JP5459632B1 - Vapor deposition mask manufacturing method and vapor deposition mask - Google Patents

Abstract

A vapor deposition mask capable of forming a vapor deposition material with high utilization efficiency is provided.
A vapor deposition mask includes an effective region in which a plurality of through holes are formed, and a peripheral region located around the effective region. In the effective region, a plurality of concave portions 30 that are widened toward one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask are provided, and the concave portions 30 define the through holes 25. To do. The wall surface 31 of at least one recess is joined to the wall surface of any other recess located around the recess over the entire circumference.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask used for performing vapor deposition in a desired pattern, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask that can use a vapor deposition material for film formation with excellent utilization efficiency. The present invention also relates to a vapor deposition mask used for vapor deposition in a desired pattern, and more particularly to a vapor deposition mask that can use a vapor deposition material for film formation with excellent utilization efficiency.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method of forming a thin film with a desired pattern using a deposition mask including through holes arranged in a desired pattern is known. In recent years, vapor deposition is sometimes used when a very expensive material is formed, for example, when an organic material is vapor-deposited on a substrate at the time of manufacturing an organic EL display device. In general, a deposition mask can be manufactured by forming a through hole in a metal plate by etching using a photolithography technique (for example, Patent Document 1).

  When a vapor deposition material is formed on a substrate using a vapor deposition mask, the vapor deposition material also adheres to the vapor deposition mask. That is, not all the vapor deposition materials used adhere to the substrate. When an expensive vapor deposition material is used, low utilization efficiency is a big problem. In addition, the utilization efficiency here refers to the ratio of the material adhering to the board | substrate among the vapor deposition materials which evaporated.

JP 2004-39319 A

  By the way, some vapor deposition materials move in a direction greatly inclined with respect to the direction normal to the vapor deposition mask and are directed toward the substrate. In order to effectively use the vapor deposition material that moves obliquely and increase the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material, it is preferable to form a through-hole in the metal plate with the wall surface greatly inclined and tapered. However, when the through hole is formed in the metal plate by the conventional etching method, the wall surface of the through hole cannot be inclined sufficiently large. For this reason, in the present vapor deposition mask, the utilization efficiency of vapor deposition material is not fully improved.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask capable of depositing a vapor deposition material with high utilization efficiency.

The method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention includes
A method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask comprising an effective area in which a plurality of through-holes are formed and a peripheral area located around the effective area,
The metal plate is etched from the first surface side using the resist pattern disposed on the first surface of the metal plate having the first surface and the second surface facing each other to form the effective area. In the region of the metal plate, a step of forming a recess that defines the through-hole from the first surface side is provided, and in the step of forming the recess, erosion caused by etching occurs on the plate surface of the metal plate. The other concave portions adjacent to each other under the resist pattern are joined together, and the wall surface of at least one concave portion is located around the single concave portion over the entire circumference. It merges with the wall surface of one of the recesses.

  In the method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the wall surface of the concave portion merges with the wall surface of any other concave portion located around the concave portion over the entire circumference, or a part of the entire circumference. In the first portion of the metal plate that extends into a region that joins the wall surface of one of the other concave portions located around the concave portion and that forms the peripheral region in another portion of the entire circumference thereof. You may make it connect with a surface.

  In the step of forming the recess of the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the resist pattern may be separated from the metal plate within the entire region of the metal plate that forms the effective region. .

  In the step of forming the concave portion of the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, erosion of the first surface by etching may proceed in the entire region of the metal plate that forms the effective region.

  In the step of forming the concave portion of the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the joining portion formed by joining the two adjacent concave portions is separated from the resist pattern, and in the joining portion that is under the resist pattern, Etching erosion may proceed in the normal direction of the metal plate, and the joining portion may be chamfered.

  In the step of forming the recess of the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the maximum thickness along the normal direction of the metal plate in the region that forms the effective region is the maximum thickness of the metal plate before etching. The thickness may be 35% or more and 65% or less of the thickness. In such a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the recesses may be formed in a lattice arrangement on the first surface of the metal plate.

  In the step of forming the recess of the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the maximum thickness along the normal direction of the metal plate in the region that forms the effective region is the maximum thickness of the metal plate before etching. The thickness may be 45% or more and 65% or less of the thickness. In such a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the recess may be formed in a lattice arrangement or a staggered arrangement on the first surface of the metal plate.

A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention includes etching a metal plate from the second surface side using a resist pattern disposed on the second surface of the metal plate as a mask, and forming a second recess on the second surface. A step of forming from the side of
The recess and the second recess may be formed so that the recess and the second recess are connected to form the through hole.

In the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, a laser beam is irradiated into each of the recesses formed from the first surface side so as not to penetrate the metal plate, and the first of the metal plate from the inside of the recess. A step of forming a second recess reaching the second surface;
The recess and the second recess may be formed so that the recess and the second recess are connected to form the through hole.

The vapor deposition mask according to the present invention comprises:
An effective area in which a plurality of through holes are formed;
A surrounding area located around the effective area,
In the effective region, a plurality of recesses that are widened toward the one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask are provided, and the recesses define a through hole. In addition, the wall surface of at least one recess is joined to the wall surface of any other recess located around the recess over the entire circumference.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the wall surface of the concave portion joins the wall surface of any other concave portion located around the concave portion over the entire circumference, or a part of the entire circumference. In this case, it may join with the wall surface of any other recess located around the recess, and may extend into the surrounding area at the other part of the entire circumference.

  In the entire region within the effective region of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the surface on one side of the vapor deposition mask may be an uneven surface.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, a ridge line is formed when the wall surface of the concave portion and the wall surface of the other concave portion merge, and the height of the ridge line along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask varies. It may be.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the height along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask of the wall surface of the concave portion that merges with the wall surface of the other concave portion is a through portion of the through hole defined by the concave portion. As the distance along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask from becomes longer, it may be made higher.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the outer contour of the merged portion where the wall surfaces of the two recesses merge in the cross section along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask may have a chamfered shape.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, in the cross section along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask, the outer contour of the joining portion where the wall surfaces of the two recesses merge is directed to one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. It may be a convex curve.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the maximum thickness in the effective region along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is 35% or more and 65% of the maximum thickness in the surrounding region along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. It may be the following. In such a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the concave portions may be arranged in a lattice arrangement.

  In the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the maximum thickness in the effective region along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is 45% or more and 65% of the maximum thickness in the surrounding region along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. It may be the following. In such a vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, the concave portions may be arranged in a lattice arrangement or a staggered lattice.

  In the effective region of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, a second concave portion that is widened toward the other side is provided on the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. The second recess may be connected to form the through hole.

  In the effective region of the vapor deposition mask according to the present invention, a second concave portion having a width narrowing toward the other side is provided on the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. The second recess may be connected to form the through hole.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vapor deposition mask which can form into a film with high utilization efficiency the vapor deposition material is provided.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention and showing an example of a vapor deposition mask device including a vapor deposition mask. FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a method of vapor deposition using the vapor deposition mask apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial plan view showing the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for entirely explaining an example of a method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a view for explaining an example of a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a view showing a long metal plate in a cross section along the normal direction. FIG. 9 is a view for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a view showing a long metal plate in a cross section along the normal direction. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a diagram illustrating a long metal plate in a cross section along a normal direction. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a diagram showing a long metal plate in a cross section along the normal direction. FIG. 12 is a view for explaining an example of a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a view showing a long metal plate in a cross section along the normal direction. FIG. 13 is a view for explaining an example of a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a view showing a long metal plate in a cross section along a normal direction. FIG. 14 is a view for explaining an example of a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, and is a view showing a long metal plate in a cross section along the normal direction. FIG. 15 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9 and illustrating a modified example of the method for forming the through hole. 16 and 17 are diagrams for explaining another modified example of the method for forming the through hole, and FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a method for forming the first recess. 16 and 17 are diagrams for explaining another modified example of the method for forming the through hole, and FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a method for forming the second recess. 18 and 19 are diagrams for explaining a modification of the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask, and FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a method for forming the first recess. 18 and 19 are views for explaining a variation of the method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask, and FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a method for forming the second recess. FIG. 20 is a top view for explaining the pattern of the through holes of the actually produced first vapor deposition mask. FIG. 21 is a top view for explaining the pattern of the through hole of the actually produced second vapor deposition mask.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to the present specification, for the sake of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale, the vertical / horizontal dimension ratio, and the like are appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual product.

  1 to 14 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment according to the present invention. In the following embodiments and modifications thereof, a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask used for patterning an organic light emitting material on a glass substrate in a desired pattern when manufacturing an organic EL display device will be described as an example. . However, the present invention is not limited to such an application, and the present invention can be applied to a vapor deposition mask used for various purposes and a method for manufacturing the vapor deposition mask.

  In the present specification, the terms “plate”, “sheet”, and “film” are not distinguished from each other only based on the difference in names. For example, “a plate” is a concept that includes a member that can be called a sheet or a film. Therefore, for example, a “metal plate” is distinguished from a member called “a metal sheet” or “a metal film” only by a difference in the name. Cannot be done.

  In addition, “plate surface (sheet surface, film surface)” means a target plate-like member (sheet-like) when the target plate-like (sheet-like, film-like) member is viewed as a whole and globally. It refers to the surface that coincides with the plane direction of the member or film-like member. Moreover, the normal direction used with respect to a plate-like (sheet-like, film-like) member refers to the normal direction with respect to the plate | board surface (sheet surface, film surface) of the said member.

  Furthermore, as used in this specification, the shape and geometric conditions and the degree thereof are specified. For example, terms such as “parallel”, “orthogonal”, “identical”, length and angle values, etc. Without being bound by meaning, it should be interpreted including the extent to which similar functions can be expected.

  First, an example of a vapor deposition mask apparatus including a vapor deposition mask to be a manufacturing method will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vapor deposition mask apparatus including a vapor deposition mask, and FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a method of using the vapor deposition mask apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the vapor deposition mask from the first surface side, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are cross-sectional views at respective positions in FIG.

  The vapor deposition mask device 10 includes a vapor deposition mask 20 made of a rectangular metal plate 21 and a frame 15 attached to the peripheral edge of the vapor deposition mask 20. The vapor deposition mask 20 is provided with a large number of through holes 25 formed by etching the metal plate 21 having the first surface 21a and the second surface 21b facing each other from at least the first surface 21a. As shown in FIG. 2, the vapor deposition mask device 10 is supported in a vapor deposition device 90 so that the vapor deposition mask 20 faces a substrate, for example, a glass substrate 92, and vapor deposition of vapor deposition material onto the substrate. Used for.

  In the vapor deposition apparatus 90, the vapor deposition mask 20 and the glass substrate 92 come into close contact by a magnetic force from a magnet (not shown). In the vapor deposition apparatus 90, a crucible 94 for accommodating a vapor deposition material (for example, an organic light emitting material) 98 and a heater 96 for heating the crucible 94 are disposed below the glass substrate 92 sandwiching the vapor deposition mask apparatus 10. Has been. The vapor deposition material 98 in the crucible 94 is vaporized or sublimated by heating from the heater 96 and adheres to the surface of the glass substrate 92. As described above, a large number of through holes 25 are formed in the vapor deposition mask 20, and the vapor deposition material 98 adheres to the glass substrate 92 through the through holes 25. As a result, the vapor deposition material 98 is formed on the surface of the glass substrate 92 in a desired pattern corresponding to the position of the through hole 25 of the vapor deposition mask 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the vapor deposition mask 20 is made of a metal plate 21 and has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, more precisely a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The metal plate 21 of the vapor deposition mask 20 includes an effective area 22 in which the through holes 25 are formed in a regular arrangement, and a surrounding area 23 surrounding the effective area 22. The surrounding area 23 is an area for supporting the effective area 22 and is not an area through which a deposition material intended to be deposited on the substrate passes. For example, in the vapor deposition mask 20 used for vapor deposition of the organic light emitting material for the organic EL display device, the effective region 22 is a region on the substrate (glass substrate 92) where the organic light emitting material is deposited to form a pixel. That is, it is a region in the vapor deposition mask 20 that faces an area on the substrate that forms the display surface of the produced substrate for the organic EL display device. However, through holes and recesses may be formed in the peripheral region 23 for various purposes. In the example shown in FIG. 1, each effective region 22 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, more precisely, a substantially rectangular shape in plan view.

  In the illustrated example, the plurality of effective regions 22 are arranged at a predetermined interval along one direction parallel to one side of the vapor deposition mask 20 and have a predetermined value along another direction orthogonal to the one direction. They are spaced apart. In the illustrated example, one effective area 22 corresponds to one organic EL display device. That is, according to the vapor deposition mask apparatus 10 (deposition mask 20) shown in FIG. 1, vapor deposition with multiple surfaces is possible. However, not limited to the illustrated example, the vapor deposition mask 20 includes a plurality of effective regions 22 arranged in a line along one direction, and the vapor deposition mask apparatus 10 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (one direction). A plurality of vapor deposition masks 20 arranged in the direction to be attached and attached to the frame 15 may be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the illustrated example, the plurality of through holes 25 formed in each effective region 22 are arranged in a lattice arrangement. That is, the plurality of through holes 25 are arranged at predetermined pitches along two directions orthogonal to each other in the effective region 22. An example of the through hole 25 formed in the metal plate 21 will be described in more detail with reference mainly to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a partial plan view showing the vapor deposition mask 20 from the first surface 20a side. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. It is sectional drawing along a line. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the plurality of through-holes 25 are formed on the first surface 20 a on one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 and on the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. The vapor deposition mask 20 is penetrated by extending between the second surface 20b as a side. In the illustrated example, as will be described in detail later, a first recess 30 is formed in the metal plate 21 by etching from the first surface 21a side of the metal plate 21 which is one side in the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. The second concave portion 35 is formed in the metal plate 21 from the second surface 21b side which is the other side in the normal direction of the metal plate 21, and the through hole 25 is formed by the first concave portion 30 and the second concave portion 35. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, from one side in the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 toward the other side, that is, from the first surface 20 a side to the second surface 20 b side of the vapor deposition mask 20. Thus, the cross-sectional area of each first recess 30 in the cross-section along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask 20 at each position along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 gradually decreases. In other words, in the cross section along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20, the width of each first concave portion 30 along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask 20 at each position along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is the vapor deposition mask 20. The size gradually decreases from the first surface 20a side toward the second surface 20b side. In particular, in the illustrated example, the cross-sectional area of each first recess 30 continues to change so as to decrease from the first surface 20a side of the vapor deposition mask 20 toward the second surface 20b side. As shown in FIG. 3, the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 extends in a direction intersecting with the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 in the entire region, and one wall surface along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. It is exposed to the side.

  Similarly, the cross-sectional area of each second recess 35 in the cross section along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask 20 at each position along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is from the other side in the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. The size gradually decreases toward one side, that is, from the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20 toward the first surface 20a side. In other words, in the cross section along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20, the width of each second recess 35 along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask 20 at each position along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is as follows. The size gradually decreases from the second surface 20b side toward the first surface 20a side. In particular, in the illustrated example, the cross-sectional area of each second recess 35 continues to change so as to decrease from the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20 toward the first surface 20a side. The wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 extends in a direction intersecting the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 in the entire region, and is exposed toward the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the through hole 25 is formed from the first concave portion 30 tapered from the first surface 20 a side of the vapor deposition mask 20 and the second surface 20 b side of the vapor deposition mask 20. It is defined by the connection with the tapered second recess 35. As shown in FIG. 3, in the illustrated example, one first recess 30 and one second recess 35 are formed for each through hole 25. Therefore, each through hole 25 is formed by connecting one first recess 30 and a second recess 35 provided corresponding to the first recess 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 and the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 are connected via a circumferential connection portion 41. The connecting portion 41 is an overhanging portion where the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 inclined with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask and the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 inclined with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask merge. It is defined by the ridgeline. And the connection part 41 defines the penetration part 42 in which the area of the through-hole 25 becomes the smallest in the planar view of the vapor deposition mask 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, two adjacent through holes 25 on the other surface along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask, that is, the second surface 20 b of the vapor deposition mask 20, are formed on the vapor deposition mask. They are separated from each other along the plate surface. That is, when the metal plate 21 is etched from the side of the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 that corresponds to the second surface 20b of the vapor deposition mask 20, as in the manufacturing method described later, the second recess 35 is produced. The second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 remains between two adjacent second recesses 35.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, two adjacent first recesses 30 are connected on the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask, that is, on the first surface 20 a side of the vapor deposition mask 20. ing. That is, when the metal plate 21 is etched from the side of the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 corresponding to the first surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20 to form the first recess 30 as in the manufacturing method described later. The first surface 21 a of the metal plate 21 does not remain between the two adjacent first recesses 30. According to the first surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20 formed by such a first recess 30, the vapor deposition mask 20 is formed so that the first surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20 faces the vapor deposition material 98 as shown in FIG. When 20 is used, the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98 can be improved effectively.

  When the vapor deposition mask device 10 is accommodated in the vapor deposition device 90 as shown in FIG. 2, the first surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20 holds the vapor deposition material 98 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The second surface 20 b of the vapor deposition mask 20 faces the glass substrate 92. Therefore, the vapor deposition material 98 adheres to the glass substrate 92 through the first recess 30 whose cross-sectional area is gradually reduced. As shown in FIG. 4, the vapor deposition material 98 not only moves along the normal direction of the glass substrate 92 from the crucible 94 toward the glass substrate 92, but is also greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction of the glass substrate 92. It may move in the direction. At this time, if the cross-sectional shape of the first recess 30 has an outline indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 4, the vapor deposition material 98 that moves obliquely does not adhere to the vapor deposition mask 20 and reach the glass substrate 92. Moreover, in the area | region which faces the through-hole 25 on the glass substrate 92, the area | region where the vapor deposition material 98 reaches | attains easily and the part which cannot reach easily will arise. Specifically, the vapor deposition material 98 can reach the region on the glass substrate 92 facing the center of the through hole 25, but the region on the glass substrate 92 facing the periphery of the through hole 25 includes The vapor deposition material 98 is difficult to reach. This phenomenon is also called a shadow, and the film thickness of the deposited film fluctuates greatly within the planned deposition area. Further, the deposition material cannot be attached to the peripheral edge of the planned deposition area, in other words, a desired pattern. It appears as a problem that vapor deposition cannot be performed.

In other words, in order to increase the utilization efficiency (deposition efficiency: rate of adhesion to the glass substrate 92) of the vapor deposition material to save expensive vapor deposition material, the film deposition using the expensive vapor deposition material is stabilized in a desired region. Therefore, in the cross section of FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 orthogonal to the sheet surface of the vapor deposition mask 20, the connection portion 41 that is a portion having the minimum cross-sectional area of the through hole 25 and the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30. It is advantageous that the minimum angle θ ₁ (see FIG. 4) formed by the straight line L1 passing through any other position with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 is sufficiently large. Then, according to the illustrated example, the wall surfaces 31 of the two adjacent first recesses 30 merge with each other, compared with a recess having a wall surface (contour) indicated by a dotted line that does not merge with other recesses. Te, and it can greatly reduce the angle theta _1.

The first recess 30 is formed by etching the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21, as will be described in detail later. The wall surface of the recess formed by etching is generally a curved surface that is convex toward the erosion direction. Therefore, the wall surface 31 of the recess formed by the etching is cut off in the region which is the etching start side, and in the region opposite to the etching start side, that is, in the deepest side of the recess, the method of the metal plate 21 is performed. The inclination is relatively large with respect to the line direction. In the illustrated vapor deposition mask 20, the wall surfaces 31 of the two adjacent first recesses 30 merge on the etching start side, and therefore the wall surfaces 31 of the first recesses 30 that make up most of the through holes 25. Can be effectively tilted with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. In addition, even when compared with a recess formed by etching a metal plate whose thickness is reduced from the beginning, the illustrated wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 includes a cut-out portion that is the etching start side. since so no, it is possible to sufficiently increase the inclination angle theta ₁ of the wall 31. Thereby, when the vapor deposition mask 20 demonstrated here is used, vapor deposition with a desired pattern can be stably implemented with high precision, improving the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98 effectively.

  In particular, in the illustrated example, the leading edges (upper edges, edges located on one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask) 32 of the wall surfaces 31 of all the first recesses 30 in the effective region 22 are It joins the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of any one of the other first recesses 30 located around the first recess 30 over the entire circumference, or the first part in a part of the entire circumference. It merges with the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of any other first recess 30 located around the recess 30 and extends into the surrounding region 23 at the other part of the entire circumference. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, about the 1st recessed part 30 which defines the outermost through-hole 25 among the through-holes 25 arranged in the predetermined pattern, a part of front-end edge 32 of the wall surface 31 Is connected to the leading edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the other first recess 30, and the other part of the leading edge 32 of the wall surface 31 extends to the surrounding region 23, and the flat surface of the vapor deposition mask 20, which will be described later. According to the method, it is connected to the first surface 21 a of the metal plate 21. On the other hand, with respect to the first recess 30 that defines the through-hole 25 located outside the outermost of the through-holes 25 arranged in a predetermined pattern, the leading edge 32 of the wall surface 31 extends over the entire circumference. It joins with the leading edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of any other first recess 30 located around the first recess 30.

  That is, in the example shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the first surface 20 a of the vapor deposition mask 20 is directed to one side in the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask in the entire region within the effective region 22 of the vapor deposition mask 20. It is formed by the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30. As a result, the first surface 20 a of the vapor deposition mask 20 forms an uneven surface in the entire region within the effective region 22 of the vapor deposition mask 20.

According to such a vapor deposition mask 20, the inclination angle θ ₁ formed by the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask can be effectively increased over the entire effective region 22. Thereby, vapor deposition with a desired pattern can be stably performed with high accuracy while effectively improving the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98.

  Further, when the first concave portion 30 is formed by etching the metal plate 21 from the first surface 21a side of the metal plate 21 that comes to correspond to the first surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20 as in the manufacturing method described later, In the entire region of the metal plate 21 that forms the effective region 22 of the vapor deposition mask 20, the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 is eroded by etching. That is, the first area 21 a of the metal plate 21 does not exist in the effective area 22. In other words, the maximum thickness Ta in the effective region 22 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is less than 100% of the maximum thickness Tb in the surrounding region 23 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. Thus, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material that the thickness in the effective region 22 is generally reduced. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the strength of the vapor deposition mask, the maximum thickness Ta in the effective region 22 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is constant to the maximum thickness Tb in the surrounding region 23 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. The above ratio is preferable. When the vapor deposition mask 20 is stretched on the frame 15, deformation of the vapor deposition mask 20 within the effective region 22 can be effectively suppressed, and thereby, it is possible to effectively perform vapor deposition in a desired pattern. This is because it can.

  Moreover, since the width | variety of the 1st recessed part 30 becomes wide toward one side from the other side along the normal line direction of a vapor deposition mask, the front-end edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the 1st recessed part 30, and others A ridge line 33 is formed by joining the leading edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30. In the illustrated example, the through holes 25 are formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and are arranged at a predetermined pitch in each of two directions orthogonal to each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the leading edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 that defines the through hole 25 located outside the outermost region in the effective region 22 extends along a substantially rectangular shape, A ridge line 33 extending between two adjacent first recesses 30 extends in two directions parallel to the arrangement direction of the through holes 25.

  Furthermore, when the 1st recessed part 30 is formed by an etching like the manufacturing method mentioned later, the height of the ridgeline 33, ie, the position of the ridgeline 33 in the normal line direction of a vapor deposition mask, is not constant and fluctuates. In other words, the position in the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask of the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 that merges with the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the other first recess 30 is not constant but varies. Due to the formation method of the first recess 30 described later, the height of the ridge line 33 and the tip edge 32 is the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask from the through portion 42 of the through hole 25 where the depth of the first recess 30 is the deepest. It changes according to the distance along. Specifically, the height along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask of the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 that merges with the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the other first recess 30 is usually As the distance along the plate surface of the vapor deposition mask from the through portion 42 of the through hole 25 defined by the first recess 30 to the tip edge 32 becomes longer, the height increases. Therefore, when the through-holes 25 (first recesses 30) are arranged in a square as shown in the drawing, the intermediate positions of the adjacent through-holes 25 in each of the two arrangement directions (FIGS. 3 to 6). In the highest portion 32a), the height of the tip edge 32 and the ridge line 33 is the highest.

As a general tendency, in such a vapor deposition mask 20, the height of the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 is determined from the position of the tip portion 32 as a target, as can be understood particularly from FIG. 5. A distance k (see FIG. 3) in plan view to the center of a region (through portion 42 in this example) that penetrates the metal plate 21 in plan view among the through holes 25 defined by the first recess 30. The shorter it becomes, the lower it becomes. Therefore, the above-described angle θ ₁ formed by the wall surface 31 with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 can be effectively increased. Thereby, the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98 can be improved more effectively, and vapor deposition with a desired pattern can be carried out with high accuracy and stability.

Further, in the illustrated example, due to the manufacturing method described later, the portion 43 where the tip edges 32 of the wall surfaces 31 of the two first recesses 30 meet in the cross section along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. The outer contour (the line forming the outer shape of the portion 43 in the cross section) is a chamfered shape. As described above, generally, the wall surface of the recess formed by etching has a curved surface that is convex toward the main traveling direction by etching. Therefore, when the two first recesses 30 formed by etching are simply partially overlapped, as shown by the dotted lines in FIGS. 4 to 6, the merged portion 43 is a method of a vapor deposition mask that becomes the etching start side. It becomes a pointed shape toward one side along the line direction. On the other hand, in the illustrated vapor deposition mask 20, the sharp portion in the merge portion 43 is chamfered. As can be understood from FIGS. 4 to 6, the chamfering can effectively increase the above-described angle θ ₁ formed by the wall surface 31 with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. Thereby, the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98 can be improved more effectively, and vapor deposition with a desired pattern can be carried out with high accuracy and stability.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the through holes 25 are arranged in a predetermined pattern in each effective region 22. As an example, when the vapor deposition mask 20 (vapor deposition mask device 10) is used to produce a display (about 2 to 5 inches) such as a mobile phone or a digital camera, the arrangement pitch P of the through holes 25 is 58 μm (440 ppi). The thickness can be about 254 μm (100 ppi) or less. When color display is to be performed, the vapor deposition mask 20 (vapor deposition mask device 10) and the glass substrate 92 are moved relative to each other along the arrangement direction of the through holes 25 (one direction described above), and the red color is displayed. An organic light emitting material, a green organic light emitting material, and a blue organic light emitting material may be deposited in this order. Further, when the vapor deposition mask 20 (vapor deposition mask device 10) is used to manufacture a display for a mobile phone, the width (slit width) W along the arrangement direction (one direction described above) of each through-hole 25 is 28 μm. The thickness may be about 84 μm or less.

  The frame 15 of the vapor deposition mask device 10 is attached to the peripheral edge of the rectangular vapor deposition mask 20. The frame 15 holds the deposition mask in a stretched state so that the deposition mask 20 is not bent. The vapor deposition mask 20 and the frame 15 are fixed to each other, for example, by spot welding.

  The vapor deposition mask device 10 is held inside a vapor deposition device 90 that is in a high temperature atmosphere. Therefore, the vapor deposition mask 20 and the frame 15 are preferably made of the same material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion in order to prevent the vapor deposition frame from being bent or generating thermal stress. As such a material, for example, a 36% Ni invar material can be used.

  According to the vapor deposition mask 20 as described above, the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of at least one first recess 30 is any one of the other ones positioned around the first recess 30 over the entire circumference. 1 It merges with the wall surface 31 of the recess 30. For this reason, it is possible to accurately perform the vapor deposition with a high-definition pattern with a desired thickness while effectively improving the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material 98. In particular, in an organic EL display device, it is desired to pattern an expensive vapor deposition material 98 on the substrate 42 with a high-definition pattern. For this reason, the vapor deposition mask 20 of this Embodiment is especially suitable for the vapor deposition mask used in order to manufacture an organic EL display apparatus.

  Next, the manufacturing method of such a vapor deposition mask 20 is demonstrated mainly using FIGS. In the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask 20 described below, as shown in FIG. 7, a long metal plate 64 extending in a strip shape is supplied, a through hole 25 is formed in the long metal plate 64, and a long metal is further formed. By cutting the plate 64, the vapor deposition mask 20 made of the sheet metal plate 21 is obtained.

  More specifically, the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask 20, the step of supplying a long metal plate 64 extending in a strip shape, and etching using a photolithography technique are performed on the long metal plate 64, and the long metal plate A step of forming the first recess 30 in the first surface 64a from the side of the first surface 64a and etching using a photolithography technique are performed on the long metal plate 64, and the long metal plate 64 is subjected to the second step from the second surface 64b side. Forming the two recesses 35. And the 1st recessed part 30 and the 2nd recessed part 35 which were formed in the elongate metal plate 64 mutually communicate, and the through-hole 25 is produced in the elongate metal plate 64. FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the process of forming the second recess 35 is performed before the process of forming the first recess 30, and between the process of forming the second recess 35 and the process of forming the first recess 30. In addition, a step of sealing the produced second recess 35 is further provided. Details of each step will be described below.

  FIG. 7 shows a manufacturing apparatus 60 for producing the vapor deposition mask 20. As shown in FIG. 7, first, a wound body 62 in which a long metal plate 64 is wound around a supply core 61 is prepared. Then, when the supply core 61 rotates and the wound body 62 is rewound, a long metal plate 64 extending in a strip shape is supplied as shown in FIG. The long metal plate 64 is formed with the through-hole 25 to form the sheet metal plate 21 and the vapor deposition mask 20. Therefore, as described above, the long metal plate 64 is made of, for example, 36% Ni invar material. However, the sheet is not limited to this, and a sheet made of stainless steel, copper, iron, or aluminum can be used as the long metal plate 64. Moreover, the thickness of the metal plate 64 can be 20 micrometers or more and 80 micrometers or less as an example.

  The supplied long metal plate 64 is transported to an etching apparatus (etching means) 70 by a transport roller 72. Each process shown in FIGS. 8 to 14 is performed by the etching means 70. First, as shown in FIG. 8, a resist pattern (also simply referred to as a resist) 65 a is formed on the first surface 64 a of the long metal plate 64, and the resist is formed on the second surface 64 b of the long metal plate 64. A pattern (simply referred to as a resist) 65b is formed. As a specific example, a negative resist pattern is formed as follows. First, a photosensitive resist material is applied on the first surface 64a of the long metal plate 64 (on the lower surface of the paper in FIG. 8) and the second surface 64b, and a resist film is formed on the long metal plate 64. Form. Next, a glass dry plate is prepared in which light is not transmitted to a region to be removed of the resist film, and the glass dry plate is disposed on the resist film. Thereafter, the resist film is exposed through a glass dry plate, and the resist film is further developed. As described above, a resist pattern (simply referred to as resist) 65a is formed on the first surface 64a of the long metal plate 64, and a resist pattern (simply simply resist is formed on the second surface 64b of the long metal plate 64). 65b) can also be formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, using the resist pattern 65b formed on the long metal plate 64 as a mask, the second surface of the long metal plate 64 using an etching solution (for example, ferric chloride solution). Etching is performed from the 64b side. For example, the etching solution is sprayed toward the second surface 64b of the long metal plate 64 from the nozzle disposed on the side facing the second surface 64b of the long metal plate 64 to be conveyed through the resist pattern 65b. The As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, erosion by the etching solution proceeds in a region of the long metal plate 64 that is not covered with the resist pattern 65b. As described above, many second recesses 35 are formed in the long metal plate 64 from the second surface 64b side.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the formed second recess 35 is covered with a resin 69 having resistance to the etching solution. That is, the second recess 35 is sealed with the resin 69 having resistance to the etching solution. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a film of resin 69 is formed so as to cover not only the formed second recess 35 but also the second surface 64b (resist pattern 65b).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the second etching is performed on the long metal plate 64. In the second etching, the long metal plate 64 is etched only from the first surface 64a side, and the formation of the first recess 30 proceeds from the first surface 64a side. This is because the resin 69 having resistance to the etching solution is coated on the second surface 64b side of the long metal plate 64. Therefore, the shape of the second recess 35 formed in a desired shape is not impaired by the first etching.

  Etching due to etching is performed in the portion of the long metal plate 64 that is in contact with the etching solution. Therefore, erosion does not proceed only in the normal direction (thickness direction) of the long metal plate 64 but also proceeds in the direction along the plate surface of the long metal plate 64. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the etching proceeds in the normal direction of the long metal plate 64 so that the first recess 30 is connected to the second recess 35, and two adjacent holes 66a of the resist pattern 65a are also connected. The two first recesses 30 formed at the positions facing each other merge on the back side of the bridge portion 67a located between the two holes 66a.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the etching from the first surface 64a side of the long metal plate 64 further proceeds. As shown in FIG. 13, the joining portion 43 formed by joining two adjacent first concave portions 30 is separated from the resist pattern 65a, and the erosion due to etching is caused by the metal plate in the joining portion 43 below the resist pattern 65a. The process proceeds in the 64 normal direction (thickness direction). As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the confluent portion 43 sharpened toward one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is etched from one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. Chamfered as shown in

Further, as described above, the wall surface of the recess formed by etching is generally directed toward the erosion direction, and in this example, from one side to the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. It becomes a convex curved surface. For this reason, the wall surface of the 1st recessed part 30 comes to stand up in the 1st surface 64a side of the elongate metal plate 64. FIG. However, when the two adjacent first concave portions 30 are joined, the stubby wall surface 31 is conveniently removed. Thereby, the inclination | tilt angle (theta) ₁ which the wall surface 31 of the 1st recessed part 30 makes with respect to the normal line direction of a vapor deposition mask can be increased.

  In this way, the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of at least one first recess 30 has the entire circumference of one of the other first recesses 30 positioned around the one first recess 30. It will merge with the wall surface 31. In particular, in the illustrated example, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 has any other second position located around the first recess 30 over the entire circumference. 1 merged with the wall surface 31 of the recess 30, or merged with the wall surface 31 of any other first recess 30 located around the first recess 30 in a part of the entire circumference and The other portion of the metal plate 64 extends into a region that forms the surrounding region 22 and is connected to the first surface 64 a of the metal plate 64.

  In this way, the erosion of the first surface 64 a of the long metal plate 64 by etching proceeds in the entire region that forms the effective region 22 of the long metal plate 64. As a result, the maximum thickness Ta along the normal direction of the long metal plate 64 in the region that forms the effective region 22 becomes thinner than the maximum thickness Tb of the long metal plate 64 before etching. However, from the viewpoint of the strength of the mask of the vapor deposition mask 20, the maximum thickness Ta along the normal direction of the long metal plate 64 in the region that forms the effective region 22 is the length of the long metal plate 64 before etching. It is preferable to control the erosion by etching so that the maximum thickness Tb becomes a certain ratio or more. In this case, the deformation of the effective region 22 formed with a large number of through-holes 25 is effective during subsequent processing described later, for example, processing such as conveyance and cutting of the metal plate 64, removal of the resin 69, and attachment to the frame 15. Can be prevented.

  As described above, the etching from the first surface 64a side of the long metal plate 64 proceeds by a preset amount, and the second etching for the long metal plate 64 is completed. At this time, the 1st recessed part 30 is extended to the position which reaches the 2nd recessed part 35 along the thickness direction of the elongate metal plate 64, and, thereby, the 1st recessed part 30 and the 2nd recessed part 35 which are mutually connected. Through holes 25 are formed in the long metal plate 64.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 14, the resin 69 is removed from the long metal plate 64. The resin film 69 can be removed with, for example, an alkaline release agent.

  Next, the resist patterns 65 a and 65 b are removed from the long metal plate 64. In the step of forming the first recess 30, the erosion of the first surface 64 a by etching proceeds in the entire region of the metal plate 64 that forms the effective region 22. Therefore, the resist pattern 65 a provided on the first surface 64 a is already separated from the metal plate 64 in the entire region of the metal plate 64 that forms the effective region 22. For this reason, when removing the resist pattern 65a, it is not necessary to perform treatment such as brushing on the metal plate 21, damage such as deformation of the effective region 22 of the vapor deposition mask 20 can be effectively avoided, and the yield of the vapor deposition mask 20 is increased. Can be effectively improved.

  The long metal plate 64 in which a large number of through holes 25 are formed in this way is conveyed to a cutting device (cutting means) 73 by conveyance rollers 72 and 72 that rotate while the long metal plate 64 is sandwiched. Is done. In addition, the supply core 61 described above is rotated through tension (pulling force) acting on the long metal plate 64 by the rotation of the transport rollers 72 and 72, and the long metal plate 64 is supplied from the wound body 62. It is like that.

  Thereafter, the long metal plate 64 in which a large number of recesses 61 are formed is cut into a predetermined length by a cutting device (cutting means) 73, whereby the sheet-like metal plate 21 in which a large number of through holes 25 are formed is obtained. can get.

  The through hole 25 can also be formed by etching the long metal plate 64 from only one surface. However, when the long metal plate 64 is etched only from the upper surface, an etchant that has already been used for erosion and has a low erosion ability remains in the tapered hole formed by erosion. After that, when the hole of the metal plate reaches the lower surface, the etching solution remaining in the hole until then flows out from the lower surface, and into the hole in which a fresh etching solution having a high erosion ability is formed. Flows in. At this time, in the lower region in the hole where the cross-sectional area (opening area) is small, the lower region in the hole is eroded violently by the fresh etching solution. That is, the hole shape cannot be sufficiently controlled. On the other hand, when the metal plate is etched only from the lower surface through the resist pattern, if the tapered hole formed by erosion penetrates the metal plate, the etching solution may remain around the hole on the upper surface. As a result, erosion also proceeds from the upper surface of the metal plate by the remaining etching solution, and the shape of the hole cannot be sufficiently controlled. On the other hand, according to the etching method described above, the shape of the through hole 25 can be stabilized.

  As described above, the vapor deposition mask 20 made of the metal plate 21 having a large number of through holes 25 is obtained. And the vapor deposition mask apparatus 10 is obtained by attaching the flame | frame 15 with respect to each vapor deposition mask 20. As shown in FIG. The frame 15 may be attached to one surface 20a of the vapor deposition mask 20 or may be attached to the other surface 20b of the vapor deposition mask 20.

  According to the method of manufacturing the vapor deposition mask device according to the present embodiment as described above, in the step of forming the first recess 30 in the metal plates 21 and 64, erosion due to etching is also caused in the direction along the plate surface of the metal plate. The two first concave portions 30 adjacent to each other under the resist pattern 65a merge, and the front edge 32 of the wall surface 31 of at least one first concave portion 30 extends over the entire circumference. It merges with the wall surface 31 of any other first recess 30 located around the recess 30. The wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 formed in this way and forming the through hole 25 is greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20. Thereby, by using the manufactured vapor deposition mask 20, vapor deposition with a high-definition pattern can be stably performed while using the vapor deposition material 98 with high utilization efficiency.

  By the way, in the manufacturing method described above, when forming the first recess 30 by etching the metal plate 21 from the first surface 21a side of the metal plate 21 corresponding to the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20, the deposition is performed. In the entire region of the metal plate 21 that forms the effective region 22 of the mask 20, the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 is eroded by etching. That is, the maximum thickness Ta in the effective region 22 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is less than 100% of the maximum thickness Tb in the surrounding region 23 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. As described above, it is preferable that the thickness of the vapor deposition mask 20 in the effective region 22 is reduced as a whole from the viewpoint of improving the utilization efficiency of the vapor deposition material and suppressing the generation of shadows.

  In addition, as a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, the maximum thickness Ta in the effective region 22 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask with respect to the maximum thickness Tb in the surrounding region 23 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is obtained. It has been found that it is effective to set the ratio (hereinafter, this ratio is also simply referred to as “maximum thickness ratio”) to 65% or less. As described above, when the metal plate 21 is etched over the entire effective area 22 when the first recess 30 is formed on the metal plate 21, according to the regular arrangement of the first recess 30 to be formed, The highest portion 32a having the maximum thickness is formed. The height at the highest portion 32a is a factor that determines the highest portion thickness ratio. A large number of the highest portions 32a exist in a regular arrangement in accordance with the arrangement of the first recesses 30 in a regular arrangement. According to the current etching technique, it is possible to control the thickness of the highest portion 32a as an average. In the present specification, the maximum thickness Ta in the effective region 22 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is the average value of the thicknesses at the highest portion 32a.

  When this inventor confirmed, when the highest part thickness ratio became 65% or less, the dispersion | variation in the height of the highest part 32a was able to be reduced rapidly. In addition, such a phenomenon is caused by the arrangement of the first recesses 30 (the arrangement of the through holes 25) in the vapor deposition mask having a general aperture ratio used when vapor-depositing an organic material on the substrate at the time of manufacturing the organic EL display device. Regardless of the grid arrangement shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 20, for example, the staggered arrangement shown in FIG. That is, in the vapor deposition mask 20 used when vapor-depositing an organic material on the substrate at the time of manufacturing the organic EL display device, the average thickness value at the maximum portion 32a is highly accurate by setting the maximum thickness ratio to 65% or less. It is possible to effectively reduce the variation in the thickness of the highest portion 32a in the effective region 22 and accurately control the thickness of each highest portion 32a located in the effective region 22 It becomes. As a result, by setting the maximum thickness ratio to 65% or less, the occurrence of shadows can be effectively prevented regardless of the arrangement of the first recesses 30 and the thickness of the metal plate 21 forming the vapor deposition mask 20. We were able to. Such an operational effect is remarkable beyond the range predicted from the prior art that considered only the inclination angle of the wall surface of the through hole.

  On the other hand, as described above, the ratio of the maximum thickness Ta in the effective region 22 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask to the maximum thickness Tb in the surrounding region 23 along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask (maximum thickness ratio). From a viewpoint of the intensity | strength of a vapor deposition mask, it is preferable that it is more than fixed. The vapor deposition mask 20 is stretched on the frame 15. A vapor deposition mask having a low maximum thickness ratio is deformed when stretched. As a result, with a vapor deposition mask having a low maximum thickness ratio, vapor deposition with a desired pattern cannot be performed. Specifically, if the maximum thickness ratio is lowered, the amount of deviation from the position (design position) where the vapor deposition material is to be disposed on the substrate on which the vapor deposition material is to be deposited to the position where the vapor deposition material is actually deposited Even if the average value can be suppressed to a small value, the variation in the deviation amount becomes large. When the inventor has examined this point, when the maximum thickness ratio (Ta / Tb) is 45% or more, it is used at the time of depositing an organic material on the substrate at least during the manufacture of the organic EL display device. It was possible to sufficiently prevent the deformation of the vapor deposition mask having a general aperture ratio, and it was possible to carry out vapor deposition with the accuracy required for a commercially available display device.

  Furthermore, as a result of extensive research, the present inventors have arranged the through-holes 25 (the first concave portions 30 accordingly) in a lattice arrangement from the viewpoint of suppressing deformation of the vapor deposition mask 20 during stretching. , Found to be effective. In the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the through holes 25 (according to this, the first recesses 30) are arranged in a lattice arrangement, at least the manufacture of an organic EL display device is achieved even if the maximum thickness ratio (Ta / Tb) is 35%. Deformation of a vapor deposition mask having a general aperture ratio, which is sometimes used when vapor-depositing an organic material on a substrate, can be sufficiently prevented. With this vapor deposition mask, vapor deposition can be performed with the accuracy required for a commercial display device. Could be implemented.

  Here, a part of the experimental results conducted by the present inventors will be described. Here, an experimental result regarding the first vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a lattice arrangement and an experimental result concerning the second vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a staggered arrangement will be described. In addition, the arrangement | sequence of the through-hole of the vapor deposition mask used as manufacture object was made as shown in FIG.20 and FIG.21. In the lattice arrangement shown in FIG. 20, the through holes are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the x-axis direction, and are also arranged at a predetermined pitch in the y-axis direction orthogonal to the x-axis. In the staggered arrangement shown in FIG. 21, the through-hole group arranged in the y-axis direction has an arrangement pitch of the through-holes in the y-axis direction with another through-hole group adjacent to the through-hole group in the x-axis direction. It differs from the lattice arrangement shown in FIG. 20 in that it is shifted by half.

  First, by the above-described method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, the first concave portion and the second concave portion were formed on the metal plate, and the vapor deposition mask having a through hole including the first concave portion and the second concave portion was manufactured. In this vapor deposition mask, the wall surface of each of the first recesses merges with the wall surface of any other recess located around the recess over the entire circumference, or the recess in a part of the entire circumference. Connecting to the first surface of the metal plate extending into a region that joins the wall surface of any other recess located around the periphery and forms the peripheral region in the other part of the entire circumference I tried to do it. The metal plate used as the raw material for the vapor deposition mask was an Invar material. The thickness of the invar material was set to various thicknesses as shown in Tables 1 to 8. Moreover, in the metal plate of each thickness, the target value of the maximum thickness ratio was variously changed as shown in Tables 1-8.

  About each actually manufactured vapor deposition mask, the thickness in the highest part where thickness becomes the maximum according to the arrangement | sequence of a 1st recessed part was measured about the highest part of 300 places, and the highest part thickness ratio was calculated, respectively. The average value and the standard deviation σ were calculated from the calculated maximum thickness ratio. For the measurement of the thickness at the highest portion, a laser length measuring device (OLS-3000) manufactured by Olympus Corporation was used. In the lattice arrangement shown in FIG. 20, the highest portion 32a is formed at a position between the four through holes. On the other hand, in the staggered arrangement shown in FIG. 21, as shown in FIG. 21, in the linear region ls positioned between two through holes adjacent in the y-axis direction, for example, in the x-axis direction of the linear region ls. The highest portion 32a was formed at the center position or the end position in the x-axis direction of the linear region ls.

Table 1 shows the value of the standard deviation σ × 3 of the maximum thickness ratio for each first vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a lattice arrangement. Here, when the graph random variable X of the standard normal distribution conforms to N (μ, σ ² ), the probability that X is included in the range where the deviation from the average μ is ± 1σ or less is 68.27%, which is 95 if ± 2σ or less. .45%, and ± 3σ results in 99.73%. That is, σ × 3 is an index for predicting the range of variation in the maximum thickness ratio. Moreover, the value of the actual measurement average value of the highest part thickness ratio about each 1st vapor deposition mask is shown in Table 2a and Table 2b. The measured average value of the maximum thickness ratio was within the target value ± 1.5%. Moreover, from the results of Table 1, it can be understood that when the maximum thickness ratio is 65% or less, the thickness at the highest portion is stabilized in each first vapor deposition mask. The same results as in Table 1 were obtained for the vapor deposition masks other than the lattice arrangement.

  Next, each of the produced deposition masks was stretched on a frame to produce a deposition mask device. Using the produced vapor deposition mask device, an organic material as a vapor deposition material was vapor-deposited on a glass substrate to produce a sample assuming an organic EL display device substrate. Thereafter, each sample was checked for the presence or absence of shadows. Tables 2a and 2b show the results of confirming whether or not there is a shadow for each first vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a lattice arrangement. As shown in Table 2a and Table 2b, when a vapor deposition mask having a maximum portion thickness ratio of 70% in which the thickness at the highest portion was not stable was used, a shadow was generated.

  In addition, for each sample, the amount of deviation from the design placement position of the deposition material, that is, the deposition material is actually deposited from the position (design position) where the deposition material should be placed on the glass substrate on which the deposition material is to be deposited. The deviation amount up to the measured position was measured at 300 locations, and the standard deviation σ was calculated from the measured deviation amount. The values of standard deviation σ × 3 are shown in Tables 4-8. The values of the standard deviation σ × 3 for each first vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a lattice arrangement are also shown in Tables 2a and 2b. In Tables 2a and 2b, “standard deviation σ × 3” is 10.0 [μm] or less, and a circle in the overall evaluation column is marked for samples in which no shadow is generated. The standard of “standard deviation σ × 3” ≦ 10.0 [μm] or less is a higher standard than the adhesion accuracy of organic materials required when manufacturing a commercially available organic EL display device. Yes.

As shown in Tables 4 to 8, the first vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a lattice arrangement is more suitable for the vapor deposition position of the vapor deposition material than the second vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a staggered arrangement. It was possible to suppress variation in the amount of deviation. As shown in Table 2a and Table 2b, in the first vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a lattice arrangement, variation in the vapor deposition position of the vapor deposition material is suppressed by setting the maximum thickness ratio to 35% or more. That is, the deposition material could be deposited in a desired pattern. As shown in Tables 3 to 8, in the second vapor deposition mask in which the through holes are arranged in a staggered arrangement, variation in the vapor deposition position of the vapor deposition material is suppressed by setting the maximum thickness ratio to 45% or more. That is, the deposition material could be deposited in a desired pattern. Note that the vapor deposition mask in which the shape of the through hole is changed from a square shape to a circular or rectangular shape, and the vapor deposition mask in which the orientation of the quadrangle forming the through hole is changed are also shown in Table 2a if the through hole arrangement is a lattice arrangement. Table 2b, the same results as the lattice arrangement of Tables 3 to 8 were obtained, and if the through hole arrangement was a staggered arrangement, the same results as the staggered arrangement of Tables 3 to 8 were obtained.

  Note that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of modification will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals as those used for the corresponding parts in the above-described embodiment are used, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

  First, as a first modification, the method of forming the through hole 25 in the long metal plate 64 can be changed. In the above-described embodiment, the step of forming the second concave portion 35 is performed before the step of forming the first concave portion 30, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the step of forming the first concave portion 30 is performed. The metal plate 21, 64 may be etched simultaneously from the first surface 21a, 64a and the second surface 21b, 64b side, before the step of forming the second recess 35. The step of forming the first recess 30 and the step of forming the second recess 35 may be performed in parallel. Further, since the erosion amount of the long metal plate 64 by etching when forming the first recess 30 is larger than the erosion amount of the long metal plate 64 by etching when forming the second recess 35, FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the metal plates 21 and 64 are simultaneously etched from both sides of the first surfaces 21a and 64a and the second surfaces 21b and 64b, and the step of forming the first recess 30 and the step of forming the second recess 35 are parallel. After that, only the step of forming the first recess 30 may be continuously performed.

  In the above-described embodiment, both the production of the resist pattern 65a on the first surface 64a of the long metal plate 64 and the production of the resist pattern 65b on the second surface 64b of the long metal plate 64 are performed. Although implemented before the formation of the first recess 30 and the second recess 35, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, one recess is formed by using a resist pattern produced by producing one of the resist patterns 65a and 65b, and then the other resist pattern produced by producing the other resist pattern is used. A recess may be formed.

  Next, a second modification will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the second concave portion 35 is formed by etching has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 16, first, the first recess 30 is formed by etching from the first surfaces 21a, 64a side of the metal plates 21, 64, and then, as shown in FIG. 17, a laser irradiator 80 is used. By irradiating the first concave portion 30 with laser light, the second concave portion 35 that reaches the second surfaces 21b and 64b of the metal plates 21 and 64 from the inside of the first concave portion 30 may be formed.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the 1st recessed part 30 is produced by half-etching the metal plates 21 and 64 from the 1st surface 21a, 64a side using the resist pattern 65a. At this time, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the metal plates 21 and 64 are etched from the first surfaces 21a and 64a side so that two adjacent first recesses 30 are joined together, and at least one first If the wall surface 31 of the recess 30 joins the wall surface 31 of any other first recess 30 located around the one first recess 30 over the entire circumference, the above-described implementation The same effect as the form can be achieved.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, when the laser beam is irradiated from the half-etched first surface (64a) side, the energy density of the laser beam is generally higher in the central portion and lower in the outer peripheral portion. Due to the nature, the width of the second recess 35 formed by laser light irradiation becomes narrower from one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 to the other side, like the first recess 30. In other words, the cross-sectional area can be reduced. According to the vapor deposition mask 20 formed in this way, the through holes 25 taper as a whole from the first surface 20a side to the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20, so that the vapor deposition material 98 is formed. While improving the utilization efficiency, the periphery of the deposited film can be made clear.

  Next, a third modification will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the vapor deposition mask 20 is formed by forming the through holes 25 in the metal plates 21 and 64 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 18, the metal plate 21 is etched by etching from the metal plate 21 (64) side of the laminate 51 having the metal plate 21 (64) and the resin layer 50 laminated on the metal plate 21 (64). First recess 30 that penetrates (64) and reaches resin layer 50 is formed, and then laser beam is irradiated into first recess 30 using laser irradiator 80, thereby penetrating resin layer 50. The second recess 35 may be formed.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the 1st recessed part 30 is produced by etching the metal plates 21 and 64 using the resist pattern 65a. At this time, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the metal plates 21 and 64 are etched, the two adjacent first concave portions 30 are joined, and the wall surface 31 of at least one first concave portion 30 is the entire surface. If it joins with the wall surface 31 of one of the other 1st recessed parts 30 located around the said 1st recessed part 30 over the circumference | surroundings, there will exist an effect similar to embodiment mentioned above. Can do.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 19, the second recess 35 formed by laser light irradiation is from one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask 20 to the other side, like the first recess 30. On the other hand, the width can be reduced, in other words, the cross-sectional area can be reduced. According to the vapor deposition mask 20 formed in this way, the through holes 25 taper as a whole from the first surface 20a side to the second surface 20b side of the vapor deposition mask 20, so that the vapor deposition material 98 is formed. While improving the utilization efficiency, the periphery of the deposited film can be made clear.

  As yet another modification, in the above-described embodiment, when a plurality of through holes 25 arranged along two different arrangement directions are formed, one first through hole 25 is provided. Although the example which forms the 1 recessed part 30 and the one 2nd recessed part 35 was shown, it is not restricted to this. For example, an elongated first recess 30 extending in one arrangement direction of the through holes 25 is produced, and a plurality of second recesses 35 are formed at positions facing the elongated first recess 30. Good. Also in such an example, two adjacent first recesses 30 merge, and the wall surface 31 of at least one first recess 30 extends around the one first recess 30 over the entire circumference. If it joins with the wall surface 31 of any other 1st recessed part 30 located, there can exist an effect similar to embodiment mentioned above.

  As yet another modification, the pattern of the through holes 25 formed in the vapor deposition mask 20 may be changed. The arrangement pattern of the through holes 25 described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and the vapor deposition mask 20 in which the through holes 25 are arranged in various patterns may be manufactured.

  As another modification, in the above-described embodiment, after the through hole 25 is formed in the long metal plate 64, the long metal plate 64 is cut into the sheet-like metal plate 21 by the cutting device 73. Although shown, it is not limited to this. For example, when the second recess 35 is produced by laser light irradiation as in the above-described modification, first, the first recess 30 is formed in the long metal plate 64 (long laminate 51). Next, the long metal plate 64 (long laminate 51) is cut into the sheet metal plate 21 (sheet laminate 51) by the cutting device 73, and then the sheet metal plate 21 (leaf plate). You may make it form the 2nd recessed part 35 in the laminated body 51).

  In addition, although the some modification with respect to embodiment mentioned above was demonstrated above, naturally, it is also possible to apply combining several modifications suitably.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Deposition mask 20a First surface 20b of deposition mask Second surface 21 of deposition mask Metal plate 21a First surface 21b of metal plate Second surface 22 of metal plate Effective region 23 Peripheral region 25 Through hole 30 First recess 31 Wall surface 35 Second recess 36 Wall surface 64 Long metal plate 64a First surface 64b of long metal plate Second surface of long metal plate

Claims (16)

A method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask comprising an effective area in which a plurality of through-holes are formed and a peripheral area located around the effective area,
The metal plate is etched from the first surface side using the resist pattern disposed on the first surface of the metal plate having the first surface and the second surface facing each other to form the effective area. In the region of the metal plate, comprising a step of forming a recess that defines the through hole from the first surface side,
In the step of forming the recess, erosion by etching proceeds in the direction along the plate surface of the metal plate, two adjacent recesses merge under the resist pattern, and the wall surface of at least one recess is Over its entire circumference, it merges with the wall surface of any other recess located around the one recess,
The recesses are formed in a lattice arrangement on the first surface of the metal plate,
In the step of forming the recess, the maximum thickness along the normal direction of the metal plate in a region that forms the effective region is 35% or more and 65% or less of the maximum thickness of the metal plate before etching. A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.   The wall surface of the concave portion merges with the wall surface of any other concave portion located around the concave portion over the entire circumference, or another portion located around the concave portion in a part of the whole circumference. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate joins the wall surface of any one of the recesses and extends into a region that forms the surrounding region in another part of the entire circumference thereof, and is connected to the first surface of the metal plate. Method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.   3. The method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of forming the recess, the resist pattern is separated from the metal plate within the entire region of the metal plate that forms the effective region. .   4. The step of forming the concave portion, wherein the erosion of the first surface by etching proceeds in the entire region of the metal plate that forms the effective region. 5. A method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask.   In the step of forming the concave portion, the merging portion formed by joining the two adjacent concave portions is separated from the resist pattern, and erosion due to etching is normal to the metal plate at the merging portion below the resist pattern. The manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask as described in any one of Claims 1-4 which progress also to a direction and the said joining part is chamfered. Etching the metal plate from the second surface side using the resist pattern disposed on the second surface of the metal plate as a mask, and further forming a second recess from the second surface side. ,
The said recessed part and the said 2nd recessed part are formed so that the said recessed part and the said 2nd recessed part may connect, and the said 2nd recessed part is manufactured, The vapor deposition mask manufacture as described in any one of Claims 1-5. Method. A laser beam is irradiated into each recess formed from the side of the first surface so as not to penetrate the metal plate, thereby forming a second recess reaching the second surface of the metal plate from the inside of the recess. Further comprising the step of:
The said recessed part and the said 2nd recessed part are formed so that the said recessed part and the said 2nd recessed part may connect, and the said 2nd recessed part is manufactured, The vapor deposition mask manufacture as described in any one of Claims 1-5. Method. An effective area in which a plurality of through holes are formed;
A peripheral region located around the effective area, a deposition mask Ru provided with,
In the effective region, a plurality of recesses that are widened toward the one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask are provided, and the recesses define a through hole. And
The wall surface of at least one recess joins with the wall surface of any other recess located around the recess over the entire circumference,
The maximum thickness in the effective region along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is 35% or more and 65% or less of the maximum thickness in the surrounding region along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask,
The said recessed part is a vapor deposition mask arranged in the grid | lattice arrangement | sequence.   The wall surface of the concave portion is joined to the wall surface of any other concave portion located around the concave portion over the entire circumference, or is located around the concave portion in a part of the entire circumference. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 8, wherein the vapor deposition mask merges with a wall surface of any one of the other recesses and extends into the surrounding region at another portion of the entire circumference.   The vapor deposition mask according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a surface on one side of the vapor deposition mask is an uneven surface in the entire region within the effective region.   The ridgeline is formed when the wall surface of the concave portion and the wall surface of the other concave portion merge, and the height of the ridgeline along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask varies. The vapor deposition mask according to claim 1.   The height of the wall surface of the concave portion that merges with the wall surface of the other concave portion along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is the plate of the vapor deposition mask from the through portion of the through hole defined by the concave portion. The vapor deposition mask according to any one of claims 8 to 11, which increases as a distance along the surface increases.   The cross section along the normal line direction of the said vapor deposition mask WHEREIN: The outer contour of the confluence | merging part where the wall surface of two recessed parts merges becomes a chamfered shape, It is any one of Claims 8-12. Vapor deposition mask.   In the cross section along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask, the outer contour of the merged portion where the wall surfaces of the two concave portions meet is a curved shape that is convex toward one side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask. The vapor deposition mask as described in any one of Claims 8-13.   In the effective region, a second recess that is widened toward the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask is provided, and the recess and the second recess are connected to each other. The vapor deposition mask as described in any one of Claims 8-14 in which the said through-hole is formed.   In the effective region, a second recess that decreases in width toward the other side is provided on the other side along the normal direction of the vapor deposition mask, and the recess and the second recess are connected to each other. The vapor deposition mask as described in any one of Claims 8-14 in which the said through-hole is formed.

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