MASK ASSEMBLY FOR THIN FILM VAPOR DEPOSITION AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140130735A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,187,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/504
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/042 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/166 using selective deposition, e.g. using a mask
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A mask assembly for a thin film deposition includes: a frame main body forming an opening; a plurality of unit masks having both ends fixed to the frame main body in a state that a tension force is applied in a first direction; and an end tension unit installed to the frame main body. The end tension unit moves according to a second direction crossing the first direction between two neighboring unit masks among a plurality of unit masks for tensioning of the unit mask in the second direction.

Claims

1. A mask assembly, comprising:

a frame main body forming an opening;

a plurality of unit masks having both ends fixed to the frame main body in a state that a tension force is applied in a first direction; and

an end tension unit installed to the frame main body and moving according to a second direction crossing the first direction between two neighboring unit masks among a plurality of unit masks to cause a tension of the unit mask in the second direction.

2. The mask assembly of claim 1, wherein

one end tension unit is provided between two neighboring unit masks.

3. The mask assembly of claim 2, wherein

the frame main body provides a plurality of concave grooves to install the end tension unit, and

the ends of the unit mask are fixed to a surface of the frame main body between the concave grooves.

4. The mask assembly of claim 3, wherein

the end tension unit includes:

a guide rail formed parallel to the second direction at a bottom of the concave groove;

a moving member coupled to the guide rail and sliding according to the second direction; and

a moving controller coupled to the moving member and controlling a moving direction and an amount of the movement of the moving member.

5. The mask assembly of claim 4, wherein

a width of the moving member is smaller than a width of the concave groove, and

a surface of the moving member is maintained with a same height of a surface of the frame main body.

6. The mask assembly of claim 4, wherein

the moving controller includes:

a rack coupling unit installed to a side wall of the moving member and including a rack; and

a driving axis including a pinion engaged with the rack.

7. The mask assembly of claim 6, wherein

the moving controller includes a guide coupling unit installed to the side wall of the concave groove, and

the guide coupling unit is surface-contacted with the rack coupling unit according to the second direction to guide the moving of the rack coupling unit.

8. The mask assembly of claim 1, wherein

the first direction accords with a length direction of the unit mask, and

the second direction accords with a width direction of the unit mask.

9. A method manufacturing a mask assembly, the method comprising:

providing a frame main body installed with a plurality of unit masks having ends formed with an extension and a plurality of end tension units;

performing tensioning of one unit mask among a plurality of unit masks in a first direction and fixing both ends of the unit mask to a surface of the frame main body;

fixing the extension to a moving member of the end tension unit;

moving the moving member according to a second direction crossing the first direction for the tensioning of the ends of the unit mask in the second direction; and

separating and removing the extension from the unit mask.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

the extension is provided in a pair for each end of the unit mask and is protruded outside the unit mask according to the second direction.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein

the frame main body provides a plurality of concave grooves,

the end tension unit is respectively installed to each of the plurality of concave grooves, and

each concave groove corresponds to a space between a plurality of unit masks one by one.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the end tension unit includes:

a guide rail formed in parallel to the second direction at a bottom of the concave groove;

a moving member coupled to the guide rail and sliding according to the second direction; and

a moving controller coupled to the moving member and controlling a moving direction and a moving amount of the moving member.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

a width of the moving member is smaller than a width of the concave groove, and

the surface of the moving member is maintained with a same height as the surface of the frame main body.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein

the moving controller includes:

a rack coupling unit installed to a side wall of the moving member and including a rack; and

a driving axis including a pinion engaged with the rack.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein

the moving member becomes farther away from the unit mask when the moving member is moved according to the second direction.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein

a plurality of unit masks include a first unit mask and a second unit mask,

the second unit mask is fixed beside the first unit mask after the first unit mask is fixed to the frame main body, and

one end tension unit is sequentially fixed to the extension of the first unit mask and the extension of the second unit mask.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein

the first direction accords with a length direction of the unit mask, and

the second direction accords with a width direction of the unit mask.