Mask clamping apparatus and method of manufacturing mask

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500962-B2
Application number	US-201414172013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Jul 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a mask includes aligning a mask sheet including an effective area and a non-effective area, on a mask frame; applying a pressure to the non-effective area of the mask sheet in a direction opposite to a sagging direction of the non-effective area, to prevent sagging of the non-effective area; and moving a clamping unit to the mask sheet along a direction substantially parallel to the mask sheet, to clamp the clamping unit onto the non-effective area of the mask sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mask clamping unit comprising:
a clamping unit which clamps a non-effective area of a mask sheet comprising:
an effective area disposed in a plane defined in first and second directions, and
the non-effective area which extends from the effective area; and

a sagging prevention unit which is spaced apart from the non-effective area of the mask sheet and configured to apply a force to the non-effective area of the mask sheet in a direction opposite to a sagging direction of the non-effective area, and prevents sagging of the non-effective area of the mask sheet, the sagging direction defined in a third direction perpendicular to the plane defined in the first and second directions,
wherein
the effective area of the mask sheet is supported by a mask frame which disposed in the effective area, and the non-effective area is not supported by the mask frame, and
the sagging prevention unit spaced apart from the non-effective area of the mask sheet overlaps the non-effective area in the sagging direction, and sprays a gas in a direction opposite to the sagging direction and toward the non-effective area, to apply the force to the non-effective area of the mask sheet.

2. The mask clamping unit of claim 1 , wherein the sagging prevention unit maintains the effective area and the non-effective substantially coplanar with each other.

3. The mask clamping unit of claim 1 , wherein the clamping unit is configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to the mask sheet.

4. A mask clamping unit comprising:
a clamping unit which clamps a non-effective area of a mask sheet comprising:
an effective area disposed in a plane defined in first and second directions, and
the non-effective area which extends from the effective area; and

a sagging prevention unit which is spaced apart from the non-effective area of the mask sheet and configured to apply a force to the non-effective area of the mask sheet in a direction opposite to a sagging direction of the non-effective area, and prevents sagging of the non-effective area of the mask sheet, the sagging direction defined in a third direction perpendicular to the plane defined in the first and second directions,
wherein
the effective area of the mask sheet is supported by a mask frame which disposed in the effective area, and the non-effective area is not supported by the mask frame, and
the sagging prevention unit spaced apart from the non-effective area of the mask sheet overlaps the non-effective area in a direction opposite to the sagging direction, and draws a gas from the non-effective area and in the direction opposite to the sagging direction, to apply the force to the non-effective area of the mask sheet.

5. The mask clamping unit of claim 4 , wherein the sagging prevention unit is attached to the clamping unit.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Ho Eoun

Classifications

• B05C17/08

  Stencil holders · CPC title

• C23C14/042

  using masks · CPC title

• G03F7/70783

  Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight · CPC title

• G03F7/707 Primary

  Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details · CPC title

• C23C16/042

  using masks · CPC title