This application claims priority to Taiwanese Application Serial Number 110144888 filed Dec. 1, 2021, which is herein incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to fine metal masks and the method of manufacturing these fine metal masks.
With the continuous improvement of the living standards nowadays, application of electronic products has become an indispensable part of our lives. Among different choices, the electronic products with display screens have become more and more popular. Correspondingly, with the rapid advancement of technology, the demand and expectation of people to the electronic products has also been increasing.
As a result, under the condition that the production cost to be maintained, the way to enhance the display quality of display devices is undoubtedly one of the important issues which the industry highly concerns.
A technical aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a fine metal mask, which can make the shape of each of the pixels formed on a base plate of a display by evaporation become clearer and sharper, such that the display quality of the display can be effectively enhanced.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fine metal mask includes a plate. The plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface has at least one first inner edge surrounding and defining a first opening. The second surface has at least one second inner edge surrounding and defining a second opening. The second opening corresponds to and communicates with the first opening. The plate further includes at least one first curved surface and at least one second curved surface. The first curved surface is located inside the first opening and is connected with the first surface. The second curved surface is located inside the second opening and is connected with the second surface. The plate has at least one third inner edge. The first curved surface and the second curved surface are connected with the third inner edge. The third inner edge surrounds and defines a third opening. The third opening is smaller than the first opening and the second opening. The third inner edge includes a first straight edge, a second straight edge and a circular edge. The first straight edge and the second straight edge together form an included angle. The circular edge is connected between the first straight edge and the second straight edge. The circular edge has a radius less than or equal to 15 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the second opening is bigger than the first opening. The third inner edge and the first inner edge have a height therebetween in a first direction perpendicular to the first surface. The height is less than or equal to 3 microns. The third inner edge and the first inner edge have a width therebetween in a second direction parallel with the first surface. The width is less than or equal to 2 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the third inner edge is closer to the first surface than to the second surface.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first surface and the second surface define a thickness therebetween. A range of the thickness is between 20 microns and 50 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the third inner edge is of a rectangular shape.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the third inner edge is of a polygonal shape.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a material of the plate is iron-nickel alloy.
A technical aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method of manufacturing a fine metal mask, which can manufacture a fine metal mask having an opening in a simple and easy manner, in which the radius of the opening at the corner is less than or equal to 15 microns, facilitating the shape of each of the pixels formed on a base plate of a display by evaporation to become clearer and sharper, such that the display quality of the display can be effectively enhanced.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a fine metal mask includes the following procedures: (1) providing a sheet including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; (2) disposing a first resist film on the first surface; (3) disposing a first exposure mask on the first resist film, the first exposure mask having at least one first pattern, the first pattern having a first edge surrounding and corresponding to a first etching region on the sheet, the first edge including a first straight edge, a second straight edge and a third straight edge, the first straight edge and the second straight edge together forming a first included angle, the third straight edge being connected between the first straight edge and the second straight edge, the third straight edge having a length less than or equal to 8 microns; (4) disposing a second resist film on the second surface; and (5) disposing a second exposure mask on the second resist film, the second exposure mask having at least one second pattern, the second pattern being bigger than the first pattern and having a second edge surrounding and corresponding to a second etching region on the sheet, the second etching region corresponding to the first etching region, the second edge including a fourth straight edge, a fifth straight edge and a sixth straight edge, the fourth straight edge and the fifth straight edge together forming a second included angle, the sixth straight edge being parallel with the third straight edge and connected between the fourth straight edge and the fifth straight edge, the sixth straight edge and the third straight edge being separated by a distance in a direction parallel with the first surface, the distance being larger than 5 microns and less than 30 microns inclusively.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first straight edge and the fourth straight edge are parallel with each other. The second straight edge and the fifth straight edge are parallel with each other.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first included angle is equal to the second included angle.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the manufacturing method further includes the following procedures: (1) exposing the first resist film through the first exposure mask to develop the first resist film and form the first pattern on the first resist film, so as to expose the first etching region; and (2) exposing the second resist film through the second exposure mask to develop the second resist film and form the second pattern on the second resist film, so as to expose the second etching region.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the manufacturing method further includes the following procedures: (1) etching the first surface to form a first opening at the first etching region; and (2) etching the second surface to form a second opening at the second etching region, the first opening being mutually communicated with the second opening.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, etching the second surface to form the second opening includes the following procedure: forming an inner edge on the sheet, in which the inner edge is closer to the first surface than to the second surface, and the inner edge surrounds and defines a third opening smaller than the first opening and the second opening.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first surface and the second surface define a thickness therebetween. A range of the thickness is between 20 microns and 50 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a material of the sheet is iron-nickel alloy.
A technical aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a fine metal mask, which can make the shape of each of the pixels formed on a base plate of a display by evaporation become clearer and sharper, such that the display quality of the display can be effectively enhanced.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fine metal mask includes a plate. The plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface has at least one first hexagonal inner perimeter surrounding and defining a first opening. The second surface has at least one second hexagonal inner perimeter surrounding and defining a second opening. The second opening corresponds to and communicates with the first opening. The plate further includes at least one first curved surface and at least one second curved surface. The first curved surface is located inside the first opening and is connected with the first surface. The second curved surface is located inside the second opening and is connected with the second surface. The plate has at least one third hexagonal inner perimeter. The first curved surface and the second curved surface are connected with the third hexagonal inner perimeter. The third hexagonal inner perimeter surrounds and defines a third opening. The third opening is smaller than the first opening and the second opening. The third hexagonal inner perimeter includes at least one first straight edge, at least one second straight edge and at least one circular edge. The first straight edge and the second straight edge together form an included angle of 120 degrees. The circular edge is connected between the first straight edge and the second straight edge. The circular edge having a radius less than or equal to 15 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the second opening is bigger than the first opening. The third hexagonal inner perimeter and the first hexagonal inner perimeter have a height therebetween in a first direction perpendicular to the first surface. The height is less than or equal to 3 microns. The third hexagonal inner perimeter and the first hexagonal inner perimeter have a width therebetween in a second direction parallel with the first surface. The width is less than or equal to 2 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the third hexagonal inner perimeter is closer to the first surface than to the second surface.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first surface and the second surface define a thickness therebetween. A range of the thickness is between 20 microns and 50 microns.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a material of the plate is iron-nickel alloy.
The above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure have at least the following advantages:
(1) By controlling the length of the third straight edge of the first pattern on the sheet to be less than or equal to 8 microns, and controlling the distance between the sixth straight edge and the third straight edge of the second pattern in the second direction parallel with the first surface to be larger than 5 microns and less than 30 microns inclusively, a user can form the plate of the fine metal mask in a simple and easy manner after etching the sheet, while the radius of the circular edge of the plate corresponding to a corner of the third opening is less than or equal to 15 microns.
(2) Since the radius of the circular edge corresponding to a corner of the third opening is less than or equal to 15 microns, when the fine metal mask is used in a process of evaporation in order to form pixels for displaying images on, for example, a base plate of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, the shape of each of the pixels at its corner position can become clearer and sharper. Thus, the display quality of the OLED display can be effectively enhanced.
The disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:
Drawings will be used below to disclose embodiments of the present disclosure. For the sake of clear illustration, many practical details will be explained together in the description below. However, it is appreciated that the practical details should not be used to limit the claimed scope. In other words, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the practical details are not essential. Moreover, for the sake of drawing simplification, some customary structures and elements in the drawings will be schematically shown in a simplified way. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Reference is made to
Since the radius R of the circular edge 117c corresponding to a corner of the third opening OP3 is less than or equal to 15 microns, when the fine metal mask 100 is used in a process of evaporation in order to form pixels for displaying images on, for example, a base plate 300 of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, the shape of each of the pixels at its corner position can become clearer and sharper. Thus, the display quality of the OLED display can be effectively enhanced.
Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
In this embodiment, as shown in
Reference is made to
Reference is made to
(1) Providing a sheet 110′ (Operation 501). Reference is made to
(2) Disposing a first resist film 120 on the first surface 111 of the sheet 110′ (Operation 502). As shown in
(3) Disposing a first exposure mask 130 on the first resist film 120 (Operation 503). As shown in
Reference is made to
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(4) Disposing a second resist film 140 on the second surface 112 of the sheet 110′ (Operation 504). As shown in
(5) Disposing a second exposure mask 150 on the second resist film 140 (Operation 505). As shown in
In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in
Furthermore, the manufacturing method 500 further includes the following operations:
(6) Exposing the first resist film 120 through the first exposure mask 130 to develop the first resist film 120 and form the first pattern P1 on the first resist film 120, so as to expose the first etching region Z1 (Operation 506). Reference is made to
(7) Etching the first surface 111 to form a first opening OP1 at the first etching region Z1 (Operation 507). Reference is made to
(8) Exposing the second resist film 140 through the second exposure mask 150 to develop the second resist film 140 and form the second pattern P2 on the second resist film 140, so as to expose the second etching region Z2 (Operation 508). Reference is made to
(9) Etching the second surface 112 to form a second opening OP2 at the second etching region Z2 (Operation 509). Reference is made to
(10) Removing the resisting material 400, the first resist film 120 and the second resist film 140 (Operation 510). After the resisting material 400 is removed, the first opening OP1 is mutually communicated with the second opening OP2. After the first resist film 120 and the second resist film 140 are removed, the sheet 110′ is formed to the plate 110 of the fine metal mask 100, as shown in
By controlling the length L of the third straight edge 131c of the first pattern P1 on the sheet 110′ to be less than or equal to 8 microns, and controlling the distance X between the sixth straight edge 151c and the third straight edge 131c of the second pattern P2 in the second direction parallel with the first surface 111 to be larger than 5 microns and less than 30 microns inclusively, a user can form the plate 110 of the fine metal mask 100 in a simple and easy manner after etching the sheet 110′, while the radius R of the circular edge 117c of the plate 110 corresponding to a corner of the third opening OP3 is less than or equal to 15 microns.
In conclusion, the aforementioned embodiments of the present disclosure have at least the following advantages:
(1) By controlling the length of the third straight edge of the first pattern on the sheet to be less than or equal to 8 microns, and controlling the distance between the sixth straight edge and the third straight edge of the second pattern in the second direction parallel with the first surface to be larger than 5 microns and less than 30 microns inclusively, a user can form the plate of the fine metal mask in a simple and easy manner after etching the sheet, while the radius of the circular edge of the plate corresponding to a corner of the third opening is less than or equal to 15 microns.
(2) Since the radius of the circular edge corresponding to a corner of the third opening is less than or equal to 15 microns, when the fine metal mask is used in a process of evaporation in order to form pixels for displaying images on, for example, a base plate of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, the shape of each of the pixels at its corner position can become clearer and sharper. Thus, the display quality of the OLED display can be effectively enhanced.
Although the present disclosure has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
It will be apparent to the person having ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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110144888 | Dec 2021 | TW | national |