a high-definition vapor deposition pattern, and a method for manufacturing the same. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor device using such a vapor deposition mask.

Means for solving the problems

A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask including a resin layer and a magnetic metal body formed on the resin layer, including the steps of: (A) preparing a magnetic metal body having at least one first opening; (B) preparing a substrate; (C) a step of forming a resin layer by applying a solution containing a resin material or a varnish of a resin material to the surface of the substrate and then performing heat treatment; (D) fixing the resin layer formed on the substrate to the magnetic metal body so as to cover the at least one first opening; (E) forming a plurality of second openings in the resin layer; (F) and (E) peeling the substrate from the resin layer after the step (E).

In one embodiment, the step (E) is performed after the step (D), and the plurality of second opening portions are formed in a region of the resin layer which is located within the at least one first opening portion of the magnetic metal body.

In one embodiment, the step (E) is performed between the step (C) and the step (D).

In one embodiment, the method further includes a step of providing a frame on a peripheral edge portion of the magnetic metal body.

In one embodiment, in the step (C), the heat treatment is performed under such a condition that a tensile stress greater than 0.2MPa at room temperature is generated in the resin layer in the in-plane direction of the layer.

In one embodiment, the width of the at least one first opening is 30mm or more, and if δ is a maximum deflection amount of a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening of the magnetic metal body when the magnetic metal body is held in a horizontal direction after the substrate is peeled in the step (F), the heat treatment is performed in the step (C) under a condition that a tensile stress is generated in the resin layer such that the maximum deflection amount δ is 5 μm or less.

In one embodiment, if the minimum width of the at least one first opening is W and the maximum amount of deflection of the region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening of the magnetic metal body when the magnetic metal body is held in the horizontal direction after the substrate is peeled in the step (F) is δ, the heat treatment is performed in the step (C) under a condition that a tensile stress is applied to the resin layer so that δ/W becomes 0.01% or less.

In one embodiment, in the step (F), after the substrate is peeled off, the magnetic metal body is applied with a compressive stress from the resin layer.

In one embodiment, the resin layer is a polyimide layer, the substrate is a glass substrate, and the heat treatment in the step (C) includes a step of heating the substrate, to which the solution containing the resin material or the varnish containing the resin material is applied, at a rate of 30 ℃/min or more to a temperature of 300 ℃ to 600 ℃.

In one embodiment, the step (D) includes: a step (D1) of forming an adhesive layer on a part of the resin layer, and a step (D2) of bonding the resin layer to the magnetic metal body via the adhesive layer.

In one embodiment, the adhesive layer is a metal layer, and the step (D2) is a step of bonding the resin layer to the magnetic metal body through the metal layer by welding the metal layer to the magnetic metal body.

In one embodiment, the width of the at least one first opening is 30mm or more, and the magnetic metal does not exist in a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening of the magnetic metal body.

In one embodiment, the magnetic metal body has an open mask structure.

A vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a frame; a magnetic metal body supported on the frame and including at least one first opening; a resin layer disposed on the magnetic metal body and covering the at least one first opening; an adhesive layer located between the resin layer and the magnetic metal body, joining the resin layer and the magnetic metal body; the resin layer has a tensile stress in an in-plane direction of the layer, and the magnetic metal body receives a compressive stress from the resin layer in the in-plane direction.

In one embodiment, the tensile stress of the resin layer at room temperature is greater than 0.2 MPa.

In one embodiment, the adhesive layer is a metal layer fixed to the resin layer, and the metal layer is welded to the magnetic metal body.

In one embodiment, the width of the at least one first opening is 30mm or more, and a maximum deflection δ of a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening of the magnetic metal body when the magnetic metal body is held in the horizontal direction is 5 μm or less.

In one embodiment, if the width of the at least one first opening is W and the maximum deflection amount of a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening of the magnetic metal body when the magnetic metal body is held in the horizontal direction is δ, δ/W is 0.01% or less.

In one embodiment, the width of the at least one first opening is 30mm or more, and the magnetic metal does not exist in a region of the resin layer located in the at least one first opening of the magnetic metal body.

In one embodiment, the magnetic metal body has an open mask structure.

A method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of depositing an organic semiconductor material on a workpiece using any of the vapor deposition masks described above.

Effects of the invention

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a laminated vapor deposition mask that can be suitably used for forming a high-definition vapor deposition pattern, and a method for manufacturing the same are provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 (a) is a plan view schematically showing a vapor deposition mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a in fig. 1 (a).

Fig. 2 (a) and (b) are plan views each schematically showing another vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 (a) and (b) are diagrams schematically showing the relationship between the stress due to the film formed on the substrate and the deformation mode of the substrate.

Fig. 9 (a) to (e) are cross-sectional views illustrating steps of another method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 (a) to (e) are cross-sectional views illustrating steps of another method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 (a) to (e) are sectional views illustrating steps of a further another method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of samples A to C.

Fig. 13 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing a vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 14 (a) and (b) are plan views each showing a scanning direction in the deflection measurement.

Fig. 15 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell C1 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 16 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell C1 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 17 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell C2 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 18 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell C2 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 19 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell C3 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 20 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell C3 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 21 (a) to (c) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell in the vapor deposition mask of example 2.

Fig. 22 (a) to (c) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film of the cell in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 23 (a) and (b) are views showing vapor deposition masks of examples 1 and 2, respectively.

Fig. 24 is a sectional view schematically showing an organic EL display device 500 of a top emission type.

Fig. 25 (a) to (d) are process cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the organic EL display device 500.

Fig. 26 (a) to (d) are process cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the organic EL display device 500.

Fig. 27 (a) to (d) are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the state where burrs are generated in the resin film by the laser ablation method.

Fig. 28 (a) to (d) are schematic process cross-sectional views for explaining a conventional method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask disclosed in patent document 1.

Detailed Description

As described above, if the conventional method for manufacturing a laminated vapor deposition mask is used, burrs may be generated at the periphery of the opening of the resin film. The present inventors have made extensive studies on the factors causing burrs and have found the following findings.

In the conventional method, as described with reference to (c) and (d) of fig. 28, the resin film 81 is brought into close contact with the glass substrate 90 by the surface tension of the liquid 88 such as ethanol, and a predetermined region (hereinafter, simply referred to as "laser irradiation region") of the resin film 81 is irradiated with the laser light L to form the opening 89. According to the study by the present inventors, the following concerns exist in this method: when the resin film 81 is brought into close contact with the glass substrate 90, bubbles are partially generated at the interface between the glass substrate 90 and the resin film 81, and the adhesiveness is locally lowered. The present inventors have also found that if air bubbles are present below the laser-irradiated region of the resin film 81, it becomes difficult to form the opening 89 with high accuracy, and burrs are likely to be formed in the laser-irradiated region. This is explained in detail with reference to fig. 27.

Fig. 27 (a) to (d) are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the state in which burrs are generated due to bubbles between the glass substrate 90 and the resin film 81. In fig. 27, the metal layer and the liquid are not shown.

As shown in fig. 27 (a), when the resin film 81 is brought into close contact with a support material such as the glass substrate 90 (for example, via a liquid), a gap (bubble) 94 may be partially generated between the glass substrate 90 and the resin film 81. If the processing of the resin film 81 is performed by the laser ablation method in this state (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "laser processing"), there is a possibility that: as shown in fig. 27 (b), a laser irradiation region 92 for forming an opening is disposed at a position on the bubble 94 in the resin film 81. In the laser irradiation region 92, for example, multiple shots (shots) are emitted while being focused on the surface of the resin film 81.

Laser ablation is a phenomenon in which when a solid surface is irradiated with a laser beam, a constituent material on the solid surface is abruptly released by the energy of the laser beam. The rate of release is referred to herein as the ablation rate. In the laser processing, there is a possibility that a distribution occurs in the ablation rate in the laser irradiation region 92 according to the energy distribution, and a through-hole is first formed only in a part of the resin film 81. In this way, as shown in fig. 27 (c), the other part 98 of the resin film 81 that is thinned is folded back to the back surface side of the resin film 81 (i.e., inside the air bubbles 94 existing between the resin film 81 and the glass substrate 90), and is no longer irradiated with the laser light L. As a result, the opening 89 is formed in a state where the thinned portion 98 remains without being removed. In the present specification, a portion 98 of the resin film 81 remaining in a thinned state is referred to as "burr".

If the burr 98 protrudes to the back side of the resin film 81, there is a possibility that: when the vapor deposition mask is provided on the vapor deposition target substrate, a part of the vapor deposition mask floats from the vapor deposition target substrate. Therefore, there is a possibility that a vapor deposition pattern having a shape corresponding to the opening 89 cannot be obtained.

Further, after the laser processing, a treatment (deburring step) for removing burrs 98 of the resin film 81 is also performed. For example, wiping (wiping) of the back surface of the resin film 81 is attempted. However, it is difficult to completely remove the burr 98 generated on the resin film 81 by the deburring process. Also, there is a possibility that: as illustrated in fig. 27 (d), a part of the burrs 98 is restored to protrude into the openings 89 by the wiping, and a shadow is generated in the vapor deposition step.

The present inventors have found a novel method for forming an opening having a desired size with high accuracy by suppressing the generation of burrs on a resin layer supported by a support material based on the above findings, and have arrived at the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

(embodiment mode)

< Structure of vapor deposition mask >

A vapor deposition mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to (a) and (b) of fig. 1. Fig. 1 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vapor deposition mask 100, respectively. Fig. 1 (b) shows a cross section along the line a-a in fig. 1 (a). Fig. 1 schematically shows an example of the vapor deposition mask 100, and it is needless to say that the size, number, arrangement relationship, ratio of lengths, and the like of the respective constituent elements are not limited to the illustrated example. The same applies to other drawings described later.

As shown in fig. 1 (a) and (b), the vapor deposition mask 100 includes a magnetic metal body 20 and a resin layer 10 disposed on a main surface 20s of the magnetic metal body 20. The magnetic metal element may further include an adhesive layer 50 located at least partially between the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal element 20. The adhesive layer 50 is a layer for bonding the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20.

The vapor deposition mask 100 is a laminated mask having a structure in which a resin layer 10 and a magnetic metal body 20 are laminated. Hereinafter, the laminate 30 including the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 may be referred to as a "mask body".

A frame 40 may be provided on the peripheral edge of the mask body 30. The frame 40 may also be joined to a face on the opposite side of the main surface 20s of the magnetic metal body 20.

The magnetic metal body 20 has at least one opening (hereinafter referred to as "first opening") 25. In this example, the magnetic metal body 20 has 6 first openings 25. The portion 21 located around the first opening 25 in the magnetic metal body 20 and having metal (including the portion located between the adjacent first openings 25) is referred to as a "solid portion".

The magnetic metal body 20 may have an open mask structure. The "open mask structure" refers to a structure in which a vapor deposition mask for forming a plurality of devices (for example, an organic EL display) on one vapor deposition target substrate has one opening for one cell region U corresponding to one device. The magnetic metal body 20 may not have an open mask structure, and may have a structure in which two or more openings (e.g., slits) are arranged for one cell region U. Hereinafter, the magnetic metal body having the open mask structure may be simply referred to as an "open mask".

As will be described later, when the vapor deposition process is performed using the vapor deposition mask 100, the vapor deposition mask 100 is disposed such that the magnetic metal body 20 is positioned on the vapor deposition source side and the resin layer 10 is positioned on the workpiece (vapor deposition target) side. Since the magnetic metal body 20 is a magnetic body, the vapor deposition mask 100 can be easily held and fixed to a workpiece in a vapor deposition process by using a magnetic chuck.

The resin layer 10 is disposed on the main surface 20s of the magnetic metal body 20 so as to cover the first opening 25. A region 10a of the resin layer 10 located in the first opening 25 is referred to as a "first region", and a region 10b overlapping the solid portion 21 of the magnetic metal body 20 when viewed from the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 100 is referred to as a "second region".

A plurality of openings (hereinafter referred to as "second openings") 13 are formed in the first region 10a of the resin layer 10. The plurality of second openings 13 are formed in a size, shape, and position corresponding to a vapor deposition pattern to be formed on a workpiece. In this example, a plurality of second openings 13 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in each unit region U. Typically, the interval between two adjacent unit regions U is larger than the interval between two adjacent second openings 13 in the unit regions U. In this example, the magnetic metal is not present in the first region 10 a.

The second region 10b of the resin layer 10 is joined to the periphery (solid portion 21) of the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 via the adhesive layer 50. The adhesive layer 50 is not particularly limited, and may be a metal layer. For example, a metal layer may be formed on the second region 10b of the resin layer 10 by plating or the like, and the metal layer may be welded to the solid portion 21 of the magnetic metal body 20, thereby joining the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20. Alternatively, the adhesive layer 50 may be formed using an adhesive. The resin layer 10 may be bonded to the magnetic metal body 20 by the above-described exemplary method, or may not be directly bonded to the frame 40.

As described later, the resin layer 10 is a layer formed by applying a solution containing a resin material (for example, a soluble polyimide solution) or a solution containing a precursor of a resin material (for example, a polyimide varnish) onto a support substrate such as a glass substrate and performing heat treatment. The heat treatment here includes a heat treatment for performing a drying step (for example, 100 ℃ or higher) when a soluble polyimide solution is used, and a heat treatment for performing a drying and baking step (for example, 300 ℃ or higher) when a polyimide varnish is used.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of second openings 13 are formed by laser processing the resin layer 10 on the support substrate. Since the support substrate is in close contact with the resin layer 10 and no (or substantially no) air bubbles are present therebetween, generation of burrs is suppressed in the laser processing step of the resin layer 10. Therefore, the resin layer 10 of the present embodiment has substantially no burrs. Alternatively, even if burrs are present, the number (number per unit area) can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional art. After the second opening 13 is formed in the resin layer, the support substrate is peeled from the resin layer 10.

The resin layer 10 formed on the support substrate by the above-described method may have a tensile stress (tensile internal stress) in the in-plane direction of the layer. Therefore, the deflection generated in the first region 10a of the resin layer 10 after the support substrate is peeled off can be reduced, and thus a high-definition vapor deposition pattern can be formed on the workpiece. The tensile stress of the resin layer 10 can be controlled by, for example, the heat treatment conditions at the time of forming the resin layer 10 on the support substrate. The tensile stress of the resin layer 10 is, for example, greater than 0.2MPa at room temperature. Preferably 3MPa or more. Thereby reducing deflection more effectively.

In general, in the case of forming a resin film on a support substrate by heat treatment, the heat treatment is performed under conditions that reduce residual stress generated in the resin film as much as possible. The reason for this is that: if the residual stress (tensile stress) of the resin film becomes large, problems such as warping of the support substrate occur, which may cause a reduction in shape stability and reliability. In contrast, in the present embodiment, a predetermined tensile stress is intentionally generated in the resin layer 10, and the resin layer 10 is reduced in deflection by the tensile stress. This eliminates the need for a step of stretching the resin layer 10, and allows a vapor deposition mask with reduced deflection to be produced by a more simple process.

In addition, although the resin layer 10 has a stress distribution on the support substrate, if the support substrate is peeled off, the magnitude of the tensile stress of the resin layer 10 can be averaged, and becomes substantially uniform in the plane. Therefore, it is possible to have tensile stress of substantially equal magnitude in the first region 10a of the resin layer 10.

According to the present embodiment, since the resin layer 10 has a predetermined tensile stress, even if the metal film is not disposed in the vicinity of the second opening 13 of the resin layer 10, the deflection generated in the resin layer 10 can be reduced. Therefore, a precise patterning process of the metal film becomes unnecessary. Further, the occurrence of flexure can be suppressed, the size of the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 can be increased, and the magnetic metal body 20 having, for example, an open mask structure can be used. The details will be described below.

In a conventional vapor deposition mask, a laminated film (or a resin film) of a resin film and a metal film (magnetic metal film) is fixed to a frame in a state of being stretched in an in-plane direction of a specific layer by a stretcher or the like (hereinafter referred to as "stretching step"). In such a laminated mask, if the openings of the metal film are too large, the resin film may be deflected by its own weight, and a vapor deposition pattern having a shape corresponding to the openings of the resin film may not be obtained. Therefore, conventionally, in order to dispose the metal film as a holding member as close as possible to the opening of the resin film, it is necessary to form a precise metal pattern on the resin film as proposed in patent document 1. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the resin layer 10 can generate a desired tensile stress by the process conditions at the time of forming the resin layer 10 on the support substrate. Further, the tensile stress is generated in the resin layer 10 separately from the magnetic metal body 20, and therefore the magnitude of the tensile stress generated in the resin layer 10 can be controlled more easily. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a magnetic metal film having a precise pattern on the resin film, and a metal plate having a first opening formed in advance, such as an open mask, can be used. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the manufacturing process and the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced.

The present embodiment is particularly advantageous when a magnetic metal body 20 having a relatively large-sized first opening 25, such as an open mask, is used. Even when the size of the first opening 25 is relatively large, the deflection generated in the resin layer 10 due to the tensile stress inherent in the resin layer 10 can be reduced. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately dispose a magnetic metal on the first region 10a of the resin layer 10 in order to suppress the shift of the vapor deposition pattern due to the deflection. The width (length in the short side direction) of the first opening 25 may be, for example, 30mm or more, or 50mm or more. The upper limit of the width of the first opening 25 is not particularly limited, and for example, if it is 300mm or less, an increase in the amount of deflection can be suppressed.

According to the present embodiment, the maximum deflection δ of the resin layer 10 can be suppressed to the predetermined value δ s or less. Here, the maximum deflection δ of the resin layer 10 refers to the maximum deflection of the first region 10a of the resin layer 10 when the magnetic metal body 20 is held in the horizontal direction. δ s is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 5 μm, preferably 2 μm. For example, when the width of the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 is 30mm or more, the maximum deflection δ of the resin layer 10 may be 5 μm or less. Alternatively, if the width of the first opening 25 is W and the maximum deflection of the resin layer 10 is δ, δ/W may be 0.01% or less.

In the vapor deposition mask 100 of the present embodiment, the magnetic metal body 20 receives a compressive stress from the resin layer 10 in the in-plane direction. In addition, when the laminated film is fixed to the frame through the stretching step, both the metal film and the resin film receive a tension from the frame in the in-plane direction, and a configuration in which the resin film applies a compressive stress to the metal film is not obtained. In addition, when only the resin film is fixed to the frame by the stretching step, it is considered that the resin film does not come into close contact with the metal film, and the metal film does not receive a compressive stress from the resin film.

As a material of the resin layer 10, for example, polyimide can be suitably used. Polyimide is excellent in strength, chemical resistance and heat resistance. As the material of the resin layer 10, other resin materials such as parylene, bismaleimide, and polyimide mixed with silica may be used. The linear thermal expansion coefficient α R (ppm/° c) of the resin film forming the resin layer 10 is preferably about the same as the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate to be vapor-deposited. Such a resin layer 10 can be formed according to the formation conditions such as the resin material and the baking conditions. The method of forming the resin layer 10 is as follows.

The thickness of the resin layer 10 is not particularly limited. However, if the resin layer 10 is too thick, a phenomenon (referred to as "shadow") occurs in which a part of the vapor deposited film is formed thinner than a desired thickness. The thickness of the resin layer 10 is preferably 25 μm or less from the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of the shadow. In addition, if the thickness is 3 μm or more, the resin layer 10 having a more uniform thickness can be formed by heat-treating the solution containing the resin material (or its precursor) applied to the support substrate. Further, from the viewpoint of the strength of the resin layer 10 itself and the cleaning resistance, the thickness of the resin layer 10 is preferably 3 μm or more.

As the material of the magnetic metal body 20, various magnetic metal materials can be used. For example, a material having a relatively large linear thermal expansion coefficient α M such as Ni, Cr, ferrite stainless steel, and martensite stainless steel can be used, and a material having a relatively small linear thermal expansion coefficient α M such as Fe — Ni alloy (invar alloy) and Fe — Ni — Co alloy can be used.

In the conventional vapor deposition mask disclosed in patent document 1, the solid portion is designed so that the size of the slits of the metal layer is as small as possible, and the area ratio of the solid portion in the entire mask is relatively high (more than 70% in fig. 1 of patent document 1). Therefore, a material having a small linear thermal expansion coefficient α M (e.g., α M less than 6ppm/° c) is used as the material of the metal layer. This is because the shape stability of the vapor deposition mask in the vapor deposition step can be ensured. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the area ratio of the solid portion 21 occupied by the entire mask can be made small (that is, the area ratio of the first opening 25 can be made large), a metal having a high linear thermal expansion coefficient, which has not been used so far, can be used. Therefore, various metal materials can be used without considering the linear thermal expansion coefficient, and the degree of freedom in selection of the metal materials can be improved.

The thickness of the magnetic metal body 20 is not particularly limited. However, if the magnetic metal body 20 is too thin, the attraction force received by the magnetic field from the magnetic chuck becomes small, and it becomes difficult to hold the vapor deposition mask 100 on the workpiece in the vapor deposition step. Therefore, the thickness of the magnetic metal body 20 is preferably 5 μm or more.

The thickness of the magnetic metal body 20 is preferably set within a range in which the shadow in the vapor deposition step does not occur. In a conventional vapor deposition mask, a metal layer as a holding member is disposed in the vicinity of an opening of a resin film. Therefore, from the viewpoint of suppressing the shadow in the vapor deposition step, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the metal layer (for example, 20 μm or less). In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the resin layer 10 has a predetermined tensile stress, and the magnetic metal body 20 may be disposed without being in close proximity to the second opening 13 of the resin layer 10. Therefore, the end of the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 can be disposed sufficiently apart from the second opening 13 of the resin layer 10 (for example, the minimum distance Dmin between the solid portion 21 of the magnetic metal body 20 and the second opening 13 is 1mm or more). If the minimum distance Dmin is large, it is difficult to generate shading even if the magnetic metal body 20 is thickened, so the magnetic metal body 20 can be thickened as compared with the related art. The thickness of the magnetic metal body 20 is also determined by the deposition angle, the taper angle of the magnetic metal body 20, and the minimum distance Dmin between the solid portion 21 of the magnetic metal body 20 and the second opening 13, and may be, for example, 1000 μm or more. When an open mask is used as the magnetic metal body 20, the thickness of the open mask can be set to, for example, 300 μm or more by designing the size of the first opening 25 to be sufficiently larger than the cell region U. The upper limit of the thickness of the magnetic metal body 20 is not particularly limited, and, for example, if it is 1.5mm or less, the shading can be suppressed. As described above, according to the present embodiment, not only the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the magnetic metal body 20 but also the degree of freedom in selecting the thickness can be improved.

The frame 40 is formed of, for example, a magnetic metal. Alternatively, the metal plate may be formed of a material other than metal, for example, resin (plastic). In a conventional vapor deposition mask, a frame is required to have appropriate rigidity so that the frame is not deformed or broken by tension from a laminated film (a resin film or a metal film) fixed to the frame in a stretching step. Therefore, a frame formed of invar alloy, for example, having a thickness of 20mm is used. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the frame 40 is not attached without performing the stretching step or applying a large tension to the magnetic metal body 20, and therefore, the tension generated in the stretching step is not applied to the frame 40. Therefore, the frame 40 having less rigidity can be used as compared with the related art, and the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the frame 40 is high. Also, the frame 40 can be made thinner as compared with the prior art. If a frame thinner than the conventional one or a frame made of resin is used, the vapor deposition mask 100 is lightweight and excellent in operability.

< example of other Structure of vapor deposition mask >

Fig. 2 (a) and (b) are plan views schematically showing other vapor deposition masks 200 and 300 according to the present embodiment. In these drawings, the same constituent elements as those in fig. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals. In the following description, only the points different from the vapor deposition mask 100 will be described.

In the vapor deposition masks 200 and 300, the magnetic metal body 20 has a plurality of first openings 25 in the cell region U. Two or more second openings 13 are provided in each first opening 25 (needless to say, the number is not limited to the illustrated number).

The first openings 25 may be slits arranged in each column (or each row) of the second openings 13 in the row direction and the column direction in the unit region U, as illustrated in fig. 2 (a). Alternatively, as illustrated in fig. 2 (b), the first openings 25 may be arranged for each sub-region including the second openings 13 arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows.

Although the vapor deposition mask having the plurality of unit regions U is illustrated in fig. 1 and 2, the number and arrangement method of the unit regions U, the number and arrangement method of the second openings 13 in the unit regions U, and the like are determined according to the configuration of the apparatus to be manufactured, and are not limited to the illustrated example. The number of the unit regions U may be one.

< method for producing vapor deposition mask >

A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 7, taking a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask 100 as an example. Fig. 3 to 7 (a) and (b) are a plan view of a process showing an example of a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask 100, and a cross-sectional view of the process taken along the line a-a shown in fig. a.

First, as shown in fig. 3 (a) and (b), a support substrate 60 is prepared, and the resin layer 10 is formed on the support substrate 60. As the support substrate 60, for example, a glass substrate can be suitably used. The size and thickness of the glass substrate are not particularly limited.

The resin layer 10 is formed as follows. First, a solution containing a precursor of a resin material (for example, polyimide varnish) or a solution containing a resin material (for example, soluble polyimide solution) is applied on the support substrate 60. As a method for applying the solution, a known method such as a spin coating method or a slit coating method can be used. Here, a solution (polyimide varnish) containing a polyamic acid, which is a precursor of polyimide, is applied onto the supporting substrate 60 by a spin coating method using polyimide as a resin material. Next, a polyimide layer is formed as the resin layer 10 by performing heat treatment (drying and baking). The heat treatment temperature may be set to 300 ℃ or higher, for example, 400 ℃ or higher and 500 ℃ or lower.

The heat treatment conditions are set to conditions under which a predetermined tensile stress is generated in the resin layer 10. For example, the tensile stress of more than 0.2MPa (preferably 3MPa or more) can be generated. The magnitude of the tensile stress may vary depending on, for example, the thickness, shape, and size of the support substrate 60, and the material characteristics (young's modulus, poisson's ratio, thermal expansion coefficient, and the like) of the support substrate 60, in addition to the material of the resin layer 10 and the heat treatment conditions. The heat treatment conditions include a heat treatment temperature (maximum temperature), a temperature rise rate, a holding time at a high temperature (for example, 300 ℃ or higher), an atmosphere during heat treatment, and the like. The temperature distribution includes not only the temperature distribution at the time of temperature increase but also the temperature distribution at the time of cooling.

In order to increase the tensile stress remaining in the resin layer 10, for example, it is considered to set conditions under which imidization of polyimide varnish can be performed abruptly. For example, the tensile stress can be increased by increasing the temperature increase rate. For example, in the case of forming a polyimide layer on a glass substrate by heat treatment, the temperature of the glass substrate to which the polyimide varnish is applied can be raised to a temperature of 300 ℃ to 600 ℃ at a rate of 30 ℃/min or higher. Further, by setting the total temperature of the glass substrates to be kept at a temperature of, for example, 300 ℃ or higher to be short (for example, within 30 minutes) by the entire heat treatment step including temperature rise and cooling, the tensile stress remaining in the resin layer 10 can be increased. Further, the tensile stress can be increased by the following method: the total heat treatment time including temperature rise and cooling is relatively short (for example, within 1 hour), the holding time (standing time) at the maximum temperature is short (for example, within 5 minutes), and the heat treatment is rapidly cooled after the maximum temperature is reached. The heat treatment atmosphere is not particularly limited, and may be an atmospheric atmosphere or a nitrogen atmosphere, and if the heat treatment is performed in a reduced pressure atmosphere of 100Pa or less, the temperature increase rate can be increased more easily.

The resin layer 10 is also formed by a method of: a solution containing a solvent-soluble type polyimide (polymer) (soluble type polyimide solution) is used instead of the polyimide varnish, and is coated on the support substrate 60 and dried. The drying temperature is appropriately selected depending on the boiling point of the solvent, and is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 100 to 320 ℃, preferably 120 to 250 ℃. In this case, the tensile stress remaining in the resin layer 10 can be increased by increasing the temperature increase rate to the same extent as described above and shortening the holding time at high temperature.

If the resin layer 10 is formed on the support substrate 60, warpage may be generated on the support substrate 60 due to the material or thickness of the support substrate 60. Further, on the support substrate 60, the resin layer 10 has a stress distribution. For example, the tensile stress increases from the center of the resin layer 10 toward the end. Further, in the direction in which the length of the support substrate 60 is large, a larger tensile stress can be generated.

Here, the relationship between the stress due to the film RF formed on the substrate SUB and the deformation mode of the substrate SUB will be described with reference to fig. 8 (a) and 8 (b). As schematically shown in fig. 8 (a), when the film RF has a tensile stress St, a compressive stress acts on the surface of the substrate SUB, and thus the surface of the substrate SUB is deformed (warped) so as to form a concave surface. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 8 (b), when the film RF has a compressive stress Sc, a tensile stress acts on the surface of the substrate SUB, and thus the surface of the substrate SUB is deformed to form a convex surface.

The resin layer 10 formed by the above method has tensile stress, and therefore there are cases where: as shown in fig. 8 (a), the support substrate 60 is deformed to form a concave surface, and the end of the support substrate 60 floats from the horizontal surface. In addition, there are also cases where: due to the material or thickness of the support substrate 60, even if a compressive stress is applied from the resin layer 10, no warpage occurs in the support substrate 60.

Next, as shown in fig. 4 (a) and (b), an adhesive layer 50 is formed on a part of the resin layer 10. The adhesive layer 50 has an opening 55 corresponding to the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 described later. The adhesive layer 50 may be formed on the entire region (region to be the second region 10 b) of the resin layer 10 corresponding to the solid portion 21 of the magnetic metal body 20, or may be formed on a part thereof. It is preferable to surround the portion of the resin layer 10 that will be the first region 10 a.

The adhesive layer 50 may be a metal layer or may be formed of an adhesive. The adhesive layer 50 may be fixed to the upper surface of the resin layer 10. For example, as the adhesive layer 50, a metal layer may be formed by electroplating, electroless plating, or the like. As the material of the metal layer, various metal materials can be used, and for example, Ni, Cu, and Sn can be used as appropriate. The thickness of the metal layer may be, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm as long as it is a size that can withstand a welding process to be described later with respect to the magnetic metal body 20.

Next, as shown in fig. 5 (a) and (b), the resin layer 10 formed on the support substrate 60 is fixed to the magnetic metal body 20 so as to cover the first opening 25. The resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are bonded via the adhesive layer 50. In the resin layer 10, a region 10a located in the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 is a first region, and a region 10b overlapping the solid portion 21 is a second region.

The magnetic metal body 20 is formed of a magnetic metal material and has at least one first opening portion 25. The method for manufacturing the magnetic metal body 20 is not particularly limited. For example, it can be produced by the following method: a magnetic metal plate is prepared, and a first opening 25 is formed in the magnetic metal plate by a photolithography process. As a material of the magnetic metal body 20, for example, an invar alloy (Fe-Ni alloy containing about 36 wt% of Ni) is suitably used.

When the adhesive layer 50 is a metal layer, the adhesive layer 50 may be welded to the magnetic metal body 20 by irradiating laser light from the resin layer 10 side. In this case, spot welding may be performed at a plurality of locations with a space therebetween. The number of spot welding portions or the interval (pitch) therebetween can be appropriately selected. In this manner, the resin layer 10 is bonded to the magnetic metal body 20 via the adhesive layer 50.

The adhesive layer 50 may not be a metal layer. The resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 may be joined (dry lamination or thermal lamination) using an adhesive layer 50 formed of an adhesive.

The adhesive layer 50 may be disposed only on the peripheral edge of the resin layer 10. If the portion of the magnetic metal body 20 that overlaps the frame provided at the rear is referred to as a "peripheral portion" and the portion that is located in the opening of the frame is referred to as a "mask portion", the adhesive layer 50 may be disposed only between the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 and the resin layer 10. In this case, the solid portion 21 of the magnetic metal body 20 and the resin layer 10 are not bonded in the mask portion.

It is preferable that the adhesive layer 50 is not formed on a portion of the resin layer 10 which becomes the first region 10 a. If the adhesive layer 50 is formed in the first region 10a, there is a possibility that: even after the support substrate 60 is peeled from the resin layer 10 in the subsequent process, the tensile stress of the resin layer 10 has an in-plane distribution in the first region 10 a.

Next, as shown in fig. 6 (a) and (b), a plurality of second openings 13 are formed in the first region 10a of the resin layer 10 by, for example, a laser ablation method (laser processing step). This process yields a mask body 30 including the magnetic metal body 20 and the resin layer 10.

A pulsed laser is used for laser processing of the resin layer 10. Here, a laser light L1 having a wavelength of 355nm (third harmonic) was irradiated to a predetermined region of the resin layer 10 using an Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) laser. The energy density of the laser beam L1 was set to 0.36J/cm, for example². As described above, the laser processing of the resin layer 10 is performed as follows: the laser light L1 is focused on the surface of the resin layer 10 and emitted multiple times. The transmission frequency is set to 60Hz, for example. The conditions of laser processing (such as the wavelength of the laser and irradiation conditions) are not limited to the above, and may be appropriately selected so as to process the resin layer 10.

In addition, if the resin layer 10 has the above-described stress distribution, there are cases where: when the stress distribution in the first region 10a is equalized after the support substrate 60 is peeled off, the size and shape of the second opening 13 change in accordance with the position in the first region 10 a. In this case, in order to make the second opening 13 have a desired size and shape after peeling the support substrate 60, it is preferable to form the second opening 13 in consideration of the amount of deformation of the second opening 13 due to the averaging of the stress distribution.

In the present embodiment, the resin layer 10 formed on the support substrate 60 by baking (or drying) is subjected to laser processing. Since no air bubbles are present between the support substrate 60 and the resin layer 10, the second opening 13 having a desired size can be formed with higher accuracy than in the related art, and generation of burrs (see fig. 27) is also suppressed.

Next, as shown in fig. 7 (a) and (b), the mask body 30 is peeled off from the supporting substrate 60. The support substrate 60 can be peeled off by, for example, a laser peeling method. When the adhesion between the resin layer 10 and the support substrate 60 is weaker, mechanical peeling may be performed using a knife edge or the like.

Here, a laser (wavelength: 308nm) is irradiated from the side of the supporting substrate 60 using, for example, XeCl excimer laser, thereby peeling the resin layer 10 from the supporting substrate 60. The laser light may be light having a wavelength that is transmitted through the support substrate 60 and absorbed by the resin layer 10, and other high-power laser light such as excimer laser light or yttrium aluminum garnet laser light may be used.

When the support substrate 60 is peeled off, the resin layer 10 is stretched without being relaxed (stretched) by the inherent tensile stress. Further, the magnitude of the tensile stress in the predetermined direction can be averaged in the portion of the resin layer 10 that is not joined to the magnetic metal body 20 (here, the first region 10 a).

Thereafter, although not shown, the frame 40 is fixed to the mask body 30 (frame mounting step). This process is performed to manufacture the vapor deposition mask 100 shown in fig. 1.

In the frame mounting step, the frame 40 is placed on the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20, and the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 is joined to the frame 40. The frame 40 is formed using a magnetic metal such as invar. The peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 and the frame 40 can be welded (spot-welded) by irradiating laser light from the resin layer 10 side. The pitch of the spot welding can be selected as appropriate. In the example shown in fig. 1, the inner edge portion of the frame 40 and the inner edge portion of the magnetic metal body 20 are substantially matched when viewed in the normal direction of the self-supporting substrate 60, but a part of the magnetic metal body 20 may be exposed to the inside of the frame 40. Alternatively, the frame 40 may cover the entire peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 and a part of the resin layer 10.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the step (stretching step) of stretching and fixing the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 in the in-plane direction of the predetermined layer to the frame 40 is not performed, and therefore, the frame 40 having a smaller rigidity than the conventional one can be used. Therefore, the frame 40 may be formed of resin such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PEEK (polyether ether ketone), or the like. The method of joining the mask body 30 and the frame 40 is not limited to laser welding. The peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 and the frame 40 may be joined using an adhesive, for example.

Thereafter, a magnetizing step of magnetizing the magnetic metal body 20 with an electromagnetic coil is performed as necessary, and the residual magnetic flux density of the magnetic metal body 20 is adjusted to, for example, 10mT to 1000 mT. In addition, the magnetizing step may not be performed. Even if the magnetizing step is not performed, the vapor deposition mask 100 can be held on the workpiece in the vapor deposition step by using a magnetic chuck since the magnetic metal body 20 is a magnetic body.

In the above description, a method of forming the vapor deposition mask 100 is described as an example, and the other vapor deposition masks 200 and 300 can be manufactured by the same method as described above.

< other method for producing vapor deposition mask >

In the method described above with reference to fig. 3 to 7, the second opening 13 is formed in the resin layer 10 after the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are joined, but the second opening 13 may be formed before the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are joined. In the method described above with reference to fig. 3 to 7, the support substrate 60 is peeled off from the mask body 30 before the mask body 30 is joined to the frame 40, but the support substrate 60 may be peeled off after the frame 40 is joined to the mask body 30. In addition, it is also possible to mount the frame 40 on the magnetic metal body 20 before joining the resin layer 10 with the magnetic metal body 20.

Next, another method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same constituent elements as those in fig. 3 to 7 are given the same reference numerals. Further, the differences from the above-described method will be mainly described with reference to fig. 3 to 7, and the description of the method, material, thickness, and the like of forming each layer will be omitted when the methods are the same as those described above.

Fig. 9 (a) to (e) are sectional views illustrating another method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.

First, as shown in fig. 9 (a), the resin layer 10 is formed on the support substrate 60. The method of forming the resin layer 10 is the same as the method described above with reference to fig. 3. Here, the resin layer 10 is formed by applying a polyimide varnish onto the supporting substrate 60 and baking the applied polyimide varnish.

Next, as shown in fig. 9 (b), the second opening 13 is formed in the resin layer 10 by laser processing. The second opening 13 is formed in the resin layer 10 in a region located in the first opening 25 of the magnetic metal body 20 when bonded to the magnetic metal body 20 in a subsequent step.

Next, as shown in fig. 9 (c), the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are joined via the adhesive layer 50. The bonding method is the same as the method described above with reference to fig. 5.

Thereafter, as shown in fig. 9 (d), the support substrate 60 is peeled from the resin layer 10 by, for example, a laser peeling method.

Next, as shown in fig. 9 (e), the frame 40 is provided on the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 by spot welding using, for example, a laser L2. This process is performed to obtain the vapor deposition mask 100.

Fig. 10 (a) to (e) are sectional views illustrating steps of another method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.

First, as shown in fig. 10 (a), the resin layer 10 is formed on the support substrate 60. The method of forming the resin layer 10 is the same as the method described above with reference to fig. 3.

Next, as shown in fig. 10 (b), the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are joined via the adhesive layer 50.

Next, as shown in fig. 10 (c), the second opening 13 is formed in the resin layer 10 by laser processing.

Thereafter, as shown in fig. 10 (d), the frame 40 is provided on the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 by spot welding using, for example, a laser L2.

Next, as shown in fig. 10 (e), the support substrate 60 is peeled from the resin layer 10 by, for example, a laser peeling method. This process is performed to obtain the vapor deposition mask 100.

Fig. 11 (a) to (e) are sectional views illustrating a process of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.

First, as shown in fig. 11 (a), the resin layer 10 is formed on the support substrate 60. The method of forming the resin layer 10 is the same as the method described above with reference to fig. 3.

As shown in fig. 11 (b), the magnetic metal body 20 is attached to the frame 40, thereby forming a frame structure. Specifically, the frame 40 is placed on the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20, and the peripheral portion is joined to the frame 40. Here, the frame 40 is welded to the peripheral portion of the magnetic metal body 20 by irradiating the magnetic metal body 20 with the laser beam L3. For example, spot welding may be performed at a plurality of locations with a predetermined interval. Further, the magnetic metal body 20 may be joined to the frame 40 by using a stretch fusion bonding apparatus in a state where a certain tension is applied to the magnetic metal body 20 in a predetermined direction. However, in the present embodiment, since the magnetic metal body 20 is fixed to the frame 40, it is not necessary to apply a large tension.

Next, as shown in fig. 11 (c), the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are joined via the adhesive layer 50.

Next, as shown in fig. 11 (d), the second opening 13 is formed in the resin layer 10 by laser processing.

Thereafter, as shown in fig. 11 (e), the support substrate 60 is peeled from the resin layer 10 by, for example, a laser peeling method. This process is performed to obtain the vapor deposition mask 100.

As described above, the vapor deposition mask 100 of the present embodiment can be manufactured by various methods. In the method illustrated in fig. 9, it is necessary to perform highly accurate alignment when joining the resin layer 10, which forms the second opening 13, to the magnetic metal body 20. In contrast, if the second opening 13 is formed after the resin layer 10 and the magnetic metal body 20 are joined, such highly accurate alignment is not required, which is advantageous.

In the method illustrated in fig. 10 and 11, the frame 40 is mounted before the support substrate 60 is peeled off. In this case, since the support substrate 60 on which the heavy and bulky frame 40 is mounted is placed on the stage of the laser lift-off apparatus and the support substrate 60 is lifted off, it is necessary to increase the stage of the laser lift-off apparatus to be used and to increase the strength as compared with other methods. Further, the distance WD (working distance) between the laser head and the stage needs to be increased. In contrast, if the mounting step of the frame 40 is performed after the support substrate 60 is peeled off, the size, strength, WD, and the like of the stage of the laser peeling apparatus are not limited to those described above, and are more practical.

< effects of the production method of the present embodiment >

According to the method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask of the present embodiment, the resin layer 10 is formed by applying a solution containing a resin material or a solution containing a precursor of a resin material to the surface of the support substrate 60 and performing heat treatment. The resin layer 10 formed by this method is in close contact with the support substrate 60, and no air bubbles are generated at the interface between the resin layer 10 and the support substrate 60. Therefore, by forming the plurality of second openings 13 in the resin layer 10 on the support substrate 60, the second openings 13 having a desired size can be formed with higher accuracy than in the conventional art, and further, the generation of burrs 98 (see fig. 27) can be suppressed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, a desired tensile stress can be generated in the resin layer 10. This reduces the amount of deflection occurring in the first region 10a of the resin layer 10. Therefore, even if the magnetic metal is not disposed in the first region 10a in the vicinity of the second opening 13, the resin layer 10 can be brought into close contact with the deposition target substrate. Therefore, the size of the first opening portion 25 can be enlarged, and also, for example, an open mask becomes usable. The magnetic metal body 20 having an extremely small area ratio of the solid portion (for example, 50% or less with respect to the area of the mask portion) may be used. Further, since the magnetic metal layer can be formed without patterning with high precision, the manufacturing process can be simplified. In addition, a metal material having a large thermal expansion coefficient α M may be used. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the shape and the metal material of the magnetic metal body 20 can be improved as compared with the conventional art.

In the present embodiment, the resin layer 10 is formed on the support substrate 60, and the resin layer 10 supported on the support substrate 60 is joined to the magnetic metal body 20. Since the resin layer 10 has a predetermined tensile stress as a residual stress, a stretching step of bonding the resin layer 10 to the frame is not performed. The drawing process using a large drawing machine becomes unnecessary, and therefore, there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Since the stretching step is not performed, the magnetic metal body 20 is not subjected to the in-plane direction tension of the predetermined layer from the frame 40. Therefore, the rigidity of the frame 40 can be made smaller than in the conventional art, and the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the frame 40 and the degree of freedom in designing the frame width, thickness, and the like become larger.

In the conventional method described in patent document 1 and the like, after a resin film is fixed to a frame by a stretching step, the resin film is laser-processed. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the mounting step of the frame 40 may be performed before or after the laser processing of the resin layer 10. When the mounting step of the frame 40 is performed after the laser processing, there are advantages as follows. The mask body 30 (including the mask body before laser processing) supported by the support substrate 60 before the mounting frame 40 is lighter in weight and easier to handle than the mask body 30 after the mounting frame 40, and therefore, the work such as installation and transportation in the laser processing machine becomes easier. Since the frame 40 is not attached, the laser beam L1 is easily irradiated to the resin layer 10, and the resin layer 10 is easily processed. In the method of patent document 1, when the laser processing of the resin layer cannot be smoothly performed, the laminated mask needs to be peeled off from the frame, but when the laser processing is performed before the frame 40 is mounted, such a peeling step is not necessary.

The resin film fixed to the frame in the stretching step is sensitive to changes in the ambient environment such as humidity and temperature, and the amount of deflection of the resin film changes depending on the ambient environment. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the deflection of the resin layer 10 is zero or slight, and the change in the deflection amount with the passage of time is not substantially observed.

However, the magnitude of the temperature rise of the vapor deposition mask in the vapor deposition step, that is, the difference Δ T (° T2-T1) between the temperature T1 of the vapor deposition mask during production and the temperature T2 of the vapor deposition mask in the vapor deposition step varies depending on the vapor deposition method, the vapor deposition apparatus, and the like. When the temperature difference Δ T is suppressed to be relatively small, Δ T is less than 3 ℃, for example, about 1 ℃. On the other hand, Δ T may be about 3 ℃ to 15 ℃. The temperature T1 at the time of manufacturing in the present embodiment is an ambient temperature set by a manufacturing apparatus (for example, a laser processing machine used for processing the resin layer 10, a fusion splicer used in a frame mounting step, or the like), and is, for example, room temperature. The temperature T2 in the vapor deposition step is a temperature of a portion of the vapor deposition mask where vapor deposition is performed while the position of the vapor deposition source is moved (scanned) relative to the workpiece. In the present embodiment, when Δ T is relatively large (for example, more than 3 ℃), the positional shift can be suppressed by the following method as necessary. First, the temperature rise (Δ T) of the vapor deposition mask is measured in advance. Next, based on the measurement result of Δ T, the amount of positional displacement due to thermal expansion is calculated. The positional deviation amount includes a deviation between the position of the second opening 13 and the deposition position, and a deviation between the shape of the second opening 13 and a desired deposition pattern due to deformation of the second opening 13 itself. In order to offset this positional deviation amount, the size of the second opening 13 of the resin layer 10 is formed to be smaller than the desired vapor deposition pattern by a predetermined amount. In addition, instead of calculating the positional deviation amount, the positional deviation amount may be actually measured after vapor deposition.

(relationship between Heat treatment conditions and tensile stress of resin layer)

The present inventors studied the relationship between the formation condition of the resin layer (heat treatment condition) and the tensile stress of the resin layer and the amount of deflection of the resin layer. The method and the results are described below.

Method for preparing samples A to C

Samples a to C were obtained by forming a polyimide film 62 on a glass substrate 61 under different heat treatment conditions. FIG. 12 is a plan view of samples A to C.

First, a glass substrate (AN-100 manufactured by Asahi glass) 61 was prepared as a supporting substrate. The glass substrate 61 had a thermal expansion coefficient of 3.8 ppm/DEG C, a size of 370mm × 470mm, and a thickness of 0.5 mm.

A polyimide varnish (U-varnish-S manufactured by Udo Kyoho K.K.) was coated on a part of the glass substrate 61. Here, as shown in fig. 12, a polyimide varnish was applied to a predetermined region (330mm × 366mm) of the glass substrate 61.

Next, the glass substrate 61 coated with the polyimide varnish was subjected to a heat treatment in a vacuum atmosphere at a pressure of 20Pa to form a polyimide film 62. In the heat treatment, the temperature is raised from room temperature (here, 25 ℃) to 500 ℃ (maximum temperature), and the temperature is maintained at 500 ℃ for a predetermined time. Thereafter, nitrogen gas was supplied as a purge gas, followed by quenching (3 minutes). The temperature rise time to 500 ℃, the holding time at 500 ℃, the temperature rise rate (from room temperature to 500 ℃), and the thickness of the polyimide film 62 of each sample are shown in table 1.

In this manner, the glass substrate 61 on which the polyimide film 62 was formed was obtained as samples a to C. In samples a to C, a compressive stress is applied to the glass substrate 61 due to the tensile stress of the polyimide film 62, and warpage occurs in the glass substrate 61. The average values of the warp of the glass substrate 61 in the longitudinal direction and the short direction are shown in table 1.

Calculation of tensile stress of polyimide film 62

Next, the tensile stress of the polyimide film 62 was calculated from the warpage of the glass substrate 61 in samples a to C. The results are shown in table 1. The tensile stress can be obtained from the thickness of the glass substrate 61, the young's modulus, the poisson's ratio, the thickness of the polyimide film 62, and the curvature radius (approximate value) of the warp of the glass substrate 61 using the Stoney formula.

Table 1 also shows the results of the production of a polyimide film under the condition of a small temperature rise rate for comparison (referred to as "sample D"). As shown in Table 1, in sample D, the temperature was raised to 450 ℃ in stages by keeping the temperature at 120 ℃, 150 ℃ and 180 ℃ for a predetermined time. The tensile stress of sample D was calculated with the warp of the glass substrate 61 set to 10 μm.

[ Table 1]

In addition, 6 samples B1 to B6 were prepared under the same heat treatment conditions, and the tensile stress generated in the polyimide film 62 was calculated. The heat treatment conditions for samples B1 to B6 were the same as for sample B (room temperature 500 ℃, pressure 20Pa, heating time 13 minutes (8 minutes for heating + 5 minutes for holding), and heating rate 59 ℃/minute). Before the heat treatment, the rate of reducing the pressure in the chamber (in which the glass substrate 61 to which the polyimide varnish was applied was provided) was set to be lower than that of the sample B. In these samples, the tensile stress of the polyimide film was also determined from the warpage of the glass substrate in the same manner as described above. The results are shown in table 2.

[ Table 2]

From the above results, it was confirmed that: the tensile stress generated in the resin layer on the support substrate can be controlled by the heat treatment conditions. For example, it is known that a resin layer having a large tensile stress can be formed by increasing the temperature increase rate. Here, the heat treatment was performed while changing the temperature increase rate for each sample, but the magnitude of the tensile stress in the resin layer may be varied by changing the heat treatment conditions other than the temperature increase rate.

(examples)

The vapor deposition masks of the examples were produced, and the amount of deflection of the resin layer was evaluated, and the results thereof will be described.

Fig. 13 (a) is a plan view illustrating a vapor deposition mask according to example 1, and fig. 13 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 13 (a). The method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask of example 1 is the same as the method described above with reference to fig. 11.

Production of vapor deposition mask in example 1

In example 1, a glass substrate (200X 130mm, thickness: 0.5mm) was used as a supporting substrate. A polyimide film (thickness: 20 μm)71 was formed on a glass substrate under the same heat treatment conditions as in the above sample B.

Further, as the magnetic metal body, an open mask (200X 110mm, thickness: 100 μm)72 having three first openings (50mm X90 mm)73 was prepared. The open mask 72 was welded to an unillustrated SUS frame (200X 130mm, thickness: 10mm, frame width 20 mm).

Next, an epoxy resin adhesive (EP 330 manufactured by semedine) 75 was applied as an adhesive layer to a part of the polyimide film 71 on the glass substrate. Thereafter, the polyimide film 71 is bonded to the open mask 72 via the adhesive 75.

Next, the supporting substrate is peeled from the polyimide film 71. The second opening portion is not provided in the polyimide film 71. The vapor deposition mask of example 1 was obtained in this manner.

The vapor deposition mask of example 1 includes three cells C1 to C3. Here, the "cell" refers to a portion including each first opening 73 and its periphery when the vapor deposition mask is viewed from the normal direction, and corresponds to the cell region U described above. In each cell, a region 71a of the polyimide film 71 exposed by the first opening 73 is referred to as a "first region", and a region 71b bonded to the open mask 72 with the adhesive 75 is referred to as a "second region".

Production of vapor deposition mask in example 2

A vapor deposition mask of example 2 was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that the polyimide film 71 was formed under the same heat treatment conditions as in sample D. However, in example 2, the polyimide film 71 was not attached to the opening located at the center of the three first openings 73 of the open mask 72. Therefore, the vapor deposition mask of example 2 includes two units.

Observation of vapor deposition masks of examples 1 and 2

Photographs of the vapor deposition masks of example 1 and example 2 are shown in fig. 23 (a) and (b). In the vapor deposition mask of example 1, wrinkles derived from the deflection of the polyimide film 71 were not observed. Further, it was observed that the polyimide film 71 originated from the pattern of the film stress distribution. On the other hand, in the vapor deposition mask of example 2, wrinkles derived from the deflection of the polyimide film 71 were observed, and it was found that the deflection increased in the central portion of the cell.

Measurement of deflection of polyimide film 71

The deflection of the polyimide film 71 was measured for each of the cells C1 to C3 of the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 14 (a) and (b) are plan views each showing a scanning direction of each unit in the deflection measurement. Here, the height change of the polyimide film 71 was examined by scanning the cells in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction of the first opening 73 using a laser displacement meter (LK-H057K, manufactured by keyence corporation). The data sampling period was set to 200 mus.

Fig. 15 to 20 are graphs showing the measurement results of the polyimide film 71 of each cell in the vapor deposition mask of example 1.

Fig. 15 (a) to (C) and fig. 16 (a) to (C) are diagrams each showing a change in height of the polyimide film 71 of the cell C1 in the vapor deposition mask of example 1. Similarly, (a) to (C) in fig. 17 and (a) to (C) in fig. 18 are diagrams showing changes in height of the polyimide film 71 of the cell C2, respectively, and (a) to (C) in fig. 19 and (a) to (C) in fig. 20 are diagrams showing changes in height of the polyimide film 71 of the cell C3, respectively. Further, FIGS. 15, 17, and 19 (a) to (c) show the measurement results when the polyimide film 71 is scanned in the short side direction of the cell along the lines I-I, II-II and III-III shown in FIG. 14 (a), respectively. FIGS. 16, 18 and 20 (a) to (c) show the measurement results when the polyimide film 71 is scanned in the longitudinal direction of the cell along the lines IV-IV and V-V, VI-VI shown in FIG. 14 (a).

In these figures, the vertical axis represents the height of the polyimide film 71, and is a value based on the height of the center portion of each cell. The horizontal axis is the number of points of data obtained at intervals of 200. mu.s. In addition, since the sensor is manually moved to perform measurement, the horizontal axis does not correspond to the distance because the scanning speed of the sensor is not fixed.

In fig. 15 to 20, the height of the first region 71a of the polyimide film 71 has a slope, but the slope does not depend on the inclination of the frame, the thickness unevenness of the adhesive 75, and the like. Further, a step h is generated between the first region 71a and the second region 71b of the polyimide film 71. The reason for this is that: the vapor deposition mask of example 1 was placed with the polyimide film 71 facing upward, and measurement was performed from below (the open mask 72 side of the polyimide film 71) with a displacement gauge. The step h corresponds to the total thickness of the open mask 72 and the adhesive 75.

The measurement results of the cross sections of the cells C1 to C3 show the calibration lines by broken lines. The "correction line" represents a change in height of the polyimide film 71 (first region 71a) in the case where the flexure of the polyimide film 71 is zero. If a deflection occurs in the polyimide film 71, the measured value of the height of the polyimide film 71 becomes smaller than the height of the calibration line. Here, the maximum value of the difference in height between the correction line and the actually measured value (in the case where the actually measured value is negative with respect to the height of the correction line) is obtained as the deflection amount of the polyimide film 71 in each cross section. Also, the maximum value of the deflection amount is taken as the "maximum deflection amount" of the unit.

As a result, the maximum deflection in any cell was 5 μm or less. Therefore, it is understood that, in the vapor deposition mask of example 1, the first region 71a of the polyimide film 71 has a tensile stress of a predetermined magnitude regardless of the position of the cell, and the amount of deflection (i.e., the difference in height between the measured value and the correction line) can be suppressed. In the first region 71a of the polyimide film 71, the stress distribution generated after the heat treatment is reduced (averaged).

On the other hand, with respect to the unit of the vapor deposition mask of example 2, the deflection of the polyimide film 71 was also measured by the same method as in example 1, and the maximum deflection amount was obtained.

Fig. 21 (a) to (c) and fig. 22 (a) to (c) each show a change in height of the polyimide film 71 of one unit of the vapor deposition mask of example 2, and show measurement results when the polyimide film 71 is scanned along lines I-I, II-II, III-III, IV-IV, and V-V, VI-VI shown in fig. 14 (a) and (b).

As a result, it was found that the maximum deflection amount in each cell was 400 μm to 500 μm in the vapor deposition mask of example 2, and a deflection larger than that of example 1 was generated. Therefore, it was confirmed that the amount of deflection of the polyimide film 71 can be reduced by increasing the tensile stress of the polyimide film 71.

The resin film having a predetermined tensile stress (for example, 3MPa or more) can be distinguished from a conventional resin film formed under a condition that the tensile stress is relatively small by measuring a compressive stress (warpage) applied to the support substrate or the magnetic metal body, measuring a resin film s-spectrum), and the like. For example, although the IR absorption spectra of the front and back surfaces are substantially the same in the conventional resin film, the IR absorption spectra of the front and back surfaces may differ from each other in the resin film having a large tensile stress. The resin film bonded to the open mask and having a predetermined tensile stress can be distinguished from a conventional resin film fixed to the frame by stretching, for example, by observation using polarized light.

(method for manufacturing organic semiconductor device)

The vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitably used in a vapor deposition step of a method for manufacturing an organic semiconductor element.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an organic EL display device will be described as an example.

Fig. 24 is a sectional view schematically showing an organic EL display device 500 of a top emission type.

As shown in fig. 24, the organic EL display device 500 includes an active matrix substrate (TFT substrate) 510 and a sealing substrate 520, and includes red pixels Pr, green pixels Pg, and blue pixels Pb.

The TFT substrate 510 includes an insulating substrate and a TFT circuit (both not shown) formed on the insulating substrate. A planarization film 511 is provided so as to cover the TFT circuit. The planarization film 511 is formed of an organic insulating material.

The planarization film 511 is provided with lower electrodes 512R, 512G, and 512B. The lower electrodes 512R, 512G, and 512B are formed on the red pixel Pr, the green pixel Pg, and the blue pixel Pb, respectively. The lower electrodes 512R, 512G, and 512B are connected to the TFT circuit and function as anodes. A bank 513 is provided between adjacent pixels so as to cover the end portions of the lower electrodes 512R, 512G, and 512B. The bank 513 is formed of an insulating material.

Organic EL layers 514R, 514G, and 514B are provided on the lower electrodes 512R, 512G, and 512B of the red, green, and blue pixels Pr, Pg, and Pb, respectively. Each of the organic EL layers 514R, 514G, and 514B has a laminated structure including a plurality of layers formed of an organic semiconductor material. The laminated structure includes, for example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer in this order from the lower electrodes 512R, 512G, and 512B. The organic EL layer 514R of the red pixel Pr includes a light emitting layer emitting red light. The organic EL layer 514G of the green pixel Pg includes a light emitting layer emitting green light. The organic EL layer 514B of the blue pixel Pb includes a light emitting layer that emits blue light.

An upper electrode 515 is provided on the organic EL layers 514R, 514G, and 514B. The upper electrode 515 is formed using a transparent conductive material so as to be continuous over the entire display region (i.e., common to the red pixel Pr, the green pixel Pg, and the blue pixel Pb), and functions as a cathode. A protective layer 516 is provided on the upper electrode 515. The protective layer 516 is formed of an organic insulating material.

The above-described structure of the TFT substrate 510 is sealed by a sealing substrate 520, and the sealing substrate 520 bonds the TFT substrate 510 through a transparent resin layer 517.

The organic EL display device 500 can be manufactured as follows using the vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 25 (a) to (d) and fig. 26 (a) to (d) are process cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the organic EL display device 500. In the following description, a process of depositing an organic semiconductor material on a workpiece (forming the organic EL layers 514R, 514G, and 514B on the TFT substrate 510) by using the vapor deposition mask 201R for the red pixel, the vapor deposition mask 201G for the green pixel, and the vapor deposition mask 201B for the blue pixel in this order will be mainly described.

First, as shown in fig. 25 (a), a TFT substrate 510 in which a TFT circuit, a planarization film 511, lower electrodes 512R, 512G, 512B, and a bank 513 are formed on an insulating substrate is prepared. The step of forming the TFT circuit, the planarizing film 511, the lower electrodes 512R, 512G, 512B, and the bank 513 can be performed by various known methods.

Next, as shown in fig. 25 (b), the TFT substrate 510 is disposed in close proximity to the vapor deposition mask 201R held in the vacuum vapor deposition apparatus by the transfer apparatus. At this time, the vapor deposition mask 201R is aligned with the TFT substrate 510 so that the second openings 13R of the resin layer 10 overlap the lower electrodes 512R of the red pixels Pr. The TFT substrate 510 is brought into close contact with the vapor deposition mask 201R by a magnetic chuck, not shown, disposed on the opposite side of the TFT substrate 510 from the vapor deposition mask 201R.

Next, as shown in fig. 25 (c), an organic EL layer 514R including a light-emitting layer of red light is formed by sequentially depositing an organic semiconductor material on the lower electrode 512R of the red pixel Pr by vacuum evaporation.

Next, as shown in fig. 25 (d), a vapor deposition mask 201G is provided in the vacuum vapor deposition device in place of the vapor deposition mask 201R. The alignment between the vapor deposition mask 201G and the TFT substrate 510 is performed so that the second openings 13G of the resin layer 10 overlap the lower electrodes 512G of the green pixels Pg. Then, the TFT substrate 510 is brought into close contact with the vapor deposition mask 201G by a magnetic chuck.

Next, as shown in fig. 26 (a), an organic semiconductor material is sequentially deposited on the lower electrode 512G of the green pixel Pg by vacuum evaporation, thereby forming an organic EL layer 514G including a green light-emitting layer.

Next, as shown in fig. 26 (B), a vapor deposition mask 201B is provided in the vacuum vapor deposition device in place of the vapor deposition mask 201G. The alignment between the vapor deposition mask 201B and the TFT substrate 510 is performed so that the second opening 13B of the resin layer 10 overlaps the lower electrode 512B of the blue pixel Pb. Then, the TFT substrate 510 is brought into close contact with the vapor deposition mask 201B by a magnetic chuck.

Next, as shown in fig. 26 (c), an organic EL layer 514B including a blue light emitting layer is formed by sequentially depositing an organic semiconductor material on the lower electrode 512B of the blue pixel Pb by vacuum evaporation.

Next, as shown in fig. 26 (d), an upper electrode 515 and a protective layer 516 are sequentially formed on the organic EL layers 514R, 514G and 514B. The formation of the upper electrode 515 and the protective layer 516 can be performed by various methods known in the art. This is performed to obtain the TFT substrate 510.

Thereafter, the sealing substrate 520 is bonded to the TFT substrate 510 via the transparent resin layer 517, thereby completing the organic EL display device 500 shown in fig. 24.

Here, 3 vapor deposition masks 201R, 201G, and 201B corresponding to the organic EL layers 514R, 514G, and 514B of the red pixel Pr, green pixel Pg, and blue pixel Pb, respectively, are used, and the organic EL layers 514R, 514G, and 514B corresponding to the red pixel Pr, green pixel Pg, and blue pixel Pb may be formed by sequentially moving 1 vapor deposition mask. Further, in the organic EL display device 500, a sealing film may be used instead of the sealing substrate 520. Alternatively, instead of using a sealing substrate (or a sealing Film), a Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) structure may be provided on the TFT substrate 510. The thin film sealing structure includes a plurality of inorganic insulating films such as a silicon nitride film. The thin film sealing structure may further include an organic insulating film.

In the above description, the top emission type organic EL display device 500 is exemplified, but it is needless to say that the vapor deposition mask of the present embodiment can be used for manufacturing the bottom emission type organic EL display device.

Further, the organic EL display device manufactured using the vapor deposition mask of the present embodiment does not need to be a rigid device. The vapor deposition mask of the present embodiment is also suitable for use in the production of a flexible organic EL display device. In a method for manufacturing a flexible organic EL display device, a TFT circuit or the like is formed on a polymer layer (for example, a polyimide layer) formed on a support substrate (for example, a glass substrate), and after a protective layer is formed, the polymer layer is peeled off from the support substrate together with a laminated structure thereon (for example, using a laser lift-off method).

The vapor deposition mask of the present embodiment can be used for manufacturing organic semiconductor elements other than organic EL display devices, and is particularly suitable for manufacturing organic semiconductor elements requiring formation of a high-definition vapor deposition pattern.

[ industrial applicability ]

The vapor deposition mask according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitably used for manufacturing an organic semiconductor element typified by an organic EL display device, and particularly suitable for manufacturing an organic semiconductor element requiring formation of a high-definition vapor deposition pattern.

Description of the reference numerals

10: resin layer

10 a: first region

10 b: second region

13: opening part

20: magnetic metal body

21: solid part

25: opening part

30: mask body

40: frame structure

50: adhesive layer

60: supporting substrate

L1, L1, L3: laser

100. 200 and 300: vapor deposition mask

500: organic EL display device

510: TFT substrate

511: planarizing film

512B, 512G, 512R: lower electrode

513: dyke

514B, 514G, 514R: organic EL layer

515: upper electrode

516: protective layer

517: transparent resin layer

520: sealing substrate

Pb: blue pixel

Pg: green pixel

Pr: red pixel

U: a cell area.