MASK FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR THIN FILM DEPOSITION

• US 20110168087A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Choong-Ho, Lee, Jung-Min, Oh, Yoon-Chan
• Granted Patent: US 8,746,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/504
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/042 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/10 Moulds; Masks; Masterforms
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/68 Preparation processes not covered by groups G03F1/20 - G03F1/50
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/166 using selective deposition, e.g. using a mask

Abstract

A mask frame assembly for thin film deposition includes a frame having an opening and at least two unit masks having end parts in a longitudinal direction fixed to the frame, each of the unit masks comprising first regions and second regions, the first regions having unit masking patterns, each of the unit masking patterns having a plurality of openings for thin film deposition, the unit masking pattern being spaced apart from each other, each of the second regions being interposed between a pair of adjacent ones of the first regions, the first regions having a first thickness from a first surface of the unit masks, and at least a portion of the second regions having a second thickness from a second surface of the unit masks opposite to the first surface of the unit masks, such that the first regions and the at least the portion of the second regions are offset from each other in a direction normal to the first and second surfaces. A plurality of unit masks are each half etched from different surfaces and thus a height of wrinkles generated in the mask of the mask frame assembly may be reduced.

Claims

1. A mask frame assembly for thin film deposition, the mask frame assembly comprising:

a frame having an opening; and

at least two unit masks having end parts in a longitudinal direction fixed to the frame, each of the unit masks comprising first regions and second regions, the first regions having unit masking patterns, each of the unit masking patterns having a plurality of openings for thin film deposition, the unit masking pattern being spaced apart from each other, each of the second regions being interposed between a pair of adjacent ones of the first regions, the first regions having a first thickness from a first surface of the unit masks, and at least a portion of the second regions having a second thickness from a second surface of the unit masks opposite to the first surface of the unit masks, such that the first regions and the at least the portion of the second regions are offset from each other in a direction normal to the first and second surfaces.

2. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the first regions have the first thickness by half etching from the second surface and the at least the portion of the second regions have the second thickness by half etching from the first surface.

3. The mask frame assembly of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the unit masks before etching is t₀, the first thickness is half of t₀ from the first surface and the second thickness is half of t₀ from the second surface.

4. The mask frame assembly of claim 2, wherein the first regions are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the unit masks and each of the second regions extend in a width direction of the unit masks between the pair of adjacent ones of the first regions.

5. The mask frame assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the second regions comprises:

first parts extended from edges of the pair of adjacent ones of the first regions; and

a second part half etched between the first parts to form the at least the portion of the second region.

6. The mask frame assembly of claim 4, further comprising:

third regions having a third thickness at edges of the first regions along the width direction of the unit masks, and fourth regions having a fourth thickness at edges of the second regions along the width direction of the unit masks.

7. The mask frame assembly of claim 6, wherein the third regions have the third thickness by half etching from the first surface of the unit masks.

8. The mask frame assembly of claim 7, wherein a thickness of the unit masks before etching is t₀, the third thickness is half of t₀ from the second surface and the fourth thickness is t₀.

9. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the first surface is a surface for contacting a substrate to be patterned.

10. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the openings for thin film deposition of the unit masking patterns have dot patterns or stripe patterns.

11. A mask frame assembly for thin film deposition, the mask frame assembly comprising:

a frame having an opening; and

at least two unit masks having end parts in a longitudinal direction fixed to the frame, each of the unit masks comprising first regions and second regions, the first regions having unit masking patterns, each of the unit masking patterns having a plurality of openings for thin film deposition, the unit masking pattern being spaced apart from each other, each of the second regions on which the unit masking patterns are not formed is adjacent respective ones of the first regions, and the first regions and at least a portion of the second regions have thicknesses, respectively, from different surfaces of the unit masks, such that the first regions and the at least the portion of the second regions are offset from each other in a driection normal to the first and second surfaces.

12. The mask frame assembly of claim 11, wherein the first regions are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the unit masks, the second regions are between the first regions, and third regions are regions formed at edges of the first regions along a width direction of the unit masks, wherein the first regions have a first thickness from a first surface of the unit masks, and the at least a portion of the second regions and the third regions have a second and third thickness, respectively, from a second surface of the unit masks that is opposite to the first surface of the unit masks.

13. The mask frame assembly of claim 12, wherein the first regions have the first thickness by half etching from the second surface of the unit mask, and the at least the portion of the second regions and the third regions have the second and third thicknesses, respectively, by half etching from the first surface.

14. The mask frame assembly of claim 13, wherein a thickness of the unit masks before etching is t₀, the first thickness is half of t₀ from the first surface and the second thickness is half of t₀ from the second surface.

15. The mask frame assembly of claim 14, wherein each of the second regions comprises:

first parts extended from edges of a pair of adjacent ones of the first regions; and

a second part half etched between the first parts to form the at least the portion of the second region.

16. The mask frame assembly of claim 14, further comprising fourth regions having a fourth thickness at edges of the second regions.

17. The mask frame assembly of claim 16, wherein the fourth thickness is t₀.

18. The mask frame assembly of claim 11, wherein the first surface is a surface for contacting a substrate to be patterned.

19. The mask frame assembly of claim 11, wherein the openings for thin film deposition of the unit masking patterns have dot patterns or stripe patterns.