Deposition mask cleaning apparatus and deposition mask cleaning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12246362-B2
Application number	US-202117477038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2021
Priority date	Jan 14, 2021
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

Provided are a deposition mask cleaning apparatus and a deposition mask cleaning method. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus includes a treated water bath containing treated water in which a deposition mask is immersed; a treated water generation part supplying the treated water to the treated water bath; a treated water supply pipe connecting the treated water bath and the treated water generation part; and a bubble generation part disposed in the treated water supply pipe and generating bubbles in the treated water. The treated water includes at least one of ozone water, hydrogen water, ammonia hydrogen water, and carbonated water. The bubbles include at least one of microbubbles having a bubble diameter of about 50 μm or less and nanobubbles having a bubble diameter of about 1 μm or less.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deposition mask cleaning apparatus comprising:
a treated water bath containing treated water in which a deposition mask is immersed, the treated water bath comprising a treatment bath containing the treated water, an outer bath disposed above a bottom of the treatment bath, and a cover covering an upper part of the outer bath;
a treated water generation device fluidly connected to the treated water bath to provide treated water, the treated water contacting the deposition mask comprising at least one of ozone water, hydrogen water, ammonia hydrogen water, and carbonated water;
a treated water supply pipe connecting the treatment bath and the treated water generation device,
an outer bath outlet pipe connected to the outer bath and configured to discharge the treated water from the outer bath;
a treatment gas outlet pipe connected to the outer bath and configured to discharge a gas discharged from the treatment bath to a space defined by the outer bath and the cover;
a level sensor disposed in the treated water bath and configured to measure the level of the treated water based on a sensed level of the treated water in the treated water bath;
a bubble generation device disposed in the treated water supply pipe to provide bubbles in the treated water; and
a controller that regulates the level of the treated water in the treated water bath via the level sensor and a control valve, the controller further regulating the size and quantity of bubbles formed via the bubble generation device such that bubbles that contact the deposition mask and clean a portion of foreign matter from the deposition mask comprise both microbubbles having a bubble diameter of about 50 μm to 1 μm and nanobubbles having a bubble diameter of less than 1 μm, wherein
the bubble generation device comprises a bubble size varying device connected to the controller, and
the treated water bath includes a spray part that faces the deposition mask and is configured to spray treated water onto the deposition mask while the deposition mask is within the treatment bath but not immersed in liquid.

2. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a nozzle disposed in the treated water bath and connected to the treated water supply pipe.

3. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deionized water supply device supplying deionized water to the treated water generation device;
a treatment gas generation device fluidly connected to the treated water generation device to provide a treatment gas; and
a concentration measurement device disposed in the treated water supply pipe and measuring the concentration of a treatment material in treated water flowing in the treated water supply pipe.

4. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the bubbles comprise first bubbles of a first size greater than 1 μm, and second bubbles of a second size less than 1 μm, and
the first bubbles and the second bubbles are simultaneously supplied into the treated water bath.

5. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the bubbles comprise first bubbles of a first size greater than 1 μm, and second bubbles of a second size less than 1 μm, and
the first bubbles and the second bubbles are sequentially supplied into the treated water bath.

6. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein
the first bubbles are supplied into the treated water bath for a first time period, and
the second bubbles are supplied into the treated water bath for a second time period different from the first time period.

7. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an organic solvent bath containing a cleaning solution; and
a deionized water bath containing deionized water.

8. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the treated water bath, the organic solvent bath, and the deionized water bath are sequentially arranged in the order of the organic solvent bath, the treated water bath, and the deionized water bath.

9. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the treated water bath, the organic solvent bath, and the deionized water bath are arranged in the order of the organic solvent bath, the deionized water bath, and the treated water bath.

10. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the treated water bath, the organic solvent bath, and the deionized water bath are arranged in the order of the treated water bath, the organic solvent bath, and the deionized water bath.

11. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a volatile organic solvent bath which contains a volatile organic solvent.

12. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deposition mask comprises:
a fine metal mask for manufacturing an organic light emitting display panel; and
an open mask for manufacturing an organic light emitting display panel.

13. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deposition mask comprises:
a frame part including an opening;
first stick parts disposed across the opening of the frame part;
second stick parts disposed across the opening of the frame part and intersecting the first stick parts; and
a metal film part disposed on the first stick parts and the second stick parts, the metal film part covering the opening of the frame part.

14. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
treated water cleans another portion of the foreign matter from on the deposition mask, and
the foreign matter includes an organic material.

15. The deposition mask cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the deposition mask includes a first side, and a second side opposite the first side,
openings in the deposition mask extend from the first side to the second side, and
the spray part includes a plurality of first spray parts that face the openings in the deposition mask and spray treated water towards the first side of the deposition mask, and
the spray part includes a plurality of second spray parts that face the openings in the deposition mask and spray treated water towards the second side of the deposition mask.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jai Phoong
• Kang Hyuk
• An Chang Uk
• Hong Jae Min

Classifications

• H10K71/166

  using selective deposition, e.g. using a mask · CPC title

• H10K71/00

  Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass · CPC title

• B08B3/14

  Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid · CPC title

• B08B2203/005

  the liquid being ozonated · CPC title

• B08B3/044

  using agitated containers in which the liquid and articles or material are placed (by means of ultrasonic vibrations B08B3/12; cleaning casks or barrels by agitating B08B9/0817; mixers with shaking, oscillating or vibrating mechanisms B01F31/00) · CPC title