Method and apparatus for manufacturing mask assembly and method of manufacturing display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11776972-B2
Application number	US-202017097388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	May 4, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for manufacturing a mask assembly and a method of manufacturing a display device are provided. The apparatus may include: a tensioning part configured to be spaced apart from a mask frame comprising at least one opening, the tensioning part configured to tension a mask sheet in at least one of a first direction and a second direction, the mask sheet comprising a cell area corresponding to the at least one opening, and a dummy portion arranged outside the cell area; a pressing part configured to correspond to the dummy portion and press the dummy portion in a third direction intersecting a plane in which the first direction and the second direction extend; and a header configured to irradiate a laser beam toward the mask sheet to fix the mask sheet to the mask frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a mask assembly, the apparatus comprising:
a tensioning part configured to be spaced apart from a mask frame comprising at least one opening, the tensioning part configured to tension a mask sheet in at least one of a first direction and a second direction, the mask sheet comprising a cell area corresponding to the at least one opening, and a dummy portion arranged outside the cell area;
a pressing part configured to correspond to the dummy portion and press the dummy portion in a third direction intersecting a plane in which the first direction and the second direction extend; and
a header configured to irradiate a laser beam toward the mask sheet to fix the mask sheet to the mask frame,
wherein the pressing part is configured to bend the mask sheet such that the cell area is closer to the mask frame than an edge of the dummy portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tensioning part comprises:
at least one pair of grip parts configured to grip an edge of the dummy portion; and
a moving part that moves the at least one pair of grip parts in the first direction or the second direction to apply a tensile force to the mask sheet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the tensioning part further comprises a rotator that rotates the grip part around a rotation axis parallel to a surface of the mask frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the header is configured to check alignment between the mask sheet and the mask frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the header is configured to irradiate a laser beam to the mask sheet to cut a portion of the dummy portion from the cell area of the mask sheet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressing part comprises at least two rollers to be placed in direct contact with the dummy portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least two rollers are arranged at opposite sides of an area corresponding to the cell area to sandwich the area between the at least two rollers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressing part comprises an injection hole configured to spray compressed air to the dummy portion in the third direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressing part comprises a plurality of magnets arranged to apply a magnetic force in the third direction to the dummy portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressing part is configured to bend a portion of the mask sheet to be rounded.

11. A method of manufacturing a mask assembly, the method comprising:
preparing a mask frame comprising at least one opening;
preparing a mask sheet comprising a cell area corresponding to the at least one opening and a dummy portion arranged outside the cell area;
tensioning the mask sheet;
aligning the mask sheet to a side of the mask frame;
pressing the dummy portion of the mask sheet toward the mask frame; and
fixing the mask sheet to the mask frame by irradiating a laser beam to the dummy portion,
wherein the pressing the dummy portion comprises bending a portion of the dummy portion relative to the cell area.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming at least two pattern holes in the cell area of the mask sheet.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tensioning the mask sheet comprises gripping an edge of the dummy portion and applying a tensile force to the mask sheet in a first direction or a second direction.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressing the dummy portion further comprises:
pressing the mask sheet toward the mask frame by applying a force directly to the dummy portion;
and
bringing the dummy portion into contact with the mask frame.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressing the dummy portion further comprises:
pressing the dummy portion toward the mask frame by spraying compressed air to the dummy portion;
and
bringing the dummy portion into contact with the mask frame.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressing the dummy portion further comprises:
pressing the dummy portion toward the mask frame by applying a magnetic force to the dummy portion;
and
bringing the dummy portion into contact with the mask frame.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the bending the portion of the dummy portion comprises bending the portion of the dummy portion to be rounded.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising cutting a portion of the dummy portion from the cell area of the mask sheet by irradiating a laser beam to the portion of the dummy portion.

19. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
preparing a mask assembly;
placing and aligning a substrate and the mask assembly inside a chamber; and
supplying a deposition material from a deposition source to the substrate through the mask assembly,
wherein the preparing the mask assembly comprises:
tensioning a mask sheet comprising a cell area and a dummy portion arranged outside the cell area;
aligning the mask sheet above a mask frame comprising at least one opening;
pressing the dummy portion of the mask sheet toward the mask frame; and
fixing the mask sheet to the mask frame by irradiating a laser beam to the dummy portion,
wherein the pressing the dummy portion comprises bending a portion of the dummy portion relative to the cell area.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jo Junho
• Kim Seungwon
• Park Youngho
• Lee Youngchul

Classifications

• H10D86/0229

  characterised by control of the annealing or irradiation parameters · CPC title

• H10D86/0231 Primary

  using masks, e.g. half-tone masks · CPC title

• H01L27/1288 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C23C14/042 Primary

  using masks · CPC title

• C23C14/54

  Controlling or regulating the coating process · CPC title