Organic electroluminescent device for fabricating shadow mask

• US 7,442,258 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Chang Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Tadesse; Yewebdar T
• Application Number:
  US10/829,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 118/504, 118/720, 118/721, 118/301, 118/505, 118/213, 313402-403, 313/407, 313/504, 438/531, 438/717, 438551-553, 204/298.11, 427/282, 427/66
• 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

Abstract

A shadow mask for uniformly forming an organic luminescent layer of an organic electroluminescent device is disclosed. The shadow mask includes a plurality of striped slots aligned in one direction, the striped slots having a plurality of inclined surfaces formed on each side thereof. Due to a step difference, the inclined surfaces prevent shadows from occurring, thereby uniformly forming the organic luminescent layer.

Claims

1. A mask for use during deposition of a luminescent layer of an organic electroluminescent device, the mask comprising:

a plurality of holes aligned uniformly and in parallel to each other along an axis of the mask, wherein an entire inner circumferential edge of the plurality of holes is formed by first and second angled surfaces, and wherein each of the plurality of holes has a shape and a size corresponding to a pixel region of the organic electroluminescent device such that each of the plurality of holes is configured to block an adjacent sub-pixel area during deposition of an organic electroluminescent material during fabrication of an organic electroluminescent device; and

a plurality of bridges, wherein one of the plurality of bridges extends between respective ends of adjacent holes of the plurality of holes, wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of bridges is less than a thickness of the mask in areas of the mask having no angled surface portions,

wherein the first angled surface extends from an upper surface portion of the mask that defines its respective hole toward an interior portion of its respective hole, and the second angled surface extends from a distal end of the first angled surface to a lower surface portion of the mask that defines its respective hole.

2. The mask according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are circular, polygonal, oval, or rectangular.

3. The mask according to claim 1, wherein a width of each of the plurality of holes is greater at its upper and lower circumferential edges than a corresponding width of each of the plurality of holes at a portion where the first and second angled surface meet.

4. The mask according to claim 1, wherein the first and second angled surfaces each extend uniformly along the entire inner circumferential edge of each hole.

5. A mask for use during deposition of a luminescent layer of an organic electroluminescent device, the mask comprising:

a plurality of strip-type slots aligned uniformly and in parallel to each other along an axis of the mask, wherein an alignment of a first row of the plurality of strip-type slots is different from an alignment of a second row of the plurality of strip-type slots, wherein the plurality of strip-type slots are arranged so as to block adjacent deposition area during deposition of material during fabrication of an organic electroluminescent device; and

a first angled surface and a second angled surface that defines an inner circumferential edge of each the plurality of strip-type slots,

wherein the first angled surface extends uniformly along an entire upper inner circumferential edge of each of the plurality of strip-type slots, and the second angled surface extends uniformly along an entire lower inner circumferential edge of each of the plurality of strip-type slots.

6. The mask according to claim 5, wherein a shape of the inner circumferential edge defined by the first and second angled surfaces is symmetric on opposing sides of the strip-type slots.

7. The mask according to claim 6, wherein opposing sides of each of the strip-type slots are perpendicular to a side of a corresponding side of the strip-type slots adjacent to a bridge of the plurality of bridges.

8. The mask according to claim 6, wherein a surface area of the first angled surface is substantially the same as a surface area of the second angled surface.

9. The mask according to claim 6, wherein a surface area of the first angled surface is different from a surface area of the second angled surface.

10. The mask according to claim 6, wherein a width and a height of the first angled surface are the same as a width and a height of the second angled surface.

11. The mask according to claim 6, wherein a width and a height of the first angled surface are different from a width and a height of the second angled surface.

12. The mask according to claim 5, wherein the axis is an x-axis.

13. The mask according to claim 5, wherein the axis is a y-axis.

14. The mask according to claim 5, wherein the first row of strip-type slots is adjacent to the second row of strip-type slots such that the strip-type slots positioned in the first row are parallel to the strip-type slots in the second row, and the strip-type slots positioned in the first row are staggered relative to the strip-type slots positioned in the second row.

15. The mask according to claim 5, wherein an alignment of the strip-type slots is the same for alternating rows.

16. The mask according to claim 5, wherein a shapes of the strip-type slots is rectangular, oval, polygonal, or circular.

17. The mask according to claim 5, wherein the areas of the mask positioned between adjacent slots comprise bridges extending between the adjacent holes.

18. The mask according to claim 17, wherein the each slots has an angled surface formed along its full inner perimeter surface.

19. The mask according to claim 5, wherein a width of each of the plurality of strip-type slots is greater at its upper and lower circumferential edges than a corresponding width of each of the plurality of strip-type slots at a portion where the first and second angled surface meet.