JP2014067500A - Method of producing material for vapor deposition mask, method of manufacturing vapor deposition mask - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of producing a material for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask in which both high definition and lightweight can be satisfied even when it is up-sized.SOLUTION: A material for vapor deposition mask formed by laminating a metal mask provided with slits and a thermosetting resin layer located on the surface of the metal mask is produced by a step for coating one side of a metal plate with a thermosetting resin, a step for forming a thermosetting resin layer by temporarily curing or curing the thermosetting resin thus applied on condition that an oxide film is not formed on the surface of the metal plate, a step for forming a metal mask by etching the metal plate from the other side and forming slits penetrating only the metal plate, and a step for forming an oxide film on the surface of the metal mask, by heating the metal mask and the thermosetting resin layer located on one side thereof.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a deposition mask material and a method for manufacturing a deposition mask.

  Conventionally, in the manufacture of an organic EL element, the organic layer or cathode electrode of the organic EL element is formed of, for example, a metal in which a large number of minute slits are arranged in parallel at minute intervals in a region to be deposited. A vapor deposition mask was used. When using this vapor deposition mask, the vapor deposition mask is simply placed on the surface of the substrate to be vapor-deposited and held using a magnet from the back, but the rigidity of the slit is extremely small, so the vapor deposition mask is held on the substrate surface. In this case, the slits are apt to be distorted, which has been an obstacle to the increase in the size of products with high definition or a long slit length.

  Various studies have been made on the vapor deposition mask for preventing the distortion of the slit. For example, Patent Document 1 covers a base plate that also serves as a first metal mask having a plurality of openings, and covers the openings. There has been proposed a vapor deposition mask having a second metal mask having a large number of fine slits in the region and a mask tension holding means for positioning the second metal mask on the base plate in a state where the second metal mask is pulled in the longitudinal direction of the slit. That is, a vapor deposition mask in which two kinds of metal masks are combined has been proposed. According to this vapor deposition mask, it is said that the slit accuracy can be ensured without causing distortion in the slit.

  Recently, with the increase in size of products using organic EL elements or the increase in substrate size, there is an increasing demand for deposition masks, which are used in the manufacture of deposition masks made of metal. Metal plates are also getting bigger. However, with the current metal processing technology, it is difficult to accurately form a slit in a large metal plate, and even if the slit portion can be prevented from being distorted by the method proposed in Patent Document 1 above, Cannot cope with high definition of slits. Further, in the case of a vapor deposition mask made of only metal, the mass increases with an increase in size, and the total mass including the frame also increases, resulting in trouble in handling.

JP 2003-332057 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a method for producing a deposition mask material used for producing a deposition mask that can satisfy both high definition and weight reduction even when the size is increased, It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask using the vapor deposition mask material obtained by the production method.

  The present invention for solving the above problems is a method for producing a deposition mask material, in which a metal mask provided with slits and a thermosetting resin layer located on one surface of the metal mask are laminated. And applying a thermosetting resin on one surface of the metal plate and heating the applied thermosetting resin by pre-curing or curing the applied thermosetting resin under the condition that no oxide film is formed on the surface of the metal plate. Forming a cured resin layer, etching from the other surface side of the metal plate, forming a metal mask by forming a slit penetrating only the metal plate, the metal mask and one of the metal masks And a step of forming an oxide film on the surface of the metal mask by heating the thermosetting resin layer located on the surface.

  Another aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a metal mask provided with a slit, and a resin mask provided on one surface of the metal mask and provided with an opening corresponding to a pattern to be deposited. And a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask, wherein the coating is performed under a condition in which a thermosetting resin is applied to one surface of a metal plate and an oxide film is not formed on the surface of the metal plate. A step of forming a thermosetting resin layer by temporarily curing or curing the cured thermosetting resin, and etching the metal plate from the other surface side to form a slit penetrating only the metal plate. A step of forming a mask, a step of forming an oxide film on the surface of the metal mask by heating the metal mask and the thermosetting resin layer located on one surface thereof, and vapor deposition on the thermosetting resin layer A step of forming a resin mask by forming an opening corresponding to the turn, and having a.

  According to the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask material and the method for manufacturing a vapor deposition mask of the present invention, a vapor deposition mask that can satisfy both high definition and light weight even when the size is increased can be manufactured with a high yield. Furthermore, since the deposition mask material and the deposition mask obtained by the manufacturing method of the present invention have an oxide film formed on the surface of the metal mask constituting the material, the mechanical strength and chemical resistance of the metal mask are improved. be able to.

It is process drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask material concerning this embodiment. It is process drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the relationship between a shadow and the thickness of a metal mask. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the relationship between the irradiation direction of a laser, and the cross-sectional shape of the opening part of a resin mask.

(Method for producing vapor deposition mask material)
Below, the manufacturing method of the material for vapor deposition mask concerning embodiment of this invention is demonstrated concretely using drawing.

  FIG. 1 is a process diagram for explaining a method for producing a deposition mask material according to the present embodiment. Note that (a) to (f) are all cross-sectional views.

  First, as shown to Fig.1 (a), the process of apply | coating the thermosetting resin 20 to one surface (in the figure lower surface) of the metal plate 10 is performed.

  As the metal plate 10 used here, since it finally becomes a metal mask, a conventionally well-known thing can be suitably selected and used in the field of a vapor deposition mask, for example, stainless steel, an iron nickel alloy, etc. And metal materials such as aluminum alloys. Among them, an invar material that is an iron-nickel alloy can be suitably used because it is less deformed by heat. Further, when a vapor deposition mask is produced using the vapor deposition mask material obtained by the production method according to the present embodiment, when performing desired vapor deposition using the vapor deposition mask, a magnet or the like is provided behind the vapor deposition object. If it is necessary to attract the vapor deposition mask in front of the vapor deposition object by magnetic force, the metal plate 10 is preferably formed of a magnetic material. Examples of the magnetic metal plate 10 include pure iron, carbon steel, W steel, Cr steel, Co steel, KS steel, MK steel, NKS steel, Cunico steel, and an Al—Fe alloy. Further, when the metal plate 10 itself is not a magnetic material, magnetism may be imparted by dispersing the magnetic material powder in the material.

  The thickness of the metal plate 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 5 μm to 100 μm. Considering prevention of shadows during vapor deposition, the metal plate 10 is preferably thin. However, if it is thinner than 5 μm, the risk of breakage and deformation increases and handling may be difficult. However, in the vapor deposition mask material obtained by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, since the metal plate 10 is laminated with a thermosetting resin layer to be described later, the thickness of the metal plate 10 is as thin as 5 μm. Even so, the risk of breakage and deformation can be reduced, and a thickness of 5 μm or more can be used. When the thickness is greater than 100 μm, shadows may be generated, which is not preferable. A mechanism capable of effectively preventing the occurrence of shadow will be described later.

  As the thermosetting resin 20 applied to one surface of the metal plate 10 as described above, since it will be a resin mask in the future, a high-definition opening 25 can be formed by laser processing or the like. In addition, it is preferable to use a lightweight material having a small dimensional change rate and moisture absorption rate over time. Examples of such materials include polyimide resin, polyamide resin, polyamideimide resin, polyester resin, polyethylene resin, polyvinyl alcohol resin, polypropylene resin, polycarbonate resin, polystyrene resin, polyacrylonitrile resin, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin, ethylene- Examples thereof include vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyvinylidene chloride resin, cellophane, and ionomer resin. Among the materials exemplified above, a resin material having a thermal expansion coefficient of 16 ppm / ° C. or less is preferable, a resin material having a moisture absorption rate of 1.0% or less is preferable, and a resin material having both conditions is particularly preferable. .

  Although the thickness of the thermosetting resin 20 is not particularly limited, as described above, since the thermosetting resin 20 will be a resin mask in the future, when vapor deposition is performed, the vapor deposition is insufficient for the pattern to be deposited. It is necessary to prevent a portion, that is, a vapor deposition portion having a film thickness thinner than a target vapor deposition thickness, that is, a so-called shadow, and from this viewpoint, the thermosetting resin 20 is preferably as thin as possible. However, if the thickness is less than 5 μm, defects such as pinholes are likely to occur, and the risk of deformation and the like increases. On the other hand, although it depends on the thickness of the metal plate 10, if it exceeds 25 μm, a shadow may be generated. Considering this point, the thickness of the thermosetting resin 20 is preferably 5 μm or more and 25 μm or less. A mechanism capable of effectively preventing the occurrence of shadow will be described later.

  The method for applying the thermosetting resin 20 to the metal plate 10 is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected from conventionally known various application methods. Specific examples include comma coating, knife coating, and die coating.

  In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the applied thermosetting resin 20 is then temporarily cured or formed under the condition that no oxide film is formed on the surface of the metal plate 10. A step of forming the thermosetting resin layer 21 by curing is performed.

  Here, “preliminarily curing or curing the thermosetting resin 20 to form the thermosetting resin layer 21” means that the thermosetting resin 20 is etched in the subsequent etching of the metal plate 10. It means to be cured to such an extent that it is not affected by the agent and does not flow down from the surface of the metal plate, and the specific curing condition may be appropriately adjusted depending on the type of resin used. In addition, “the condition under which the oxide film is not formed on the surface of the metal plate 10” means that when the oxide film is formed on the surface of the metal plate 10, the oxide film is formed in the subsequent etching step of the metal plate 10. Means that such an oxide film is not formed, because it becomes an obstacle to etching and the desired etching cannot be performed, and the type of metal plate used and the temperature at which the thermosetting resin is temporarily cured or cured It is necessary to adjust appropriately depending on the atmosphere and atmosphere.

  Specifically, for example, when an invar material is used as the metal plate 10 and a polyimide is used as the thermosetting resin 20, the surface of the invar material is heated by heating at a temperature of 200 ° C. or less in the atmosphere. The thermosetting resin layer 20 can be formed by temporarily curing polyimide without forming a strong oxide film that inhibits the progress of acid etching. Further, by heating at a temperature of 350 ° C. in an oxygen-free atmosphere, for example, in a nitrogen atmosphere, the polyimide is cured and the thermosetting resin layer 20 is formed without forming an oxide film on the surface of the invar material. be able to.

  Next, in the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1C to 1E, etching is performed from the surface side (upper surface side in the drawing) of the metal plate 10 that is not in contact with the thermosetting resin layer 31. A step of forming a metal mask by processing and forming a slit that penetrates only the metal plate 10 is performed.

  The etching process performed in this step is not particularly limited as long as the metal mask can be completed by forming a desired slit. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 1C, a resist 31 is applied to the surface of the metal plate 10 that does not contact the thermosetting resin layer 21, and a mask 31 on which a slit pattern is formed is used. Then, the resist material 30 is masked, exposed and developed. Thus, a resist pattern 32 is formed on the surface of the metal plate 10 as shown in FIG. Then, using the resist pattern 32 as an etching resistant mask, only the metal plate 10 is etched, and the resist pattern is washed and removed after the etching is completed. Thereby, as shown in FIG.1 (e), the slit 11 is formed only in the metal plate 10, and the metal mask 12 can be obtained. In addition, for example, a spray etching method in which an etching material is sprayed from a spray nozzle at a predetermined spray pressure, an immersion etching method in which the etching material is immersed in an etching solution filled with the etching material, and the metal plate 10 is attached to a turntable. Further, a wet etching method such as a spin etching method in which an etching material is dropped, or a dry etching method using gas, plasma, or the like can be used. Further, the etching material is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known etching material capable of eroding and removing the metal material of the metal plate 10 can be appropriately selected and used. For example, hydrofluoric acid or the like can be given as an etching material used for wet etching. As an etching material used for dry etching, a gas such as carbon tetrafluoride can be used. The shape and size of the slit 11 to be formed are not particularly limited and can be freely designed.

  Further, as the resist material used here, it is preferable to use a resist material having good processability and desired resolution. Further, the etching agent used in the etching process is not particularly limited, and a known etching agent may be appropriately selected. More specifically, the resist material may be a positive resist material or a negative resist material. As the positive resist material, OFPR800, TFR-H, TFR-790, etc., manufactured by Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. can be used. Further, there is no limitation on the developer for forming a resist pattern by development. For example, when resist material OFPR800 manufactured by Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. is used as the resist material, NMD-3 manufactured by Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. can be used as the developer. In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, since the oxide film is not formed on the surface of the metal plate 10, the etching is not hindered, so that the etching can be performed with a desired resolution.

  In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 (f), an oxide film is then formed on the surface of the metal mask 12 by heating the metal mask 12 and the thermosetting resin layer 21 located on the surface thereof. Step 13 is formed.

  In this way, by performing heating again at the stage where the metal mask 12 is formed, by forming the oxide film 13 on the surface of the metal mask 12, the strength of the metal mask 12 can be increased, and the The chemical resistance of the metal mask 12 can also be improved. As a result, when it is finally used as a vapor deposition mask, the strength is high, so that the size can be further increased, and the durability of the vapor deposition mask is improved when it is used for a long period of time by washing with an acid or the like. be able to.

  In this step, the heating may be performed under the condition that the oxide film 13 is formed on the surface of the metal mask 12, and the specific condition may be appropriately set in consideration of the material of the metal mask 12 and the like. Good. For example, when the metal mask 12 is made of an invar material as described above, an oxide film can be formed by heating at 350 ° C. in the atmosphere. In addition, according to the said process, even if it is a case where the thermosetting resin layer 21 is a temporary-cured state, it can be fully cured.

  Through the above steps, the vapor deposition mask material 40 can be obtained.

(Method for manufacturing vapor deposition mask)
Next, the manufacturing method of the vapor deposition mask concerning embodiment of this invention is demonstrated concretely using drawing.

  FIG. 2 is a process diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing a vapor deposition mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vapor deposition mask manufacturing method according to the present embodiment uses the vapor deposition mask material 40 manufactured by the vapor deposition mask material manufacturing method described in FIG. The step of forming the resin mask 23 is performed by forming the opening 22 corresponding to the pattern to be deposited on the thermosetting resin layer 21.

  The method for forming the opening 22 is not particularly limited. For example, a laser processing method for forming the opening 22 by irradiating the thermosetting resin layer 21 with a laser, a method for forming the opening 22 by etching, and physical means. For example, the method etc. which form the opening part 22 using a cutter etc. can be mentioned. Among these, the laser processing method is preferable in that the high-definition opening 22 can be easily formed. Hereinafter, description will be made mainly on the point that the opening 22 is formed in the thermosetting resin layer 21 using a laser processing method. In addition, the pattern produced by vapor deposition in the present specification means a pattern to be produced using the vapor deposition mask obtained by the production method of the present invention. For example, the vapor deposition mask is used for forming an organic layer of an organic EL element. When used, the vapor deposition pattern is in the form of the organic layer.

  The laser device used in this step is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known laser device may be used. Also, various conditions for laser irradiation, such as laser irradiation direction, laser output, and laser irradiation area, are not particularly limited and can be designed as appropriate. It is preferable to irradiate from the metal mask 12 side as shown in FIG. By irradiating the laser from this direction, the shape of the opening 22 formed in the thermosetting resin layer 21 can be formed into a so-called tapered shape as will be described later by utilizing the attenuation of laser energy. is there. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the laser is irradiated from the thermosetting resin layer 21 side, the opening 22 having the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. Although there is a possibility, by performing multi-stage laser irradiation by appropriately adjusting the laser irradiation position, irradiation energy, etc., or changing the irradiation position stepwise, as shown in FIG. It can also be set as the opening part 22 of the cross-sectional shape which spreads toward the side.

  There is no particular limitation on the shape and size of the opening 22 formed in the thermosetting resin layer 21 by the laser, and any shape and size corresponding to the pattern to be deposited may be used. Also, the horizontal pitch and the vertical pitch of the adjacent openings 22 can be set as appropriate according to the pattern to be deposited.

  There is no particular limitation on the cross-sectional shape of the opening 22, and the end faces of the resin mask 23 that form the opening 22 may be substantially parallel to each other, but the opening 22 has a cross-sectional shape that faces the vapor deposition source. The shape is preferably wide. In other words, it is preferable to have a tapered surface that expands toward the metal mask 12 side. By setting the cross-sectional shape of the opening 22 to the configuration, it is possible to prevent a shadow from being generated in the pattern to be created when vapor deposition is performed using the vapor deposition mask obtained by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment. Can do. The taper angle can be appropriately set in consideration of the thickness of the resin mask 23 and the like. However, the tip of the lower base in the opening 22 of the resin mask 23 and the tip of the upper base in the opening 22 of the resin mask 23 are connected. The angle is preferably in the range of 25 ° to 65 °. In particular, within this range, an angle smaller than the vapor deposition angle of the vapor deposition machine to be used is preferable. In FIG. 2, the end surface forming the opening 22 has a linear shape, but is not limited to this, and has an outwardly convex curved shape, that is, the entire shape of the opening 22 is It may be a bowl shape.

  Thereby, the vapor deposition mask 50 as shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. The vapor deposition mask 50 manufactured by the manufacturing method has a configuration in which the metal mask 12 and the resin mask 23 are combined. Here, when comparing the mass of the vapor deposition mask 50 with the mass of the vapor deposition mask composed only of a conventionally known metal, assuming that the thickness of the entire vapor deposition mask is the same, the metal of the conventionally known vapor deposition mask. The vapor deposition mask 50 manufactured by the manufacturing method becomes lighter as much as a part of the material is replaced with the resin material. In addition, in order to reduce the weight by using a vapor deposition mask made of only metal, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the vapor deposition mask. However, if the vapor deposition mask is thin, When the size is increased, the vapor deposition mask may be distorted or the durability may be reduced. On the other hand, according to the manufacturing method, even when the overall thickness of the vapor deposition mask is increased in order to satisfy distortion and durability when it is increased in size, only the metal is present due to the presence of the resin mask 23. It is possible to manufacture a vapor deposition mask that is lighter than the vapor deposition mask formed from the above. In addition, the strength can be improved by the amount of the oxide film formed on the surface of the metal mask 12, thereby increasing the size of the vapor deposition mask. Furthermore, since an oxide film is formed, it is excellent in chemical resistance and can be used for a long time even if it is washed several times with an acid or the like.

  The relationship between the slit pattern provided in the metal mask 12 and the opening 22 provided in the resin mask 23 is not particularly limited, and the slit provided in the metal mask 12 is a slit extending in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. Also, any arrangement can be taken with respect to the slit even in the opening 22 provided in the resin mask 23.

  FIG. 3 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the relationship between the generation of shadows and the slits 11 of the metal mask 12.

  Finally, the shadow will be described. The shadow referred to in the specification of the present application is insufficient for the pattern formed on the deposition object when the deposition pattern is formed on the deposition object using the deposition mask obtained by the production method of the present invention. This refers to a phenomenon in which a vapor deposition portion, that is, a vapor deposition portion having a film thickness thinner than a target vapor deposition film thickness occurs. Hereinafter, the relationship between the occurrence of shadows and the thickness of the metal mask 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c). As shown in FIG. 3A, when the thickness of the metal mask 12 is thin, the vapor deposition material released from the vapor deposition source toward the vapor deposition object is the inner wall surface of the slit of the metal mask 12 or the metal mask 12. It passes through the slit of the metal mask 12 and the opening 22 of the resin mask 23 without colliding with the surface on which the resin mask 23 is not formed, and reaches the deposition target. Thereby, it becomes possible to form a vapor deposition pattern with a uniform film thickness on the vapor deposition object. That is, the occurrence of shadows can be prevented. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the thickness of the metal mask 12 is thick, for example, when the thickness of the metal mask 12 exceeds 100 μm, a part of the vapor deposition material released from the vapor deposition source. Cannot collide with the inner wall surface of the slit of the metal mask 12 or the surface of the metal mask 12 where the resin mask 23 is not formed, and cannot reach the deposition target. As the amount of the vapor deposition material that cannot reach the vapor deposition target increases, an undeposited portion having a thickness smaller than the target vapor deposition thickness is generated on the vapor deposition target.

  In order to sufficiently prevent the generation of shadows, it is preferable to make the cross-sectional shape of the slit widen toward the vapor deposition source, as shown in FIG. With such a cross-sectional shape, even if the thickness of the metal mask 12 is made relatively large for the purpose of preventing distortion that may occur in the vapor deposition mask 50 or improving durability, it is emitted from the vapor deposition source. The deposited material can reach the deposition target without colliding with the surface of the slit or the inner wall surface. As a result, the occurrence of shadows can be more effectively prevented.

  Although there is no limitation on the use of the vapor deposition mask produced by the vapor deposition mask production method of the present invention described above, for example, the field where formation of a high-definition vapor deposition film is required, such as the organic layer of an organic EL element, It is suitable as a vapor deposition mask used for applications such as cathode electrode formation and organic semiconductor formation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Metal plate 11 ... Slit 12 ... Metal mask 20 ... Thermosetting resin 21 ... Thermosetting resin layer 22 ... Opening 23 ... Resin mask 40 ... Deposition mask material 50 ... Deposition mask

Claims (2)

A metal mask provided with a slit, and a thermosetting resin layer positioned on one surface of the metal mask, a method for producing a deposition mask material,
Applying a thermosetting resin to one side of the metal plate;
A step of forming a thermosetting resin layer by temporarily curing or curing the applied thermosetting resin under a condition that an oxide film is not formed on the surface of the metal plate;
Etching from the other side of the metal plate, forming a metal mask by forming a slit penetrating only the metal plate,
A step of forming an oxide film on the surface of the metal mask by heating the metal mask and the thermosetting resin layer located on one surface thereof;
The manufacturing method of the material for vapor deposition mask characterized by having. A vapor deposition mask manufacturing method in which a metal mask provided with a slit and a resin mask provided on one surface of the metal mask and provided with an opening corresponding to a pattern to be vapor-deposited are laminated. ,
Applying a thermosetting resin to one side of the metal plate;
A step of forming a thermosetting resin layer by temporarily curing or curing the applied thermosetting resin under a condition that an oxide film is not formed on the surface of the metal plate;
Etching from the other side of the metal plate, forming a metal mask by forming a slit penetrating only the metal plate,
A step of forming an oxide film on the surface of the metal mask by heating the metal mask and the thermosetting resin layer located on one surface thereof;
Forming a resin mask by forming an opening corresponding to a pattern to be deposited on the thermosetting resin layer;
A method for producing a vapor deposition mask, comprising:

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