JP7628514B2 - DEPOSITION MASK PACKAGE AND PACKAGING DEVICE FOR DEPOSITION MASK - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a deposition mask package that packages a deposition mask that includes multiple through holes, and a packaging device for the deposition mask.

In recent years, display devices used in portable devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs are expected to have high definition, for example a pixel density of 500 ppi or more. There is also a growing demand for portable devices to support ultra-high definition, and in this case, it is desirable for the pixel density of the display device to be, for example, 800 ppi or more.

Among display devices, organic EL display devices have attracted attention due to their good responsiveness, low power consumption, and high contrast. A method for forming pixels in an organic EL display device is known in which a deposition mask with through-holes arranged in a desired pattern is used to form pixels in the desired pattern. Specifically, the deposition mask is first attached to a substrate for the organic EL display device, and then the attached deposition mask and the substrate are both placed in a deposition device to perform a deposition process in which an organic material is deposited on the substrate. In this case, in order to precisely manufacture an organic EL display device with high pixel density, it is desirable to precisely reproduce the positions and shapes of the through-holes in the deposition mask according to the design.

As a method for manufacturing a deposition mask, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a method for forming a through hole in a metal plate by etching using a photolithography technique is known. For example, a first resist pattern is first formed on a first surface of the metal plate, and a second resist pattern is also formed on a second surface of the metal plate. Next, a region of the first surface of the metal plate that is not covered by the first resist pattern is etched to form a first opening in the first surface of the metal plate. Thereafter, a region of the second surface of the metal plate that is not covered by the second resist pattern is etched to form a second opening in the second surface of the metal plate. At this time, by performing etching so that the first opening and the second opening communicate with each other, a through hole penetrating the metal plate can be formed. The metal plate for manufacturing the deposition mask is obtained, for example, by rolling a base material such as an iron alloy.

As another method for manufacturing a deposition mask, a method for manufacturing a deposition mask using a plating process is known, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2. For example, in the method described in Patent Document 2, first, a conductive substrate is prepared. Next, a resist pattern is formed on the substrate with a predetermined gap. This resist pattern is provided at a position where the through-holes of the deposition mask are to be formed. Then, a plating solution is supplied into the gaps of the resist pattern, and a metal layer is precipitated on the substrate by electrolytic plating. Then, the metal layer is separated from the substrate to obtain a deposition mask with a plurality of through-holes. When a plating process is used in this way, the through-holes can be made highly precise.

Patent No. 5382259 JP 2001-234385 A

When transporting a deposition mask, the deposition mask may be sandwiched between a receiving part (first base) and a lid part (second base) made of a plastic board or the like. In this case, however, the pressure applied to the deposition mask from the receiving part and the lid part may become partially uneven. This causes a problem that when external vibrations are transmitted to the deposition mask via the receiving part and the lid part, the parts of the deposition mask that are subjected to relatively weak pressure move relative to the receiving part and the lid part, which may cause plastic deformation of the deposition mask.

Here, when the deposition material is deposited on the substrate using a deposition mask, the deposition material adheres to the deposition mask as well as the substrate. For example, some deposition materials move toward the substrate along a direction greatly inclined relative to the normal direction of the deposition mask, and such deposition materials reach and adhere to the wall surface of the through-hole of the deposition mask before reaching the substrate. In this case, the deposition material is less likely to adhere to the region of the substrate located near the wall surface of the through-hole of the deposition mask, and as a result, the thickness of the deposited deposition material may be smaller than other parts, or there may be parts to which the deposition material does not adhere. In other words, deposition near the wall surface of the through-hole of the deposition mask may become unstable. As a result, the luminous efficiency of the organic EL display device may decrease.

To solve these problems, it is conceivable to reduce the thickness of the metal plate used to manufacture the deposition mask. This is because by reducing the thickness of the metal plate, the height of the wall surface of the through-holes in the deposition mask can be reduced, and this makes it possible to reduce the proportion of the deposition material that adheres to the wall surface of the through-holes.

As such, deposition masks tend to be thinner in order to prevent a decrease in the luminous efficiency of organic EL display devices. For this reason, it is desirable to prevent plastic deformation during transportation even in thin deposition masks.

There is also the problem that the deposition mask may undergo plastic deformation due to temperature changes during transportation. In other words, if the thermal expansion coefficients of the receiving part, lid part, and deposition mask are different, the dimensional changes caused by temperature changes in each part will differ, and the deposition mask may undergo plastic deformation in the form of wrinkles.

The embodiment of the present disclosure aims to provide a deposition mask package and a packaging device for a deposition mask that can prevent plastic deformation of the deposition mask during transportation.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
A first base portion;
a second base portion facing the first base portion;
a deposition mask disposed between the first base and the second base and having a plurality of through holes formed therein;
spacers arranged on both sides in a width direction of the deposition mask;
a first sheet disposed between the deposition mask and the second base,
the second base portion has a convex portion disposed on at least one of both end portions in a longitudinal direction of the deposition mask in a plan view,
The protrusion presses the first sheet,
a deposition mask package, wherein a gap is formed between the first sheet and the second base around the convex portion;
It is.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask packaging body according to the first aspect,
The protrusion does not overlap the through hole in a plan view.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask package according to the first or second aspect,
the deposition mask has end openings provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction,
The protrusions are disposed at positions overlapping the corresponding end openings in a plan view.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask packaging body according to the third aspect,
The convex portion does not protrude from the corresponding end opening in a plan view.

A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask package according to the first or second aspect,
The protrusions extend in the width direction of the deposition mask.

A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask packaging body according to the first aspect,
The protrusions extend in the longitudinal direction of the deposition mask.

A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask packaging body according to the sixth aspect,
the convex portions are disposed at both end portions in a longitudinal direction of the deposition mask in a plan view,
The pair of protrusions are integrally formed continuously.

An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask package according to any one of the first to seventh aspects,
The hardness of the protrusion is lower than the hardness of the first base portion and the hardness of the second base portion.

A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask package according to any one of the first to eighth aspects,
The spacer has a hardness greater than a hardness of the first base portion and a hardness of the second base portion.

A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
A fourth sheet is disposed between the first sheet and the second base,
The fourth sheet has a thickness greater than the thickness of the first sheet.

An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
A first base portion;
a second base portion facing the first base portion;
a deposition mask disposed between the first base and the second base and having a plurality of through holes formed therein;
spacers arranged on both sides in a width direction of the deposition mask;
a first sheet disposed between the deposition mask and the second base,
The first base portion has an opposing surface opposing the second base portion,
The opposing surface includes a curved surface that is curved so as to be convex toward the second base portion,
a deposition mask package, wherein the curved surface includes a ridge line extending from one end edge to the other end edge in a longitudinal direction of the deposition mask, or extending from one side edge to the other side edge in a width direction of the deposition mask;
It is.

A twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is a vapor deposition mask package according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects,
The deposition mask further includes a second sheet disposed between the deposition mask and the first base.

A thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure is the deposition mask packaging body according to the twelfth aspect,
a plurality of the deposition masks are stacked between the first sheet and the second sheet;
a third sheet is disposed between the deposition masks adjacent to each other;
This may be done.

A fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
A packaging device for a deposition mask that packages a deposition mask having a longitudinal direction and a plurality of through holes formed therein,
A first base portion;
a second base portion facing the first base portion;
a pair of spacers disposed between the first base and the second base, the pair of spacers defining an accommodation space in which the deposition mask is accommodated between the pair of spacers;
the second base has a convex portion disposed on at least one of both ends in a longitudinal direction of the accommodation space in a plan view;
It is.

A fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
A packaging device for a deposition mask that packages a deposition mask having a longitudinal direction and a plurality of through holes formed therein,
A first base portion;
a second base portion facing the first base portion;
a pair of spacers disposed between the first base and the second base, the pair of spacers defining an accommodation space in which the deposition mask is accommodated between the pair of spacers;
The first base portion has an opposing surface opposing the second base portion,
The opposing surface includes a curved surface that is curved so as to be convex toward the second base portion,
the curved surface includes, in a plan view, a ridge line extending from one end edge to the other end edge in a longitudinal direction of the storage space, or from one side edge to the other side edge in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the storage space;
It is.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the deposition mask from undergoing plastic deformation during transportation.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a deposition apparatus including a deposition mask device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an organic EL display device (an organic EL display device intermediate) manufactured using the deposition mask device shown in FIG. 1 . 1 is a plan view showing a deposition mask device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 is a partial plan view showing an effective area of the deposition mask shown in FIG. 3. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 4. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the through hole and the area in its vicinity shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a process for rolling a base material to obtain a metal plate having a desired thickness. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a process of annealing a metal plate obtained by rolling. 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams for generally explaining an example of a method for manufacturing a deposition mask. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a process of forming a resist film on a metal plate. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a process of closely adhering an exposure mask to a resist film. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a process of developing a resist film. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a first surface etching step. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a step of covering the first recess with resin. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a second surface etching step. 19 is a diagram showing a second surface etching step subsequent to FIG. 18 . 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a process of removing resin and a resist pattern from a long metal plate. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing an effective area of the deposition mask. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the effective area of FIG. 20 as viewed from the direction DD. FIG. 22 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the deposition mask of FIG. 21 . 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a deposition mask manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a deposition mask manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a deposition mask manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a deposition mask manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a deposition mask package according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view showing the deposition mask package of FIG. 27. FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing the lid portion of FIG. 27 turned upside down. FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing the receiving portion of FIG. 27 . FIG. 28 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the deposition mask package shown in FIG. 27 . This is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a deposition mask package according to a first modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a deposition mask package according to a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an upside-down second base according to a third modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a deposition mask package according to a third modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 32 in a third modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an upside-down second base according to a fourth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 32 in a fourth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an upside-down second base according to a fifth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a first base according to a fifth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a deposition mask package according to a fifth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 32 in a fifth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a first base according to a sixth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a deposition mask package according to a sixth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. A cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 32 in a sixth modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a table showing the results of an environmental test and a drop test according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings attached to this specification, the scale and aspect ratios have been appropriately altered and exaggerated from those of the actual objects for the convenience of illustration and ease of understanding.

In this specification, for example, the term "plate" is used to mean the same thing as a member that can be called a sheet or film.

In this specification, "planar view" refers to the state when the symmetrical plate-like member is viewed from a normal direction perpendicular to the planar direction of the plate-like member when viewed overall and globally. For example, when a certain plate-like member "has a rectangular shape in a planar view," this means that the member has a rectangular shape when viewed from the normal direction.

Furthermore, terms used in this specification that specify shapes, geometric conditions, and physical characteristics, as well as the extent of these, such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "same," and "equivalent," as well as lengths, angles, and values of physical characteristics, are to be interpreted without being bound by strict meanings, but rather to include the range within which similar functions can be expected.

The embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with other embodiments or variations as long as no contradictions arise. In addition, other embodiments may be combined with each other, or other embodiments may be combined with variations as long as no contradictions arise. In addition, variations may be combined with each other as long as no contradictions arise.

In addition, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when multiple steps are disclosed in a method such as a manufacturing method, other steps that are not disclosed may be performed between the disclosed steps. In addition, the order of the disclosed steps may be arbitrary as long as no contradictions arise.

In this specification, a numerical range expressed by the symbol "~" includes the numerical values before and after the symbol "~". For example, the numerical range defined by the expression "34 to 38% by mass" is the same as the numerical range defined by the expression "34% by mass or more and 38% by mass or less".

(Vapor deposition device)
First, a deposition apparatus 90 for performing a deposition process for depositing a deposition material on a target object will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the deposition apparatus 90 includes a deposition source (e.g., a crucible 94), a heater 96, and a deposition mask device 10. The crucible 94 contains a deposition material 98 such as an organic light-emitting material. The heater 96 heats the crucible 94 to evaporate the deposition material 98. The deposition mask device 10 is disposed to face the crucible 94.

(Deposition mask device)
The deposition mask device 10 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the deposition mask device 10 includes a deposition mask 20 and a frame 15 that supports the deposition mask 20. The frame 15 supports the deposition mask 20 in a state in which the deposition mask 20 is pulled in its longitudinal direction D1 (first direction, see FIG. 3) so that the deposition mask 20 does not bend. As shown in FIG. 1, the deposition mask device 10 is disposed in a deposition device 90 so that the deposition mask 20 faces a substrate, for example, an organic EL substrate 92, which is an object to which the deposition material 98 is attached. In the following description, the surface of the deposition mask 20 on the organic EL substrate 92 side is referred to as a first surface 20a, and the surface located on the opposite side of the first surface 20a is referred to as a second surface 20b. The frame 15 faces the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the deposition mask device 10 may include a magnet 93 arranged on the surface of the organic EL substrate 92 opposite the deposition mask 20. By providing the magnet 93, the deposition mask 20 can be attracted to the magnet 93 by magnetic force, and the deposition mask 20 can be closely attached to the organic EL substrate 92.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the deposition mask device 10 as viewed from the first surface 20a side of the deposition mask 20. As shown in Figure 3, the deposition mask device 10 includes a plurality of deposition masks 20 each having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and each deposition mask 20 is fixed by welding to the frame 15 at a pair of ends 20e in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20.

The deposition mask 20 includes a plurality of through holes 25 penetrating the deposition mask 20. The deposition material 98 that evaporates from the crucible 94 and reaches the deposition mask device 10 passes through the through holes 25 of the deposition mask 20 and adheres to the organic EL substrate 92. This allows the deposition material 98 to be formed into a film on the surface of the organic EL substrate 92 in a desired pattern that corresponds to the positions of the through holes 25 of the deposition mask 20.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing an organic EL display device 100 manufactured using the deposition apparatus 90 of FIG. 1. The organic EL display device 100 includes an organic EL substrate 92 and pixels including a deposition material 98 arranged in a pattern. Although not shown, the organic EL display device 100 further includes electrodes electrically connected to the pixels including the deposition material 98. The electrodes are provided in advance on the organic EL substrate 92, for example, before the deposition material 98 is attached to the organic EL substrate 92 by the deposition process. The organic EL display device 100 may further include other components, such as a sealing member that seals the space around the pixels including the deposition material 98 from the outside. Therefore, the organic EL display device 100 of FIG. 2 can also be said to be an organic EL display device intermediate produced at an intermediate stage in the manufacture of an organic EL display device.

When a color display using multiple colors is desired, a deposition apparatus 90 equipped with a deposition mask 20 corresponding to each color is prepared, and the organic EL substrate 92 is loaded into each deposition apparatus 90 in turn. This allows, for example, a red organic light-emitting material, a green organic light-emitting material, and a blue organic light-emitting material to be deposited in turn onto the organic EL substrate 92.

The deposition process may be performed inside a deposition apparatus 90 that is in a high-temperature atmosphere. In this case, the deposition mask 20, frame 15, and organic EL substrate 92 held inside the deposition apparatus 90 are also heated during the deposition process. At this time, the deposition mask 20, frame 15, and organic EL substrate 92 exhibit dimensional change behavior based on their respective thermal expansion coefficients. In this case, if the thermal expansion coefficients of the deposition mask 20 or frame 15 and the organic EL substrate 92 are significantly different, positional deviation occurs due to the difference in dimensional change, and as a result, the dimensional accuracy and positional accuracy of the deposition material 98 attached to the organic EL substrate 92 decreases.

To solve such problems, it is preferable that the thermal expansion coefficient of the deposition mask 20 and the frame 15 is equal to the thermal expansion coefficient of the organic EL substrate 92. For example, when a glass substrate is used as the organic EL substrate 92, an iron alloy containing nickel can be used as the main material of the deposition mask 20 and the frame 15. For example, an iron alloy containing 30% to 54% by mass of nickel can be used as the material of the metal plate constituting the deposition mask 20. Specific examples of iron alloys containing nickel include Invar material containing 34% to 38% by mass of nickel, Super Invar material containing 30% to 34% by mass of nickel and further containing cobalt, and low thermal expansion Fe-Ni-based plating alloy containing 48% to 54% by mass of nickel.

If the temperatures of the deposition mask 20, the frame 15, and the organic EL substrate 92 do not reach high temperatures during the deposition process, there is no particular need to set the thermal expansion coefficients of the deposition mask 20 and the frame 15 to values equivalent to the thermal expansion coefficient of the organic EL substrate 92. In this case, materials other than the iron alloys described above may be used as materials constituting the deposition mask 20. For example, iron alloys other than the iron alloys containing nickel described above, such as iron alloys containing chromium, may be used. As iron alloys containing chromium, for example, iron alloys known as stainless steel may be used. Furthermore, alloys other than iron alloys, such as nickel and nickel-cobalt alloys, may be used.

(Deposition mask)
Next, the deposition mask 20 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5, the deposition mask 20 may include an effective area 22 in which a through hole 25 extending from the first surface 20a to the second surface 20b is formed, and a surrounding area 23 surrounding the effective area 22. The surrounding area 23 is an area for supporting the effective area 22, and is not an area through which a deposition material 98 intended to be deposited on the organic EL substrate 92 passes. For example, the effective area 22 is an area of the deposition mask 20 that faces the display area of the organic EL substrate 92.

As shown in FIG. 3, the effective area 22 has, for example, a substantially quadrangular outline in a plan view, and more precisely, a substantially rectangular outline in a plan view. Although not shown, each effective area 22 can have an outline of various shapes depending on the shape of the display area of the organic EL substrate 92. For example, each effective area 22 may have a circular outline.

3, the effective areas 22 may be arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. One effective area 22 corresponds to the display area of one organic EL display device 100. Therefore, the deposition mask device 10 shown in FIG. 1 allows deposition of multiple surfaces of the organic EL display device 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the through holes 25 in the effective area 22 may be regularly arranged at a predetermined pitch along two directions perpendicular to each other.

3, the deposition mask 20 in this embodiment is formed in a long and narrow rectangular shape, and the multiple effective areas 22 may be arranged in a row in the center of the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. The effective areas 22 may not be provided at both ends 20e in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20, and an end opening 24 may be provided at each end 20e. That is, the end openings 24 may be provided on both sides of the multiple effective areas 22 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. The end openings 24 penetrate the deposition mask 20 in the thickness direction, and in this embodiment, may be formed to have a U-shaped outline in a shape cut out from the corresponding edge 20g of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. Each end opening 24 is arranged at the center of the width direction D2 (second direction, direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1) of the deposition mask 20. Both sides of the end opening 24 in the width direction D2 are held by separate clamps (not shown) of the tensioning jig to tension the deposition mask 20. That is, the end 20e of the deposition mask 20 is held by two clamps and tension is applied from each clamp, making it easier to adjust the position of the through hole 25 of the deposition mask 20 during tensioning.

The shape of the through hole 25 and its surrounding area is described in detail below.

(Deposition mask manufactured by etching process)
Here, the shape of the through-hole 25 and its surrounding area in the case where the deposition mask 20 is formed by etching will be described.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing an effective area 22 enlarged from the second surface 20b side of the deposition mask 20 manufactured by etching. As shown in Figure 4, in the illustrated example, a plurality of through holes 25 formed in each effective area 22 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along two mutually perpendicular directions in the effective area 22. An example of the through holes 25 will be described in more detail mainly with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figures 5 to 7 are cross-sectional views along the A-A direction, the B-B direction, and the C-C direction of the effective area 22 in Figure 4, respectively. Note that the boundary line between the effective area 22 and the surrounding area 23 shown in Figures 5 to 7 is an example, and the position of this boundary line is arbitrary. For example, this boundary line may be located in an area where the second recess 35 is not formed (to the left of the leftmost second recess 35 in Figure 5).

As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the multiple through holes 25 penetrate from the first surface 20a, which is one side along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, to the second surface 20b, which is the other side along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20. In the illustrated example, as described in detail later, a first recess 30 (or a first opening 30) is formed by etching on the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21, which is one side in the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, and a second recess 35 (or a second opening 35) is formed on the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21, which is the other side in the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20. The first recess 30 is connected to the second recess 35, and the second recess 35 and the first recess 30 are formed so as to communicate with each other. The through hole 25 is composed of the second recess 35 and the first recess 30 connected to the second recess 35.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the opening area of each second recess 35 in a cross section along the plate surface of the deposition mask 20 at each position along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20 gradually decreases from the second surface 20b side of the deposition mask 20 toward the first surface 20a side of the deposition mask 20. Similarly, the opening area of each first recess 30 in a cross section along the plate surface of the deposition mask 20 at each position along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20 gradually decreases from the first surface 20a side of the deposition mask 20 toward the second surface 20b side of the deposition mask 20.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 and the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 are connected via a circumferential connection portion 41. The connection portion 41 is defined by the ridge of the protruding portion where the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30, which is inclined with respect to the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, and the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35, which is inclined with respect to the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, join together. The connection portion 41 defines a through portion 42 in which the opening area of the through hole 25 is minimized in a plan view of the deposition mask 20.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, on the other side surface along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, i.e., on the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20, two adjacent through holes 25 are spaced apart from each other along the plate surface of the deposition mask 20. That is, when the first recess 30 is produced by etching the metal plate 21 from the first surface 21a side of the metal plate 21 that corresponds to the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20, as in the manufacturing method described below, the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 remains between the two adjacent first recesses 30.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, on one side along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, that is, on the side of the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20, two adjacent second recesses 35 may be spaced apart from each other along the plate surface of the deposition mask 20. That is, the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 may remain between the two adjacent second recesses 35. In the following description, the part of the effective area 22 of the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 that remains unetched is also referred to as the top portion 43. By producing the deposition mask 20 so that such a top portion 43 remains, the deposition mask 20 can be provided with sufficient strength. This makes it possible to prevent the deposition mask 20 from being damaged, for example, during transportation. If the width β of the top portion 43 is too large, a shadow may be generated in the deposition process, which may reduce the utilization efficiency of the deposition material 98. Therefore, it is preferable that the deposition mask 20 is produced so that the width β of the top portion 43 is not excessively large. For example, it is preferable that the width β of the top portion 43 is 2 μm or less. The width β of the top portion 43 generally varies depending on the direction in which the deposition mask 20 is cut. For example, the widths β of the top portions 43 shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7 may differ from each other. In this case, the deposition mask 20 may be configured so that the width β of the top portion 43 is 2 μm or less regardless of the direction in which the deposition mask 20 is cut.

As shown in FIG. 6, etching may be performed so that two adjacent second recesses 35 are connected in some locations. In other words, there may be a location between two adjacent second recesses 35 where the second surface 21b of the metal plate 21 does not remain. Although not shown, etching may be performed so that two adjacent second recesses 35 are connected over the entire area of the second surface 21b.

1, when the deposition mask device 10 is housed in the deposition device 90, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20 faces the organic EL substrate 92, and the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20 is located on the side of the crucible 94 holding the deposition material 98. Therefore, the deposition material 98 adheres to the organic EL substrate 92 through the second recess 35, the opening area of which gradually decreases. As shown by the arrow from the second surface 20b side to the first surface 20a in FIG. 5, the deposition material 98 not only moves from the crucible 94 toward the organic EL substrate 92 along the normal direction N of the organic EL substrate 92, but also moves in a direction greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction N of the organic EL substrate 92. At this time, if the thickness of the deposition mask 20 is large, most of the deposition material 98 moving obliquely reaches and adheres to the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 before reaching the organic EL substrate 92 through the through hole 25. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of use of the deposition material 98, it is preferable to reduce the thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20, thereby reducing the height of the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 and the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30. That is, it is preferable to use a metal plate 21 having a thickness as small as possible within a range in which the strength of the deposition mask 20 can be ensured as the metal plate 21 for constituting the deposition mask 20. In consideration of this point, in this embodiment, the thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20 is preferably set to 85 μm or less, for example, 5 μm or more and 85 μm or less. Alternatively, the thickness T0 is set to 80 μm or less, for example, 10 μm or more and 80 μm or more, or 20 μm or more and 80 μm or less. In order to further improve the accuracy of deposition, the thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20 may be set to 40 μm or less, for example, 10 μm or more and 40 μm or less, or 20 μm or more and 40 μm or less. Note that thickness T0 is the thickness of the peripheral region 23, i.e., the thickness of the portion of the deposition mask 20 where the first recess 30 and the second recess 35 are not formed. Therefore, thickness T0 can also be said to be the thickness of the metal plate 21.

5, the minimum angle that a straight line L1 passing through the connection portion 41, which is the portion having the minimum opening area of the through hole 25, and any other position on the wall surface 36 of the second recess 35 forms with respect to the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20 is represented by the symbol θ1. That is, as in the case shown in FIG. 21 described later, the path of the deposition material 98 passing through the end portion 38 of the through hole 25 (second recess 35) on the second surface 20b side of the deposition mask 20 and that can reach the organic EL substrate 92 is represented by the symbol L1. In order to allow the deposition material 98 moving obliquely to reach the organic EL substrate 92 as far as possible without reaching the wall surface 36, it is advantageous to increase the angle θ1. In order to increase the angle θ1, in addition to reducing the thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20, it is also effective to reduce the width β of the top portion 43 described above.

7, the symbol α represents the width of the portion (hereinafter also referred to as the rib portion) that remains unetched in the effective area 22 of the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21. The width α of the rib portion and the dimension r2 of the through portion 42 are appropriately determined according to the dimensions and number of display pixels of the organic EL display device. Table 1 shows an example of the number of display pixels, and the values of the width α of the rib portion and the dimension r2 of the through portion 42 according to the number of display pixels in a 5-inch organic EL display device.

Although not limited thereto, the deposition mask 20 according to the present embodiment is particularly effective when fabricating an organic EL display device with a pixel density of 450 ppi or more. An example of the dimensions of the deposition mask 20 for fabricating an organic EL display device with such a high pixel density will be described below with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the through-hole 25 of the deposition mask 20 shown in FIG. 5 and the area nearby.

8, as a parameter related to the shape of the through hole 25, the distance from the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20 to the connection portion 41 in the direction along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, i.e., the height of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30, is represented by the symbol r1. Furthermore, the dimension of the first recess 30 at the portion where the first recess 30 connects to the second recess 35, i.e., the dimension of the through portion 42, is represented by the symbol r2. Also in FIG. 8, the angle that the straight line L2 connecting the connection portion 41 and the tip edge of the first recess 30 on the first surface 21a of the metal plate 21 makes with respect to the normal direction N of the metal plate 21 is represented by the symbol θ2.

When manufacturing an organic EL display device with a pixel density of 450 ppi or more, the dimension r2 of the through portion 42 is preferably set to 10 to 60 μm. This makes it possible to provide a deposition mask 20 that can manufacture an organic EL display device with a high pixel density. Preferably, the height r1 of the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 is set to 6 μm or less.

Next, the above-mentioned angle θ2 shown in FIG. 8 will be described. The angle θ2 corresponds to the maximum value of the inclination angle of the deposition material 98 that can reach the organic EL substrate 92 among the deposition material 98 that is inclined with respect to the normal direction N of the metal plate 21 and that flies to pass through the through-hole 42 near the connection portion 41. This is because the deposition material 98 that flies through the connection portion 41 at an inclination angle greater than the angle θ2 adheres to the wall surface 31 of the first recess 30 before reaching the organic EL substrate 92. Therefore, by reducing the angle θ2, it is possible to suppress the deposition material 98 that flies at a large inclination angle and passes through the through-hole 42 from adhering to the organic EL substrate 92, and thereby it is possible to suppress the deposition material 98 from adhering to the portion of the organic EL substrate 92 that is outside the portion that overlaps with the through-hole 42. In other words, reducing the angle θ2 leads to suppression of the variation in the area and thickness of the deposition material 98 that adheres to the organic EL substrate 92. From this viewpoint, for example, the through-hole 25 is formed so that the angle θ2 is 45 degrees or less. In FIG. 8, an example is shown in which the dimension of the first recess 30 on the first surface 21a, i.e., the opening dimension of the through hole 25 on the first surface 21a, is larger than the dimension r2 of the first recess 30 on the connection portion 41. That is, an example is shown in which the value of the angle θ2 is a positive value. However, although not shown, the dimension r2 of the first recess 30 on the connection portion 41 may be larger than the dimension of the first recess 30 on the first surface 21a. That is, the value of the angle θ2 may be a negative value.

Next, we will explain how to manufacture the deposition mask 20 by etching.

(Metal plate manufacturing method)
First, a method for producing a metal plate used to produce a deposition mask will be described.

[Rolling process]
First, as shown in FIG. 9, a base material 155 made of an iron alloy containing nickel is prepared, and the base material 155 is transported along the direction indicated by the arrow toward a rolling device 156 including a pair of rolling rolls 156a and 156b. The base material 155 that has arrived between the pair of rolling rolls 156a and 156b is rolled by the pair of rolling rolls 156a and 156b, and as a result, the thickness of the base material 155 is reduced and the base material 155 is stretched along the transport direction. This makes it possible to obtain a plate material 164X having a thickness t0. As shown in FIG. 9, the plate material 164X may be wound around a core 161 to form a wound body 162. The specific value of the thickness t0 is preferably 5 μm or more and 85 μm or less as described above.

9 merely shows an outline of the rolling process, and the specific configuration and procedure for carrying out the rolling process are not particularly limited. For example, the rolling process may include a hot rolling process in which the base material 155 is processed at a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which the crystal arrangement of the Invar material constituting the base material 155 is changed, or a cold rolling process in which the base material 164X is processed at a temperature equal to or lower than the temperature at which the crystal arrangement of the Invar material is changed. In addition, the direction in which the base material 155 or the plate material 164X is passed between a pair of rolling rolls 156a, 156b is not limited to one direction. For example, in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the base material 155 or the plate material 164X may be gradually rolled by repeatedly passing the base material 155 or the plate material 164X between a pair of rolling rolls 156a, 156b in the direction from the left side of the paper to the right side and the direction from the right side of the paper to the left side.

[Slitting process]
Thereafter, a slitting process may be performed in which both ends of the plate material 164X obtained by the rolling process in the width direction are cut off over a predetermined range so that the width of the plate material 164X falls within a predetermined range. This slitting process is performed to remove cracks that may occur at both ends of the plate material 164X due to rolling. By performing such a slitting process, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon in which the plate material 164X breaks, that is, plate breaks, from occurring starting from cracks.

[Annealing process]
Thereafter, in order to remove residual stress (internal stress) accumulated in the plate material 164X by rolling, the plate material 164X is annealed using an annealing device 157 as shown in Fig. 10, thereby obtaining the long metal plate 164. The annealing process may be performed while pulling the plate material 164X or the long metal plate 164 in the conveying direction (longitudinal direction) as shown in Fig. 10. That is, the annealing process may be performed as continuous annealing while being conveyed, rather than so-called batch-type annealing.

The above-mentioned annealing step is preferably performed in a non-reducing atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere. Here, a non-reducing atmosphere means an atmosphere that does not contain a reducing gas such as hydrogen. "Does not contain a reducing gas" means that the concentration of a reducing gas such as hydrogen is 4% or less. Also, an inert gas atmosphere means an atmosphere in which an inert gas such as argon gas, helium gas, or nitrogen gas is present at 90% or more. By performing the annealing step in a non-reducing atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere, it is possible to suppress the above-mentioned nickel hydroxide from being generated on the first surface 164a and the second surface 164b of the long metal plate 164.

By performing the annealing process, a long metal plate 164 with a thickness t0 can be obtained in which residual distortion has been removed to a certain extent. Note that thickness t0 is usually equal to thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20.

The long metal plate 164 with a thickness of t0 may be produced by repeating the above-mentioned rolling process, slitting process, and annealing process multiple times. In addition, in FIG. 10, an example is shown in which the annealing process is performed while the long metal plate 164 is pulled in the longitudinal direction, but this is not limited to this, and the annealing process may be performed with the long metal plate 164 wound around the core 161. In other words, batch-type annealing may be performed. When the annealing process is performed with the long metal plate 164 wound around the core 161, the long metal plate 164 may develop a warping tendency according to the winding diameter of the winding body 162. Therefore, depending on the winding diameter of the winding body 162 and the material constituting the base material 155, it is advantageous to perform the annealing process while pulling the long metal plate 164 in the longitudinal direction.

[Cutting process]
Then, a cutting process is carried out in which both ends of the elongated metal plate 164 in the width direction are cut off over a predetermined range, thereby adjusting the width of the elongated metal plate 164 to a desired width. In this manner, the elongated metal plate 164 having the desired thickness and width can be obtained.

(Method of manufacturing deposition mask)
Next, a method for manufacturing the deposition mask 20 using the long metal plate 164 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 11 to Fig. 19. In the method for manufacturing the deposition mask 20 described below, as shown in Fig. 11, a long metal plate 164 is supplied, a through hole 25 is formed in the long metal plate 164, and the long metal plate 164 is cut to obtain a deposition mask 20 made of a sheet-like metal plate 21.

More specifically, the manufacturing method of the deposition mask 20 includes a step of supplying a long metal plate 164 extending in a strip shape, a step of etching the long metal plate 164 using a photolithography technique to form a first recess 30 on the long metal plate 164 from the first surface 164a side, and a step of etching the long metal plate 164 using a photolithography technique to form a second recess 35 on the long metal plate 164 from the second surface 164b side. Then, the first recess 30 and the second recess 35 formed in the long metal plate 164 communicate with each other, thereby forming a through hole 25 in the long metal plate 164. In the example shown in FIG. 12 to FIG. 19, the step of forming the first recess 30 is performed before the step of forming the second recess 35, and a step of sealing the first recess 30 formed is further provided between the step of forming the first recess 30 and the step of forming the second recess 35. Each step is explained in detail below.

Figure 11 shows a manufacturing apparatus 160 for manufacturing the deposition mask 20. As shown in Figure 11, first, a roll 162 is prepared by winding a long metal plate 164 around a core 161. Then, the core 161 rotates and the roll 162 is unwound, thereby supplying a long metal plate 164 extending in a strip shape as shown in Figure 11. The long metal plate 164 is formed with a through hole 25 to form a sheet-like metal plate 21 and further a deposition mask 20.

The supplied long metal plate 164 is transported to an etching device (etching means) 170 by a transport roller 172. The etching device 170 performs each of the processes shown in FIG. 12 to FIG. 19. In this embodiment, multiple deposition masks 20 are allocated in the width direction of the long metal plate 164. That is, multiple deposition masks 20 are made from areas occupying predetermined positions of the long metal plate 164 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, multiple deposition masks 20 are preferably allocated to the long metal plate 164 so that the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition masks 20 coincides with the rolling direction of the long metal plate 164.

First, as shown in FIG. 12, resist films 165c and 165d containing a negative photosensitive resist material are formed on the first surface 164a and the second surface 164b of the long metal plate 164. The method of forming the resist films 165c and 165d is to attach a film having a layer containing a photosensitive resist material such as an acrylic photocurable resin, a so-called dry film, to the first surface 164a and the second surface 164b of the long metal plate 164.

Next, exposure masks 168a and 168b that do not transmit light to the areas of the resist films 165c and 165d that are to be removed are prepared, and the exposure masks 168a and 168b are placed on the resist films 165c and 165d, respectively, as shown in FIG. 13. For the exposure masks 168a and 168b, for example, glass dry plates that do not transmit light to the areas of the resist films 165c and 165d that are to be removed are used. After that, the exposure masks 168a and 168b are sufficiently attached to the resist films 165c and 165d by vacuum contact. Note that a positive type photosensitive resist material may be used. In this case, an exposure mask that transmits light to the areas of the resist film that are to be removed is used as the exposure mask.

Then, the resist films 165c and 165d are exposed through the exposure masks 168a and 168b (exposure process). Furthermore, the resist films 165c and 165d are developed to form an image on the exposed resist films 165c and 165d (development process). In this manner, as shown in FIG. 14, the first resist pattern 165a can be formed on the first surface 164a of the long metal plate 164, and the second resist pattern 165b can be formed on the second surface 164b of the long metal plate 164. The development process may include a resist heat treatment process for increasing the hardness of the resist films 165c and 165d, or for more firmly adhering the resist films 165c and 165d to the long metal plate 164. The resist heat treatment process is carried out in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as argon gas, helium gas, or nitrogen gas, at a temperature of, for example, 100° C. or higher and 400° C. or lower.

Next, as shown in FIG. 15, a first surface etching process is performed in which the area of the first surface 164a of the long metal plate 164 that is not covered by the first resist pattern 165a is etched using a first etching solution. For example, the first etching solution is sprayed toward the first surface 164a of the long metal plate 164 through the first resist pattern 165a from a nozzle arranged on the side facing the first surface 164a of the transported long metal plate 164. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, erosion by the first etching solution progresses in the area of the long metal plate 164 that is not covered by the first resist pattern 165a. As a result, a large number of first recesses 30 are formed on the first surface 164a of the long metal plate 164. For example, a solution containing ferric chloride and hydrochloric acid is used as the first etching solution.

Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the first recess 30 is covered with a resin 169 that is resistant to the second etching solution used in the subsequent second surface etching process. That is, the first recess 30 is sealed with the resin 169 that is resistant to the second etching solution. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the film of the resin 169 is formed so as to cover not only the formed first recess 30 but also the first surface 164a (first resist pattern 165a).

Next, as shown in FIG. 17, a second surface etching process is carried out in which the area of the second surface 164b of the long metal plate 164 that is not covered by the second resist pattern 165b is etched to form a second recess 35 on the second surface 164b. The second surface etching process is carried out until the first recess 30 and the second recess 35 communicate with each other, thereby forming a through hole 25. As with the first etching solution described above, the second etching solution used may contain, for example, a ferric chloride solution and hydrochloric acid.

The second etching solution corrodes the portion of the long metal plate 164 that is in contact with the second etching solution. Therefore, the corrosion does not proceed only in the normal direction N (thickness direction) of the long metal plate 164, but also in a direction along the plate surface of the long metal plate 164. Preferably, the second surface etching process is completed before the two second recesses 35 formed at positions facing the two adjacent holes 166a of the second resist pattern 165b join on the back side of the bridge portion 167a located between the two holes 166a. This allows the above-mentioned top portion 43 to remain on the second surface 164b of the long metal plate 164, as shown in FIG. 18.

Then, as shown in FIG. 19, the resin 169 is removed from the long metal plate 164. The resin 169 can be removed, for example, by using an alkaline stripper. When an alkaline stripper is used, the resist patterns 165a and 165b are also removed at the same time as the resin 169, as shown in FIG. 19. After the resin 169 is removed, the resist patterns 165a and 165b may be removed separately from the resin 169 using a stripper different from the stripper used to strip the resin 169.

The long metal plate 164 with the numerous through holes 25 thus formed is transported to a cutting device (cutting means) 173 by transport rollers 172, 172 that rotate while holding the long metal plate 164. The rotation of the transport rollers 172, 172 rotates the above-mentioned supply core 161 via the tension (tensile stress) acting on the long metal plate 164, and the long metal plate 164 is supplied from the winding body 162.

Then, the elongated metal plate 164 with the numerous through holes 25 formed therein is cut to a predetermined length and width by a cutting device (cutting means) 173, thereby obtaining a sheet-like metal plate 21 with the numerous through holes 25 formed therein, i.e., a deposition mask 20.

(Deposition mask manufactured by plating process)
Incidentally, the deposition mask 20 can also be manufactured by using a plating process. Hereinafter, a deposition mask 20 manufactured by a plating process will be described. First, the shape of the through hole 25 and the surrounding area will be described when the deposition mask 20 is formed by a plating process.

Figure 20 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the effective area 22 from the first surface 20a side of the deposition mask 20 manufactured by plating. As shown in Figure 4, in the illustrated example, the multiple through holes 25 formed in each effective area 22 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along two directions perpendicular to each other in the effective area 22. An example of the through holes 25 will be described in further detail mainly with reference to Figure 21. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the effective area 22 in Figure 20 as viewed from the D-D direction.

21, the deposition mask 20 includes a first metal layer 32 constituting the first surface 20a, and a second metal layer 37 provided on the first metal layer 32 and constituting the second surface 20b. When the deposition material 98 is deposited on the organic EL substrate 92 (during deposition), the second metal layer 37 is disposed on the side of the frame 15 (see FIG. 1, etc.). The first metal layer 32 is provided with first openings 30 in a predetermined pattern, and the second metal layer 37 is provided with second openings 35 in a predetermined pattern. The first openings 30 and the second openings 35 communicate with each other to form through holes 25 extending from the first surface 20a to the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20.

As shown in FIG. 20, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 constituting the through hole 25 may be substantially polygonal in plan view. Here, an example is shown in which the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 are substantially quadrangular, more specifically, substantially square. Although not shown, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 may be substantially hexagonal, substantially octagonal, or other substantially polygonal shapes. Note that the term "substantially polygonal" is a concept that includes shapes in which the corners of a polygon are rounded. Although not shown, the first opening 30 and the second opening 35 may be circular. As long as the second opening 35 has an outline surrounding the first opening 30 in plan view, the shape of the first opening 30 and the shape of the second opening 35 do not need to be similar.

21, reference numeral 41 denotes a connection portion where the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 are connected. Reference numeral S0 denotes the dimension of the through hole 25 at the connection portion 41 between the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37. Note that FIG. 21 shows an example in which the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 are in contact with each other, but this is not limited thereto, and other layers may be interposed between the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37. For example, a catalyst layer for promoting deposition of the second metal layer 37 on the first metal layer 32 may be provided between the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37.

22 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 in FIG. 21. As shown in FIG. 22, the width M2 of the second metal layer 37 on the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20 is smaller than the width M1 of the first metal layer 32 on the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20. In other words, the opening dimension S2 of the through hole 25 (second opening 35) on the second surface 20b is larger than the opening dimension S1 of the through hole 25 (first opening 30) on the first surface 20a. The advantages of configuring the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 in this manner will be described below.

The deposition material 98 coming from the second surface 20b side of the deposition mask 20 passes through the second opening 35 and the first opening 30 of the through hole 25 in order and adheres to the organic EL substrate 92. The area of the organic EL substrate 92 to which the deposition material 98 adheres is mainly determined by the opening dimension S1 and the opening shape of the through hole 25 on the first surface 20a. As shown by the arrow L1 from the second surface 20b side to the first surface 20a in Figures 21 and 22, the deposition material 98 not only moves from the crucible 94 to the organic EL substrate 92 along the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20, but also moves in a direction greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20. Here, if the opening dimension S2 of the through hole 25 on the second surface 20b is the same as the opening dimension S1 of the through hole 25 on the first surface 20a, most of the deposition material 98 moving in a direction greatly inclined with respect to the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20 will adhere to the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20 (the upper surface of the second metal layer 37 in FIG. 21) before passing through the through hole 25 and reaching the organic EL substrate 92, and will reach and adhere to the wall surface 36 of the second opening 35 of the through hole 25. As a result, more of the deposition material 98 cannot pass through the through hole 25. Therefore, in order to increase the utilization efficiency of the deposition material 98, it is preferable to increase the opening dimension S2 of the second opening 35, that is, to reduce the width M2 of the second metal layer 37.

In FIG. 21, the minimum angle that a straight line L1 tangent to the wall surface 36 of the second metal layer 37 and the wall surface 31 of the first metal layer 32 makes with the normal direction N of the deposition mask 20 is represented by the symbol θ1. In order to allow the deposition material 98 moving obliquely to reach the organic EL substrate 92 as far as possible, it is advantageous to make the angle θ1 large. For example, it is preferable to make the angle θ1 45° or more.

In order to increase the angle θ1, it is effective to make the width M2 of the second metal layer 37 smaller than the width M1 of the first metal layer 32. As is clear from the figure, in order to increase the angle θ1, it is also effective to make the thickness T1 of the first metal layer 32 and the thickness T2 of the second metal layer 37 smaller. If the width M2 of the second metal layer 37, the thickness T1 of the first metal layer 32, or the thickness T2 of the second metal layer 37 is excessively small, the strength of the deposition mask 20 decreases, and therefore the deposition mask 20 may be damaged during transportation or use. For example, the deposition mask 20 may be damaged by the tensile stress applied to the deposition mask 20 when the deposition mask 20 is stretched on the frame 15. In consideration of these points, it is preferable to set the dimensions of the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 to the following range. This allows the above-mentioned angle θ1 to be, for example, 45° or more.

- Width M1 of the first metal layer 32: 5 μm or more and 25 μm or less - Width M2 of the second metal layer 37: 2 μm or more and 20 μm or less - Thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20: 3 μm or more and 50 μm or less, more preferably 3 μm or more and 50 μm or less, even more preferably 3 μm or more and 30 μm or less, even more preferably 3 μm or more and 25 μm or less - Thickness T1 of the first metal layer 32: 5 μm or less - Thickness T2 of the second metal layer 37: 2 μm or more and 50 μm or less, more preferably 3 μm or more and 50 μm or less, even more preferably 3 μm or more and 30 μm or less, even more preferably 3 μm or more and 25 μm or less In this embodiment, the thickness T0 of the deposition mask 20 is the same in the effective region 22 and the surrounding region 23.

The above-mentioned opening dimensions S0, S1, and S2 are appropriately set in consideration of the pixel density of the organic EL display device and the desired value of the above-mentioned angle θ1. For example, when manufacturing an organic EL display device with a pixel density of 400 ppi or more, the opening dimension S0 of the through hole 25 in the connection portion 41 can be set to 15 μm or more and 60 μm or less. In addition, the opening dimension S1 of the first opening 30 in the first surface 20a can be set to 10 μm or more and 50 μm or less, and the opening dimension S2 of the second opening 35 in the second surface 20b can be set to 15 μm or more and 60 μm or less.

22, a recess 34 may be formed on the first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20 formed by the first metal layer 32. When the deposition mask 20 is manufactured by plating, the recess 34 is formed corresponding to the conductive pattern 52 of the pattern substrate 50 described later. The depth D of the recess 34 is, for example, 50 nm or more and 500 nm or less. Preferably, the outer edge 34e of the recess 34 formed in the first metal layer 32 is located between the end 33 of the first metal layer 32 and the connection portion 41.

Next, we will explain an example of manufacturing a deposition mask 20 by plating.

(Method of manufacturing deposition mask)
23 to 26 are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing the deposition mask 20.

[Pattern substrate preparation process]
First, a pattern substrate 50 shown in Fig. 23 is prepared. The pattern substrate 50 has an insulating base material 51 and a conductive pattern 52 formed on the base material 51. The conductive pattern 52 has a pattern corresponding to the first metal layer 32. Note that, in order to facilitate a separation step (to be described later) for separating the deposition mask 20 from the pattern substrate 50, the pattern substrate 50 may be subjected to a release treatment.

[First plating process]
Next, a first plating process is carried out in which a first plating solution is supplied onto the substrate 51 on which the conductive pattern 52 is formed, and a first metal layer 32 is deposited on the conductive pattern 52. For example, the substrate 51 on which the conductive pattern 52 is formed is immersed in a plating tank filled with the first plating solution. This makes it possible to obtain a first metal layer 32 on the pattern substrate 50, in which the first openings 30 are provided in a predetermined pattern, as shown in FIG.

Due to the characteristics of the plating process, as shown in FIG. 24, the first metal layer 32 can be formed not only in the portion overlapping the conductive pattern 52 when viewed along the normal direction of the substrate 51, but also in the portion not overlapping the conductive pattern 52. This is because the first metal layer 32 is further deposited on the surface of the first metal layer 32 deposited in the portion overlapping the end 54 of the conductive pattern 52. As a result, as shown in FIG. 24, the end 33 of the first opening 30 can be located in the portion not overlapping the conductive pattern 52 when viewed along the normal direction of the substrate 51. In addition, the above-mentioned recessed portion 34 corresponding to the thickness of the conductive pattern 52 is formed on the surface of the first metal layer 32 that contacts the conductive pattern 52.

As long as the first metal layer 32 can be deposited on the conductive pattern 52, the specific method of the first plating process is not particularly limited. For example, the first plating process may be carried out as a so-called electrolytic plating process in which the first metal layer 32 is deposited on the conductive pattern 52 by passing a current through the conductive pattern 52. Alternatively, the first plating process may be an electroless plating process.

The components of the first plating solution used are appropriately determined according to the characteristics of the first metal layer 32. For example, when the first metal layer 32 is made of an iron alloy containing nickel, a mixed solution of a solution containing a nickel compound and a solution containing an iron compound can be used as the first plating solution. For example, a mixed solution of a solution containing nickel sulfamate or nickel bromide and a solution containing ferrous sulfamate can be used. The plating solution may contain various additives. Examples of additives that may be used include pH buffers such as boric acid, primary brighteners such as sodium saccharin, secondary brighteners such as butynediol, propargyl alcohol, coumarin, formalin, and thiourea, antioxidants, and stress relaxants. Of these, the primary brightener may contain a sulfur component.

[Resist Forming Process]
Next, a resist formation step is performed in which a resist pattern 55 is formed on the base material 51 and the first metal layer 32 with a predetermined gap 56 therebetween. As shown in Fig. 25, the resist formation step is performed such that the first opening 30 of the first metal layer 32 is covered with the resist pattern 55 and the gap 56 of the resist pattern 55 is located above the first metal layer 32.

[Second plating process]
Next, a second plating process is carried out in which a second plating solution is supplied into the gaps 56 of the resist pattern 55 to deposit a second metal layer 37 on the first metal layer 32. For example, the substrate 51 on which the first metal layer 32 has been formed is immersed in a plating tank filled with the second plating solution. This allows the second metal layer 37 to be formed on the first metal layer 32, as shown in FIG.

As long as the second metal layer 37 can be deposited on the first metal layer 32, the specific method of the second plating process is not particularly limited. For example, the second plating process may be carried out as a so-called electrolytic plating process in which the second metal layer 37 is deposited on the first metal layer 32 by passing a current through the first metal layer 32. Alternatively, the second plating process may be an electroless plating process.

The second plating solution may be the same as the first plating solution described above. Alternatively, a plating solution different from the first plating solution may be used as the second plating solution. When the composition of the first plating solution is the same as the composition of the second plating solution, the composition of the metal constituting the first metal layer 32 and the composition of the metal constituting the second metal layer 37 will also be the same.

[Resist Removal Process]
Thereafter, a resist removal step is performed to remove the resist pattern 55. For example, the resist pattern 55 can be removed from the base material 51, the first metal layer 32, and the second metal layer 37 by using an alkaline remover.

[Separation step]
Next, a separation step is performed to separate the combination of the first metal layer 32 and the second metal layer 37 from the substrate 51. When the combination is separated from the substrate 51, since the organic film formed by the above-mentioned mold release treatment is formed on the conductive pattern 52, the first metal layer 32 of the combination is peeled off from the surface of the organic film, and the conductive pattern 52 remains on the substrate 51 together with the organic film. In this way, a deposition mask 20 including the first metal layer 32 in which the first openings 30 are provided in a predetermined pattern and the second metal layer 37 in which the second openings 35 communicating with the first openings 30 are provided can be obtained.

In the above description, an example has been described in which the deposition mask 20 formed by plating is composed of a first metal layer 32 and a second metal layer 37. However, this is not limited to this, and the deposition mask 20 formed by plating may be composed of a single metal layer (not shown).

(Method of manufacturing a deposition mask device)
Next, a method for manufacturing the deposition mask device 10 using the deposition mask 20 obtained as described above will be described.

First, a welding process is carried out in which the deposition mask 20 prepared as described above by the etching process or plating process is welded to the frame 15. This makes it possible to obtain a deposition mask device 10 including the deposition mask 20 and the frame 15. The obtained deposition mask 20 is welded to the frame 15 in a tensioned state, thereby obtaining the deposition mask device 10 as shown in FIG. 3.

(Deposition mask packaging body and deposition mask packaging device)
Next, a deposition mask packaging body 60 and a packaging device 60a for a deposition mask in which the deposition mask 20 obtained by the etching process or plating process is packaged will be described with reference to FIGS. 27 to 32. The packaging device 60a for a deposition mask is a device for packaging the deposition mask 20, i.e., the deposition mask 20 having the longitudinal direction D1 in which a plurality of through holes 25 are formed. The deposition mask packaging body 60 mainly includes the deposition mask 20 and the packaging device 60a for a deposition mask in which the deposition mask 20 is packaged. FIG. 28 shows a cross section of the deposition mask packaging body 60. The cross section means a cross section along the width direction D2 (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1) of the deposition mask 20 to be packaged. FIG. 45, which will be described later, shows a longitudinal section of the deposition mask packaging body 60 in a sixth modified example, and the longitudinal section means a cross section along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 to be packaged.

27 and 28, the deposition mask package 60 according to the present embodiment includes a first base, a second base provided above the first base and facing the first base, and a deposition mask laminate 80 disposed between the first base and the second base. The first base may be a first substrate formed in a plate shape. Here, the substrate is not limited to a plate-shaped member having a pair of main surfaces provided on opposite sides that are parallel to each other and formed in a flat shape. For example, when one main surface is formed in a flat shape, the pair of main surfaces may be non-parallel, or one main surface may be formed in a non-flat shape. The second base may also be a second substrate formed in a plate shape, similar to the first base. In the present embodiment, the following description will be given taking a receiving portion 61 formed in a plate shape as an example of the first base, and a lid portion 62 formed in a plate shape as an example of the second base.

The deposition mask laminate 80 may have a plurality of deposition masks 20 as described above. Details of the deposition mask laminate 80 will be described later. The deposition mask packaging device 60a described above is a device for packaging the deposition mask laminate 80 including the deposition mask 20. This deposition mask packaging device 60a is mainly configured to include the above-mentioned receiving portion 61, the lid portion 62, and a pair of spacers 64 described later. In other words, the deposition mask packaging device 60a is configured by removing the deposition mask laminate 80, the lid portion side insertion sheet 82 and the receiving portion side insertion sheet 83 described later from the deposition mask packaging body 60.

Each deposition mask 20 of the deposition mask laminate 80 is held by a receiving portion 61 and a lid portion 62. In this embodiment, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are formed separately and are bound by a binding portion. In this embodiment, an elastic belt 63 is used as an example of a binding portion to be described below. The receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are pressed against each other by the elastic force of the elastic belt 63. Here, an example is shown in which the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are bound by two elastic belts 63, but the number of elastic belts 63 is arbitrary as long as the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 can be prevented from shifting from each other during transportation, etc. For example, when two or more elastic belts 63 are used, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 can be prevented from shifting from each other by rotating relative to each other in a plane including the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In addition, as long as the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 can hold the deposition mask 20, the use of the elastic belt 63 is not limited.

The receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 may be made of one sheet of material, or may be made of a laminate of multiple sheets of material (e.g., cardboard sheets made of plastic such as polypropylene) that are laminated and bonded together. A cardboard sheet made of plastic is suitable from the viewpoint of strength and mass, that is, because it is lightweight despite having the desired strength, and has a configuration including a pair of liners and a core having a corrugated cross section interposed between the liners. When stacking multiple cardboard sheets, it is preferable to stack them so that the directions in which the corrugated ridges (or valleys) of the cores of the adjacent cardboard sheets extend are perpendicular to each other. In this case, the strength of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 made of the laminated cardboard sheets can be improved. Examples of cardboard sheets made of polypropylene include Sunply made by Sumika Plastec Co., Ltd., Danplate, Single Cone, Twin Cone made by Ube Exsimo Co., Ltd., and Minadan made by Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

In addition, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are preferably coated with an antistatic coating to suppress the generation of static electricity. More specifically, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 may be coated with an antistatic agent to form an antistatic layer on both sides of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. In this case, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 can be suppressed from being charged, and the deposition mask 20 and the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 described later can be suppressed from adhering to each other due to electrostatic action when unpacking. Examples of such antistatic agents include surfactants, conductive polymers, carbon black, and metals. Alternatively, the material of the receiving portion 61 may be a material having a conductive layer or an antistatic layer formed on the surface layer, or a material having an antistatic agent kneaded into it, and the material of the lid portion 62 may be a material having a conductive layer or an antistatic layer formed on the surface layer, or a material having an antistatic agent kneaded into it. For example, in the above-mentioned polypropylene cardboard sheet, a sheet of a grade having antistatic properties or conductivity may be used. It is preferable that the spacer 64 described below is also antistatically coated, or the material of the spacer 64 may be a material with an antistatic agent kneaded into it.

As shown in Figs. 28 and 30, the receiving portion 61 has a first opposing surface 65 that faces the lid portion 62. This first opposing surface 65 may be formed flat, and the deposition mask laminate 80 is placed on this first opposing surface 65. On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29, the lid portion 62 has a second opposing surface 66 that faces the receiving portion 61. This second opposing surface 66 may be formed flat.

It is preferable that the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 overlap each other in a plan view (described later). The dimensions of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 can be set arbitrarily according to the dimensions of the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1, but for example, the lower limit may be 100 mm or more, 300 mm or more, 500 mm or more, or 700 mm or more. The upper limit may be 1000 mm or less, 1500 mm or less, 2000 mm or less, or 3000 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 100 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, 700 mm or more and 3000 mm or less, or 500 mm or more and 1500 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 100 mm or more and 700 mm or less, 300 mm or more and 500 mm or less, or 500 mm or more and 700 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 1000 mm or more and 3000 mm or less, 1500 mm or more and 2000 mm or less, or 2000 mm or more and 3000 mm or less. For example, by setting it to 100 mm or more, it is possible to accommodate a deposition mask 20 having a desired dimension in the longitudinal direction D1. On the other hand, by setting it to 3000 mm or less, it is possible to suppress deformation of the deposition mask package 60 or the deposition mask packaging device 60a during transportation or storage.

The dimensions of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20 can be set arbitrarily according to the dimensions of the deposition mask 20 in the width direction D2, but for example, the lower limit may be 30 mm or more, 50 mm or more, 100 mm or more, or 200 mm or more. The upper limit may be 300 mm or less, 500 mm or less, 800 mm or less, or 1000 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 30 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, 50 mm or more and 800 mm or less, or 100 mm or more and 500 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 30 mm or more and 200 mm or less, 50 mm or more and 200 mm or less, or 100 mm or more and 200 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the multiple upper limit candidate values described above. For example, the range may be 300 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, 300 mm or more and 800 mm or less, or 500 mm or more and 800 mm or less. For example, by setting the range to 30 mm or more, it is possible to accommodate a deposition mask 20 having a desired dimension in the width direction D2. On the other hand, by setting the range to 700 mm or less, it is possible to suppress deformation of the deposition mask package 60 or the deposition mask packaging device 60a during transportation or storage.

The thickness of the receiving portion 61 may be, for example, 0.5 mm or more, 1.5 mm or more, or 5 mm or more. The upper limit may be 10 mm or less, 20 mm or less, or 40 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 0.5 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 1.5 mm or more and 20 mm or less, or 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less, 0.5 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, or 1.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less, or 20 mm or more and 40 mm or less. For example, by making the thickness 0.5 mm or more, deformation of the deposition mask packaging body 60 and the packaging device 60a for the deposition mask during transportation or storage can be suppressed. On the other hand, by making the thickness 40 mm or less, the weight of the packaging device 60a for the deposition mask can be made small enough to be carried by hand. Even when the receiving portion 61 is formed by stacking multiple cardboard sheets as necessary, it is preferable that the thickness is within the above-mentioned range.

The thickness of the lid portion 62 may be, for example, 0.5 mm or more at the lower limit, 1.5 mm or more, or 5 mm or more at the upper limit. The upper limit may be 10 mm or less, 20 mm or less, or 40 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 0.5 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 1.5 mm or more and 20 mm or less, or 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less, 0.5 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, or 1.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less, or 20 mm or more and 40 mm or less. . For example, by making the thickness 0.5 mm or more, deformation of the deposition mask packaging body 60 and the packaging device 60a for the deposition mask during transportation or storage can be suppressed. On the other hand, by making the thickness 40 mm or less, the packaging device 60a for the deposition mask can be made light enough to be carried by hand. If necessary, even when multiple cardboard sheets are stacked to form the lid portion 62, it is preferable that the thickness is within the above-mentioned range.

A pair of spacers 64 are interposed between the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. The pair of spacers 64 are arranged on both sides of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, and a storage space 64a for the deposition mask laminate 80 is defined between the pair of spacers 64. This storage space 64a has a longitudinal direction D3 along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 to be stored. The spacer 64 extends in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 along the side edge 20f in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, and restricts the movement of each of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 described later in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20. In this embodiment, the spacer 64 is formed separately from the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62, and may be bonded to the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 with an adhesive or the like. However, the spacer 64 may be bonded to the first opposing surface 65 of the receiving portion 61. The material of the spacer 64 is not particularly limited as long as it can withstand the force applied when the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are bound by the elastic belt 63. For example, from the viewpoint of mass, the spacer 64 may be formed of a plastic material having a desired strength (e.g., polyester, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyacetal, polyoxymethylene, MC nylon, supramolecular polyethylene, epoxy, etc.). The hardness of the spacer 64 may be higher than the hardness of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. This can increase the rigidity against the vertical force applied to the deposition mask package 60, and can suppress the application of the vertical force to the deposition mask laminate 80.

The adhesive for bonding the spacer 64 to the lid 62 is preferably an adhesive made of a material that suppresses shrinkage when cured, and may be, for example, a two-component curing epoxy adhesive, a UV curing epoxy adhesive, or a modified silicone adhesive. Alternatively, a pressure-sensitive adhesive may be used instead of the adhesive. In this case, for example, a double-sided adhesive tape in which an adhesive layer is formed on both sides of a substrate may be used. The substrate may be, for example, a nonwoven fabric, paper, or a plastic film such as polyester, and the adhesive may be, for example, an adhesive containing an acrylic resin.

The dimension of the spacer 64 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 may be the same as that of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. The dimension of the spacer 64 in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20 (corresponding to the width direction D4 in the storage space 64a) may be set so that the storage space 64a can be formed. The dimension of the storage space 64a along the width direction D4 can be set arbitrarily according to the deposition mask 20 to be packed. For example, the dimension of the deposition mask 20 along the width direction D2 may be, for example, a lower limit of 10 mm or more, 20 mm or more, or 50 mm or more. The upper limit may be 100 mm or less, 500 mm or less, or 1000 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the lower limit and any one of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the upper limit. For example, it may be 10 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, 20 mm or more and 500 mm or less, or 50 mm or more and 100 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less, 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less, or 20 mm or more and 50 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 100 mm or more and 500 mm or less, 100 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, or 500 mm or more and 1000 mm or less. In this case, the dimension along the width direction D4 of the accommodation space 64a may be, for example, a lower limit of 10 mm or more, 20 mm or more, or 50 mm or more. The upper limit of the accommodation space 64a may be 100 mm or less, 500 mm or less, or 1000 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 10 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, 20 mm or more and 500 mm or less, or 50 mm or more and 100 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the lower limit. For example, it may be 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less, 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less, or 20 mm or more and 50 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the upper limit. For example, it may be 100 mm or more and 500 mm or less, 100 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, or 500 mm or more and 1000 mm or less. For example, by setting it to 10 mm or more, it is possible to accommodate various width dimensions of the deposition mask 20. On the other hand, by setting it to 1000 mm or less, for example, a gap is provided between the deposition mask 20 and the spacer 64, which can prevent contact with the package when it is shifted in the width direction and improve the handleability of the deposition mask 20.

The thickness of the spacer 64 may be, for example, 1 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 10 mm or more, or 20 mm or more. The upper limit may be 30 mm or less, 40 mm or less, 60 mm or less, or 80 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 1 mm or more and 80 mm or less, 5 mm or more and 60 mm or less, 10 mm or more and 40 mm or less, or 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 1 mm or more and 20 mm or less, 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, or 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 30 mm or more and 80 mm or less, 40 mm or more and 60 mm or less, 30 mm or more and 60 mm or less, or 40 mm or more and 80 mm or less. For example, by making it 5 mm or more, it is possible to ensure a sufficient storage space 64a even when the deposition mask stack 80 is stored. On the other hand, by making it 40 mm or less, it is possible to reduce the weight applied to the deposition mask 20 at the bottom of the deposition mask stack 80, and to prevent deformation of the deposition mask 20 during transportation or storage.

Although not shown, spacers (not shown) may also be arranged on both sides of the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1. In this case, in a plan view, the storage space 64a of the deposition mask stack 80 is defined to be surrounded by the spacers, and the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 described later are restricted from moving in the longitudinal direction D1.

29 and 32, the lid portion 62 has a convex portion 67 arranged at least on one of both ends 20e in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. In other words, the convex portion 67 is arranged at least on one of both ends in the longitudinal direction D3 of the above-mentioned storage space 64a defined by the pair of spacers 64 in a plan view. Here, since FIG. 32 shows a cross section taken along line E-E in FIG. 31, the receiving portion 61 is arranged on the back side of the deposition mask 20, and the lid portion 62 is arranged on the front side of the paper. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the lid portion 62 has a pair of convex portions 67 arranged at both ends 20e, but the lid portion 62 does not need to have either of the convex portions 67.

In the present embodiment, the convex portion 67 may not overlap the through hole 25 through which the deposition material 98 passes during deposition in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 32, the convex portion 67 is arranged on both sides of the effective area 22 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view (when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface 20a or the second surface 20b of the deposition mask 20). More specifically, each convex portion 67 is arranged at a position that overlaps the corresponding end opening 24 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view, and is arranged at the center of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20. In addition, each convex portion 67 does not protrude from the corresponding end opening 24 in a plan view. In addition, each convex portion 67 includes a lower surface 67a that contacts the lid portion side insertion sheet 82 described later. The convex portion 67 is formed separately from the lid portion 62, and may be bonded to the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 with an adhesive or the like. The material of the convex portion 67 is not particularly limited, and may be made of plastic, rubber, sponge, or the like. The hardness of the convex portion 67 may be lower than the hardness of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. This effectively weakens the pressing force of the convex portion 67 pressing the lid-side interposing sheet 82, and weakens the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the convex portion 67. Therefore, the deposition mask 20 can smoothly thermally expand or contract in response to temperature changes during transportation, and the generation of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. Such a convex portion 67 may have a hardness of, for example, C/3 or more and C/60 or less. By setting the hardness to C/3 or more, the convex portion 67 can press and support the deposition mask 20 via the lid-side interposing sheet 82, and the vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be effectively suppressed. On the other hand, by setting the hardness to C/60 or less, the pressing force of the convex portion 67 can be prevented from becoming too high, and the generation of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20 can be effectively suppressed. The hardness of the protrusions 67 is measured according to JIS K7312 using an Asker rubber hardness tester type C manufactured by Kobunshi Keiki Co., Ltd. The protrusions 67 may have a 25% compression hardness (JIS K6400, method D) of 50 N or more. By setting the 25% compression hardness to 80 N or more, the pressure against the deposition mask 20 can be appropriately maintained.

The planar dimensions of the convex portion 67 can be set arbitrarily depending on the size of the end opening 24 of the deposition mask 20. The dimension of the convex portion 67 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 may be, for example, 5 mm or more. By setting it to 5 mm or more, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the convex portion 67 and the receiving portion 61, and vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be suppressed, as well as movement within a plane including the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.

The thickness of the convex portion 67 may be, for example, 0.1 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 5 mm or more, or 10 mm or more at the lower limit. The upper limit may be 20 mm or less, 30 mm or less, 40 mm or less, or 60 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 0.1 mm or more and 60 mm or less, 1 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, or 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less, 0.1 mm or more and 5 mm or less, or 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 20 mm or more and 60 mm or less, 30 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 20 mm or more and 40 mm or less, or 30 mm or more and 60 mm or less. For example, by making it 0.1 mm or more, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the protrusions 67 and the receiving portion 61, and vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be suppressed. On the other hand, by making it 60 mm or less, for example, it is possible to suppress the protrusions 67 from excessively pressing the area overlapping the end opening 24 of the lid-side inserting sheet 82, and the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the protrusions 67 can be weakened.

As shown in FIG. 28 and FIG. 31, the deposition mask stack 80 has a plurality of deposition masks 20 stacked on each other, and a plurality of third sheets stacked on the first surface 20a and the second surface 20b of the deposition masks 20. In the present embodiment, an intermediate sheet 81 is used as an example of the third sheet in the following description. In the present embodiment, the deposition masks 20 and the intermediate sheets 81 are alternately stacked, and the intermediate sheets 81 are disposed between the deposition masks 20 adjacent to each other. The bottom and top layers of the deposition mask stack 80 are deposition masks 20.

The first surface 20a of the deposition mask 20 that is neither the bottom nor the top is covered with an intermediate interposing sheet 81 facing the first surface 20a, and the second surface 20b is covered with an intermediate interposing sheet 81 facing the second surface 20b. As a result, each interposing sheet 81 prevents the through holes 25 of one deposition mask 20 and the through holes 25 of the other deposition mask 20 adjacent to each other from getting caught on each other and deforming.

A first sheet is disposed between the deposition mask laminate 80 and the lid 62. In this embodiment, the lid-side interposing sheet 82 is taken as an example of the first sheet and described below. The lid-side interposing sheet 82 faces the deposition mask 20 constituting the topmost layer of the deposition mask laminate 80 and covers the deposition mask 20. This suppresses deformation of the through-hole 25 of the topmost deposition mask 20. In addition, a second sheet is disposed between the deposition mask laminate 80 and the receiving portion 61. In this embodiment, the receiving-side interposing sheet 83 is taken as an example of the second sheet and described below. The receiving-side interposing sheet 83 faces the deposition mask 20 constituting the bottommost layer of the deposition mask laminate 80 and covers the deposition mask 20. This suppresses deformation of the through-hole 25 of the bottommost deposition mask 20. In this way, the deposition mask laminate 80 is disposed between the lid-side interposing sheet 82 and the receiving-side interposing sheet 83.

The number of lid-side interposing sheets 82 arranged between the deposition mask laminate 80 and the lid 62 is arbitrary. That is, the number of lid-side interposing sheets 82 may be set according to the thickness and number of deposition masks 20 so that the dimension G of the gap 68 described later is a desired value. Similarly, the number of receiving-side interposing sheets 83 arranged between the deposition mask laminate 80 and the receiving portion 61 is arbitrary. That is, the number of receiving-side interposing sheets 83 may be set according to the thickness and number of deposition masks 20 so that the dimension G of the gap 68 described later falls within a desired range.

The number of deposition masks 20 constituting the deposition mask stack 80 may be, for example, 1 or more at the lower limit, 5 or more at the lower limit, 10 or more at the lower limit, or 15 or more at the upper limit. The upper limit may be 20 or less at the lower limit, 25 or less at the lower limit, 30 or less at the upper limit, or 35 or less at the upper limit. The range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the lower limit and any one of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the upper limit. For example, it may be 1 or more and 35 or less at the lower limit, 5 or more and 30 or less at the lower limit, 10 or more and 25 or less at the lower limit, or 15 or more and 20 or less at the lower limit. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the lower limit. For example, it may be 1 or more and 15 or less at the lower limit, 5 or more and 10 or less at the lower limit, 1 or more and 10 or less at the lower limit, or 5 or more and 15 or less at the upper limit. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple candidate values for the upper limit. For example, it may be 20 or more and 35 or less, 25 or more and 30 or less, 20 or more and 30 or less, or 25 or more and 35 or less.

The thickness of the deposition mask 20 may be, for example, 1 μm or more at the lower limit, 5 μm or more, 10 μm or more, or 20 μm or more. The upper limit may be 25 μm or less, 30 μm or less, 40 μm or less, or 60 μm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, it may be 1 μm or more and 60 μm or less, 5 μm or more and 40 μm or less, 10 μm or more and 30 μm or less, or 20 μm or more and 25 μm or less. The above range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, it may be 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, 5 μm or more and 10 μm or less, 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less, or 5 μm or more and 20 μm or less. The range may also be determined by a combination of any two of the multiple upper limit candidate values described above. For example, it may be 25 μm or more and 60 μm or less, 30 μm or more and 40 μm or less, 25 μm or more and 40 μm or less, or 30 μm or more and 60 μm or less.

Depending on the number and thickness of the deposition masks 20 exemplified as such numerical ranges, the number of lid-side insert sheets 82 and receiving-side insert sheets 83 may be set so that the dimension G of the gap 68 falls within the desired range.

When multiple lid-side insert sheets 82 are used, at least one lid-side insert sheet 82 may be made of PET film, and the remaining lid-side insert sheets 82 may be made of acrylic-impregnated paper or other paper. When multiple receiver-side insert sheets 83 are used, at least one receiver-side insert sheet 83 may be made of PET film, and the remaining receiver-side insert sheets 83 may be made of acrylic-impregnated paper or other paper.

When multiple lid-side insert sheets 82 are used, lid-side insert sheets 82 may be used that are made of the same material (described below) and the same thickness, the same material (described below) and different thicknesses (thin or thick), different materials (described below) and the same thickness, or different materials (described below) and different thicknesses (thin or thick). The longitudinal dimensions (described below) and width dimensions of the lid-side insert sheets 82 may also be the same or different, and lid-side insert sheets 82 may be used that are made of various combinations.

As with the lid-side insert sheet 82, the receiving-side insert sheet 83 may be formed in various combinations, such as the same material (described below) and the same thickness, the same material (described below) and different thicknesses (thin or thick), different materials (described below) and the same thickness, or different materials (described below) and different thicknesses (thin or thick). The longitudinal dimensions (described below) and width dimensions of the receiving-side insert sheet 83 may also be the same or different, and receiving-side insert sheets 83 formed in various combinations may be used.

Both surfaces of the intermediate insert sheet 81, the lid side insert sheet 82, and the receiving side insert sheet 83 may be formed flat, and each of the insert sheets 81, 82, to 83 may not have holes or irregularities formed therein, except for minute holes and irregularities formed during sheet manufacturing. Each of the insert sheets 81, 82, to 83 suppresses plastic deformation of the deposition masks 20 when each deposition mask 20 is removed from the deposition mask stack 80.

The deposition masks 20 in the deposition mask stack 80 preferably have the same shape, and are arranged so that the effective areas 22 of each deposition mask 20 overlap when viewed along the stacking direction, but are not limited to this. As long as the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62 can be arranged at the end 20e of the deposition mask 20 where the effective area 22 is not formed, the number or shape of the effective areas 22 of each deposition mask 20 may be different.

The upper surface of the lid-side insert sheet 82 is in contact with the lower surface 67a of the protruding portion 67 of the lid portion 62, and the lid-side insert sheet 82 is pressed against the protruding portion 67. As a result, friction between the upper surface of the lid-side insert sheet 82 and the lower surface 67a of the protruding portion 67 of the lid portion 62 prevents the lid-side insert sheet 82 from moving in the planar direction relative to the protruding portion 67.

31, a gap 68 is formed between the lid-side interposing sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid 62 around the convex portion 67. That is, a gap 68 is formed between the lid-side interposing sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66 around the convex portion 67 including the area between one convex portion 67 and the other convex portion 67. Therefore, this gap 68 is formed above the effective area of the deposition mask 20. This gap 68 has a desired dimension G as the distance between the lid-side interposing sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66. This dimension G may be equal to the height of the convex portion 67. However, when the convex portion 67 is made of a soft material with low hardness and the convex portion 67 shrinks in the vertical direction after packaging, the dimension G may be smaller than the height of the convex portion 67 when it is not contracted. In addition, since the height of the storage space 64a is determined by the spacer 64, even if the protrusion 67 shrinks, a gap 68 can be formed around the protrusion 67 by adjusting the thickness or number of the deposition masks 20 of the deposition mask stack 80 or the thickness or number of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83. In this case, the dimension G may be the height of the protrusion 67 when it shrinks, or may be smaller than that height.

It is preferable that the intermediate interposing sheet 81, the lid side interposing sheet 82, and the receiving side interposing sheet 83 have flexibility capable of absorbing to some extent the force applied to the deposition mask 20 in the packaged state and the impact applied during transportation. In addition, it is preferable that each interposing sheet 81, 82, and 83 has a strength sufficient to support the deposition mask laminate 80 including the deposition mask 20. If the sheet has such characteristics, a common sheet can be used for each interposing sheet 81, 82, and 83. For example, any film material having any thickness can be used for each interposing sheet 81, 82, and 83, and for example, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film can be preferably used. For example, the lower limit of the thickness of the film material may be 0.0010 mm or more, 0.0050 mm or more, 0.010 mm or more, or 0.050 mm or more. The upper limit may be 0.10 mm or less, 0.20 mm or less, 0.30 mm or less, or 0.50 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any one of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values and any one of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, the range may be 0.0010 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less, 0.0050 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, 0.010 mm or more and 0.20 mm or less, or 0.050 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple lower limit candidate values. For example, the range may be 0.0010 mm or more and 0.050 mm or less, 0.0050 mm or more and 0.010 mm or less, 0.0010 mm or more and 0.010 mm or less, or 0.0050 mm or more and 0.050 mm or less. The range may be determined by a combination of any two of the above-mentioned multiple upper limit candidate values. For example, the range may be 0.10 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less, 0.20 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, 0.10 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, or 0.20 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less. For example, by making the thickness of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 0.010 mm or more, it is possible to suppress the uneven shape caused by the through holes 25 of the deposition mask 20 laminated on one surface of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 from appearing on the other surface. In addition, it is possible to suppress the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 from being torn, and it is also possible to reuse the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83, which is economical. For example, by making the thickness of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 0.50 mm or less, it is possible to reduce the mass of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 and suppress the mass of the deposition mask package 60 from increasing. In addition, since the PET film is relatively hard and wrinkles are unlikely to form, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be effectively suppressed. In addition, instead of the PET film, the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 may be made of a fibrous material such as paper. For example, the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 may be made of acrylic-impregnated paper. Using acrylic-impregnated paper can suppress the transfer of foreign matter generated from the fibers to the deposition mask 20.

31 and 32, it is preferable that each of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 has a dimension that allows the periphery of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 to protrude from the deposition mask 20 over the entire circumference when viewed along the stacking direction of the deposition mask 20. In this embodiment, the dimension (longitudinal total length) of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 is larger than the longitudinal total length of the deposition mask 20 (for example, larger within a range of 0.1 mm to 20 mm), and the width direction dimension of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 of the deposition mask 20 is larger than the width direction dimension of the deposition mask 20 (for example, larger within a range of 0.1 mm to 20 mm). As a result, in the deposition mask stack 80, the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 can be made to protrude from the deposition mask 20 over the entire circumference, and it is possible to prevent adjacent deposition masks 20 from directly contacting each other and overlapping each other. That is, if the total length of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the total length of the deposition mask 20, the deposition mask 20 on one side of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 and the deposition mask 20 on the other side may directly contact and overlap, and the through hole 25 may be deformed. In addition, if the width dimension of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 is smaller than the width dimension of the deposition mask 20, the through hole 25 may be deformed in the same manner. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the total length of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 in the longitudinal direction is larger than the total length of the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction, and the width dimension of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 is larger than the width dimension of the deposition mask 20, so that the deposition masks 20 on both sides of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 can be prevented from directly contacting and overlapping with each other. Therefore, the through hole 25 can be effectively prevented from being deformed.

Each of the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 is preferably coated with an antistatic agent to prevent static electricity from being generated. More specifically, the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 may be coated with an antistatic agent to form an antistatic layer on both sides of the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83. In this case, the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 can be prevented from being charged, and the deposition mask 20 and the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 can be prevented from adhering to each other due to electrostatic action when unpacking. Examples of such antistatic agents include surfactants, conductive polymers, carbon black, and metals. Examples of the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 include polyester synthetic paper K2323-188-690 mm manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., which is sold under the product name Crisper (registered trademark). Alternatively, the material of the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 may be acrylic-impregnated paper or film into which an antistatic agent is kneaded. An example of an acrylic-impregnated paper with an antistatic agent is AS Staclean manufactured by Sakurai Co., Ltd. This type of antistatic treatment prevents the interposing sheets 81-83 from becoming charged during packaging, causing foreign matter to adhere to them and transfer them to the deposition mask 20. It also prevents the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 from adhering to the deposition mask 20 due to electrostatic effects when the package is opened.

The lid-side insert sheet 82 is not attached to the protruding portion 67 or the second opposing surface 66 of the lid 62. The receiver-side insert sheet 83 is not attached to the first opposing surface 65 of the receiver 61. This allows the lid-side insert sheet 82 and the receiver-side insert sheet 83 to thermally expand or contract smoothly during thermal expansion.

As shown in FIG. 28, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62, which sandwich the deposition mask laminate 80, are sealed in a sealed bag 69. The pressure inside the sealed bag 69 is reduced from atmospheric pressure. A desiccant 70 (e.g., silica gel) is also stored inside the sealed bag 69, and the desiccant 70 adsorbs moisture inside the sealed bag 69, maintaining the atmosphere inside the sealed bag 69 in a dry state. This prevents the deposition mask 20 from being altered by moisture. Note that the sealed bag 69 is omitted in FIG. 27.

As shown in FIG. 28, the deposition mask package 60 according to the present embodiment may include an impact sensor 71 that detects an impact applied to the deposition mask 20. In this case, the impact applied to the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be confirmed after transportation. Therefore, if an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied during transportation, it is possible to infer the possibility that the deposition mask 20 is defective, and the transportation quality of the deposition mask 20 can be improved. The sealed bag 69 is contained in a cardboard box 72, and this cardboard box 72 is packed in a wooden box 73. It is preferable to attach the impact sensor 71 inside the wooden box 73 as shown in FIG. 28, but this is not limited to this. For example, a Shock Watch Label L-30 (green) manufactured by SHOCKWATCH Inc. can be preferably used as the impact sensor 71.

Next, we will explain the operation of this embodiment configured as described above. Here, we will explain the method of packaging the deposition mask 20.

(Deposition mask packaging method)
First, as a packaging device 60a for a deposition mask, a lid portion 62 shown in Fig. 29 and a receiving portion 61 shown in Fig. 30 are prepared. Also, a deposition mask 20, an intermediate interposing sheet 81, a lid portion-side interposing sheet 82, and a receiving portion-side interposing sheet 83 are prepared. The receiving portion 61, the lid portion 62, the spacer 64, and the interposing sheets 81, 82, 83, etc. may be reused if they are deemed to have no problems in use, such as deterioration.

Next, as shown in FIG. 31, a deposition mask laminate 80 is obtained, which is placed on the receiving portion 61.

In this case, first, the receiving part side interposing sheet 83 is placed on the receiving part 61. The receiving part side interposing sheet 83 is placed at a position that can be accommodated in the accommodation space 64a defined by the pair of spacers 64 when the lid part 62 is placed on the receiving part 61. Next, the deposition mask 20 is placed on the receiving part side interposing sheet 83. In this case, the deposition mask 20 is placed so that the periphery of the receiving part side interposing sheet 83 protrudes from the deposition mask 20 over the entire circumference. In addition, the deposition mask 20 is placed so that the center of the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 is positioned at the longitudinal center of the receiving part 61, and the center of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20 is positioned at the width center of the receiving part 61. Next, the intermediate interposing sheet 81 is placed on the deposition mask 20. In this case, the intermediate interposing sheet 81 is placed so as to overlap with the receiving part side interposing sheet 83 in a plan view. Thereafter, the deposition masks 20 and the intermediate interposing sheets 81 are repeatedly placed, so that the deposition masks 20 and the intermediate interposing sheets 81 are alternately stacked. Finally, the lid-side interposing sheet 82 is placed on the deposition masks 20 that have been stacked. The lid-side interposing sheet 82 is positioned so as to overlap the receiving-side interposing sheet 83 and the intermediate interposing sheet 81 in a plan view.

After the deposition mask laminate 80 placed on the receiving portion 61 is obtained, the lid portion 62 is placed on the deposition mask laminate 80. As a result, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 face each other, and the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are placed on both sides of the deposition mask laminate 80 in the vertical direction. In this case, the lower surface 67a of the protruding portion 67 of the lid portion 62 contacts the lid portion side insertion sheet 82.

27, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are bound by the elastic belt 63. As a result, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are pressed against each other by the elastic force of the elastic belt 63. In this case, as shown in FIG. 31, the convex portion 67 presses the lid-side interposing sheet 82. The pressing force from the convex portion 67 is weakened and transmitted to the deposition mask 20. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 32, the convex portion 67 is arranged at a position overlapping the corresponding end opening 24 of the deposition mask 20, and the region of the lid-side interposing sheet 82 that overlaps the end opening 24 is not supported by the deposition mask 20 below that region. As a result, when the convex portion 67 presses the region of the lid-side interposing sheet 82 that overlaps the end opening 24, this region is deflected. Through this deflection, the lid-side interposing sheet 82 presses each deposition mask 20 arranged below. In this way, part of the pressing force of the protrusions 67 is absorbed by the lid-side inserting sheet 82, and the pressing force of the protrusions 67 is prevented from being directly transmitted to the deposition mask 20. As a result, the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the protrusions 67 is weakened.

After the receiving part 61 and the lid part 62 are joined together, as shown in FIG. 28, the receiving part 61 and the lid part 62 are sealed in a sealed bag 69 together with a desiccant 70. Next, a vacuum is drawn from the opening of the sealed bag 69. When the pressure inside the sealed bag 69 is reduced to a predetermined vacuum level, the opening of the sealed bag 69 is sealed.

The receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 sealed in the sealing bag 69 are housed in a cardboard box 72, as shown in FIG. 28, and this cardboard box 72 is packed in a wooden box 73. At this time, an impact sensor 71 is attached inside the wooden box 73. In this way, the deposition mask package 60 according to this embodiment is obtained.

Next, the transportation of the deposition mask package 60 obtained as described above will be described. During transportation of the deposition mask package 60, the deposition mask 20 may be subjected to an impact.

For example, consider a case where an upward force is applied to the deposition mask 20 due to this impact. As described above, the deposition mask 20 receives a pressing force from the convex portion 67 via the lid-side interposing sheet 82. As a result, both ends of each deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1 are supported by the convex portion 67 via the lid-side interposing sheet 82, and the upward movement of each deposition mask 20 is suppressed. In addition, when this upward force is received, the effective area 22 of each deposition mask 20 may bend upward. However, each deposition mask 20 is supported by the lid-side interposing sheet 82, and an intermediate interposing sheet 81 is interposed between the deposition masks 20. This suppresses the effective area 22 from bending upward. Therefore, the deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be kept within the elastic deformation range, and even if the deposition mask 20 is subjected to an impact during transportation, the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed from being plastically deformed.

Now consider a case where a downward force is applied to the deposition mask 20 due to an impact during transportation. Each deposition mask 20 is supported by a receiving portion 61 having a flat first opposing surface 65 via a receiving portion-side insert sheet 83. This prevents each deposition mask 20 from moving downward, and also prevents the effective area 22 of each deposition mask 20 from bending downward. This prevents the deposition mask 20 from undergoing plastic deformation.

In addition, because an intermediate insert sheet 81 is interposed between adjacent deposition masks 20, adjacent deposition masks 20 are prevented from directly contacting and overlapping each other. Therefore, even if the deposition masks 20 are subjected to an impact during transportation, the deposition masks 20 are prevented from interlocking with each other in the effective area 22, and adjacent deposition masks 20 are prevented from rubbing against each other. In this way, plastic deformation of the deposition masks 20 can be suppressed.

During transportation, the temperature of the deposition mask package 60 may change due to changes in the surrounding environment. In this case, each deposition mask 20 and each interposing sheet 81, 82, 83 thermally expands or contracts. However, in this embodiment, a lid-side interposing sheet 82 is interposed between the top deposition mask 20 and the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62, and a receiving portion-side interposing sheet 83 is interposed between the bottom deposition mask 20 and the receiving portion 61. Although each deposition mask 20 receives a force from the convex portion 67, the force is weakened because it is received through the lid-side interposing sheet 82. Furthermore, a gap 68 is formed between the lid-side interposing sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 around the convex portion 67. Therefore, the deposition mask 20 can thermally expand or contract smoothly relative to the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. Therefore, the generation of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20 is suppressed.

When unpacking the deposition mask package 60 after transportation, the steps of the packaging method for the deposition masks 20 described above can be reversed. In particular, the intermediate interposing sheets 81 are interposed between adjacent deposition masks 20, preventing the deposition masks 20 from interlocking with the deposition masks 20 arranged below them. This allows each deposition mask 20 to be smoothly removed from the deposition mask stack 80. This prevents the deposition masks 20 from plastically deforming, and improves the ease of handling of the deposition masks 20.

Thus, according to this embodiment, the lid-side interposing sheet 82 is disposed between the lid portion 62 and the deposition mask 20, and the convex portions 67 disposed at both ends of the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1 in a plan view press the lid-side interposing sheet 82. This allows the deposition mask 20 to be supported by the convex portions 67 and the receiving portions 61, and vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be suppressed. In addition, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the lid-side interposing sheet 82 disposed between the convex portions 67 and the deposition mask 20. This allows vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 to be suppressed, and the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed from bending upward. As a result, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be suppressed.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62 may press the lid portion side interposing sheet 82. As a result, the pressing force of the convex portion 67 is transmitted to the deposition mask 20 via the lid portion side interposing sheet 82, so that the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the convex portion 67 can be weakened. In addition, a gap 68 is formed between the lid portion side interposing sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 around the convex portion 67. Therefore, even if the temperature changes during transportation, the deposition mask 20 can smoothly thermally expand or contract, and the occurrence of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. Therefore, the deposition mask 20 can be prevented from plastically deforming during transportation. In addition, the fact that the lid portion side interposing sheet 82 is disposed between the deposition mask 20 and the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62 also allows the deposition mask 20 to smoothly thermally expand or contract with respect to the lid portion 62.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the protrusion 67 of the lid portion 62 does not have to overlap the through hole 25 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. This makes it possible to prevent the protrusion 67 from contacting the through hole 25 formed in the effective area 22, and suppresses deformation of the through hole 25.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62 may be arranged at a position overlapping the corresponding end opening 24 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. This allows a part of the pressing force of the convex portion 67 to be absorbed by the lid-side inserting sheet 82, and the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the convex portion 67 can be effectively weakened. In particular, according to this embodiment, since the convex portion 67 does not protrude from the corresponding end opening 24, the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the convex portion 67 can be further weakened. Therefore, the deposition mask 20 can be thermally expanded or thermally contracted more smoothly when the temperature changes.

In addition, according to this embodiment, a receiving portion side insert sheet 83 may be disposed between the deposition mask 20 and the receiving portion 61. This allows the deposition mask 20 to smoothly thermally expand or contract relative to the receiving portion 61 when the temperature changes.

In addition, according to this embodiment, an intermediate interposing sheet 81 may be disposed between adjacent deposition masks 20 in the deposition mask stack 80. This makes it possible to prevent adjacent deposition masks 20 from directly contacting and overlapping with each other. This allows the deposition masks 20 to smoothly thermally expand or contract relative to the other deposition masks 20 when the temperature changes, and further suppresses plastic deformation of the deposition masks 20.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the hardness of the protrusion 67 may be lower than the hardness of the receiving portion 61 and the hardness of the lid portion 62. This can weaken the force that the deposition mask 20 receives from the protrusion 67. Therefore, even if the temperature changes during transportation, the deposition mask 20 can smoothly thermally expand or contract, effectively suppressing the occurrence of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20 and suppressing plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 during transportation.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the hardness of the spacer 64 may be greater than the hardness of the receiving portion 61 and the hardness of the lid portion 62. This increases the hardness of the spacer 64, and increases the rigidity of the deposition mask packaging body 60 against vertical forces. This makes it possible to suppress the deposition mask 20 from being subjected to vertical forces.

(First Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 sandwiching the deposition mask laminate 80 may be sealed in a sealing bag 69, and the desiccant 70 may be stored in the sealing bag 69. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 33, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 sandwiching the deposition mask laminate 80 may be doubly sealed with two sealing bags 69a and 69b. In the modified example shown in FIG. 33, the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 sandwiching the deposition mask laminate 80 are sealed with a first sealing bag 69a, and the first sealing bag 69a is further sealed with a second sealing bag 69b.

The pressure inside the first sealed bag 69a is reduced below atmospheric pressure. In addition, a deoxidizer 70a is stored inside the first sealed bag 69a, and the deoxidizer 70a absorbs the oxygen remaining inside the first sealed bag 69a, removing oxygen from the atmosphere inside the first sealed bag 69a. This makes it possible to prevent the deposition mask 20 from being altered by oxygen (e.g., rusting).

The pressure inside the second sealed bag 69b is reduced below atmospheric pressure. In addition, a desiccant 70b is stored inside the second sealed bag 69b, and the desiccant 70b absorbs the moisture inside the second sealed bag 69b, maintaining the atmosphere inside the second sealed bag 69b in a dry state. This prevents moisture from entering the first sealed bag 69a from the second sealed bag 69b, and prevents the deposition mask 20 from being altered by moisture.

In the first modified example, the second sealing bag 69b is an example in which one set of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 sealed in the first sealing bag 69a is sealed, but this is not limited to this. For example, multiple sets of the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62, each sealed in the first sealing bag 69a, may be sealed in one second sealing bag 69b.

The first sealed bag 69a is not limited to containing the deoxidizer 70a, and may contain a desiccant 70b instead of or in addition to the deoxidizer 70a. Similarly, the second sealed bag 69b is not limited to containing the desiccant 70b, and may contain the deoxidizer 70a instead of or in addition to the desiccant 70b. The first sealed bag 69a may be filled with an inert gas or a non-reducing gas such as nitrogen gas. The second sealed bag 69b may be filled with an inert gas or a non-reducing gas such as nitrogen gas. The concentration of the inert gas or the non-reducing gas such as nitrogen gas may be 85% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more.

The receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62, which sandwich the deposition mask laminate 80, may be sealed in a multi-layered manner with three or more sealed bags. In this case, at least one of an oxygen absorber and a desiccant may be stored in each bag. Also, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or a non-reducing gas may be filled. Furthermore, the concentration of the inert gas such as nitrogen gas or a non-reducing gas may be 85% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more. Various combinations can be adopted regarding whether or not to store an oxygen absorber and/or a desiccant and whether or not to fill an inert gas such as nitrogen gas and/or a non-reducing gas.

In addition, in addition to the desiccant 70, a deoxidizer may be stored in the sealed bag 69 shown in FIG. 28. In this case, the deposition mask 20 can be further prevented from being deteriorated by moisture and from being deteriorated by oxygen.

(Second Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the receiving portion side interposing sheet 83, the deposition mask laminate 80, and the lid portion side interposing sheet 82 are disposed between the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 34, an auxiliary sheet (sometimes referred to as a pressing sheet) may be disposed between the receiving portion 61 and the receiving portion side interposing sheet 83. In the present embodiment, the receiving portion side auxiliary sheet 88 will be described below as an example of an auxiliary sheet (fourth sheet) between the receiving portion 61 and the receiving portion side interposing sheet 83. In addition, another auxiliary sheet may be disposed between the lid portion side interposing sheet 82 and the lid portion 62. In the present embodiment, the lid portion side auxiliary sheet 89 will be described below as an example of an auxiliary sheet (fifth sheet) between the lid portion side interposing sheet 82 and the lid portion 62. One of the receiving portion side auxiliary sheet 88 and the lid portion side auxiliary sheet 89 may not be used.

Both sides of the receiving side auxiliary sheet 88 and the lid side auxiliary sheet 89 are formed flat, and each auxiliary sheet 88, 89 does not need to have holes or irregularities formed therein, except for tiny holes and irregularities formed during sheet manufacturing. The lid side auxiliary sheet 89 presses the deposition mask 20 with its own weight. This makes it possible to suppress vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 during transportation. The receiving side auxiliary sheet 88 is also intended to adjust the height of the storage space 64a.

It is preferable that the receiving side auxiliary sheet 88 and the lid side auxiliary sheet 89 have flexibility capable of absorbing to some extent the force applied to the deposition mask 20 in the packaged state and the impact applied during transportation. In addition, it is preferable that each auxiliary sheet 88, 89 has a strength sufficient to support the deposition mask laminate 80 including the deposition mask 20. If the sheet has such characteristics, a common sheet can be used for each auxiliary sheet 88, 89. For example, any film material having any thickness can be used for each auxiliary sheet 88, 89, but the thickness of each auxiliary sheet 88, 89 may be thicker or thinner than the thickness of the interposing sheets 81, 82, 83. For each auxiliary sheet 88, 89, for example, a sheet made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, etc. having a thickness of 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less can be used, and preferably a PET film having a thickness of 100 μm can be used. By setting the thickness of the lid-side auxiliary sheet 89 to 10 μm or more, the mass of the lid-side auxiliary sheet 89 can be increased. On the other hand, by setting the thickness of the lid-side auxiliary sheet 89 to 300 μm or less, the lid-side auxiliary sheet 89 can be prevented from excessively pressing the deposition mask laminate 80. The receiving-side auxiliary sheet 88 may be made common to the lid-side auxiliary sheet 89 by giving it a thickness similar to that of the lid-side auxiliary sheet 89. The PET film used for the auxiliary sheet may be a PET film containing a filler. Examples of the filler material include particles of inorganic oxides such as silica, calcium carbonate, or titanium oxide, carbon black, metal particles, and metal fibers. In this way, the mass of the auxiliary sheets 88 and 89 can be increased, and the effect of pressing the deposition mask 20 can be improved. It is preferable that each of the auxiliary sheets 88 and 89 is antistatically coated or has an antistatic agent kneaded therein, like each of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83. In addition, the filler itself may be made conductive, or the filler may be made conductive by covering it with a metal film or a metal oxide film, so that the filler serves both as a filler and an antistatic agent.

In addition, in the deposition mask laminate 80 shown in FIG. 31, one intermediate interposing sheet 81 is arranged between the deposition masks 20 adjacent to each other. However, this is not limited to this, and two or more intermediate interposing sheets 81 may be arranged between the deposition masks 20 adjacent to each other. In the second modified example shown in FIG. 34, two intermediate interposing sheets 81 are arranged between the deposition masks 20 adjacent to each other. This makes it possible to further prevent the deposition masks 20 adjacent to each other from directly contacting each other and overlapping each other. Therefore, the deposition masks 20 can be thermally expanded or thermally contracted smoothly relative to the other deposition masks 20 when the temperature changes, and the plastic deformation of the deposition masks 20 can be further suppressed. The fact that two or more intermediate interposing sheets 81 are arranged between the deposition masks 20 adjacent to each other can also be applied to the form shown in FIG. 31. In addition, when two or more intermediate insert sheets 81 are arranged between adjacent deposition masks 20, the materials of these intermediate insert sheets 81 may be the same or different. For example, when two intermediate insert sheets 81 are arranged between adjacent deposition masks 20, one intermediate insert sheet 81 may be formed of a PET film, and the other intermediate insert sheet 81 may be formed of an acrylic-impregnated paper. In addition, when three intermediate insert sheets 81 are arranged between adjacent deposition masks 20, at least one intermediate insert sheet 81 may be formed of a PET film, and the remaining intermediate insert sheets 81 may be formed of an acrylic-impregnated paper or other paper.

When multiple intermediate sheets 81 are used, the intermediate sheets 81 may be formed in various combinations, such as the same material (described below) and the same thickness, the same material (described below) and different thicknesses (thin or thick), different materials (described below) and the same thickness, or different materials (described below) and different thicknesses (thin or thick). The longitudinal dimensions (described below) and width dimensions of the intermediate sheets 81 may also be the same or different, and intermediate sheets 81 formed in various combinations may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which each protrusion 67 is arranged at a position that overlaps the corresponding end opening 24 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. However, this is not limited to this, and the arrangement of each protrusion 67 is arbitrary as long as at least a portion of the protrusion 67 is arranged at both ends of the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1.

(Third Modification)
For example, as in the third modified example shown in FIG. 35 to FIG. 37, each of the convex portions 67 extends in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20 and is disposed so as to cross the end openings 24 so that a part of the convex portion 67 is disposed at a position overlapping the corresponding end opening 24. In this case, each of the convex portions 67 has a longitudinal direction along the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, and the contact area between the deposition mask 20 and the convex portion 67 can be increased. Therefore, the support of the deposition mask 20 can be stabilized. In addition, the pressing force from the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62 can be dispersed. Therefore, when the temperature changes, the deposition mask 20 can smoothly thermally expand or contract with respect to the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62. Therefore, the generation of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed, and the plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. Note that, even in the third modified example, the convex portion 67 does not have to overlap the through hole 25 through which the deposition material 98 passes during deposition. In the case where through holes that are not intended for the deposition material 98 to pass through are provided on both sides of the end opening 24 in the width direction D2, the convex portion 67 may overlap the through holes.

(Fourth Modification)
Also, as in a fourth modified example shown in FIG. 38 and FIG. 39, each of the convex portions 67 may extend in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 so that a part of the convex portion 67 is disposed at a position overlapping the corresponding end opening 24. In the fourth modified example, a pair of convex portions 67 are integrated and formed continuously. In this case, the integrated convex portion 67 is formed from one edge 20g (see FIG. 3) to the other edge 20g along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. This can further increase the contact area between the deposition mask 20 and the convex portion 67, and can stabilize the support of the deposition mask 20. In addition, the pressing force from the convex portion 67 of the lid portion 62 can be dispersed. Therefore, the deposition mask 20 can be thermally expanded or thermally contracted smoothly with respect to the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 when the temperature changes.

In the fourth modified example, the integrated protrusion 67 is disposed at the center of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20. In this case, the force caused by the thermal expansion of the deposition mask 20 can be released to a pair of side edges 20f of the deposition mask 20 that are disposed far from the protrusion 67. In this respect, the deposition mask 20 can be smoothly thermally expanded, and plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. In particular, since the integrated protrusion 67 is disposed at the center of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, it is possible to provide symmetry to the deformation of the deposition mask 20 during thermal expansion. Therefore, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be effectively suppressed.

In the fourth modified example, an example in which a pair of protrusions 67 are integrated has been described. However, this is not limited to the above, and each protrusion 67 may extend in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 but may not be integrated. Furthermore, one or more other protrusions 67 may be formed between a pair of protrusions 67 arranged at both ends 20e of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view, and may be arranged intermittently in a row. In this case, each protrusion 67 may be arranged in an area other than the effective area 22 (i.e., the surrounding area 23).

(Fifth Modification)
In the above embodiment, the first opposing surface 65 of the receiving portion 61 is formed flat, but the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, as in a fifth modified example shown in Figures 40 to 43, the first opposing surface 65 of the receiving portion 61 may include a curved surface 84 that is curved so as to be convex toward the lid portion 62. The curved shape of this curved surface 84 can be formed by any curve, such as a part of a perfect circle or an elliptical arc. In the fifth modified example, the curved surface 84 is configured as a rigid body. On both sides of the curved surface 84 in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, spacer abutment surfaces 85 against which the spacers 64 abut are formed.

43, the curved surface 84 includes a ridge line 86 extending from one edge 20g to the other edge 20g in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. In other words, the ridge line 86 of the curved surface 84 extends from one edge to the other edge of the storage space 64a defined by the pair of spacers 64 in a plan view. Here, the ridge line 86 means a line connecting the highest point (the point closest to the lid portion 62) of the curved surface 84 in a cross section at each position in the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. Thus, in the fifth modified example, as shown in FIG. 42, the deposition mask 20 and each of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 placed on the curved surface 84 are bent along the curved surface 84 under the influence of gravity. That is, the deposition mask 20 is bent so that a pair of side edges 20f of the deposition mask 20 are positioned lower than the center of the deposition mask 20 in the width direction. Therefore, the movement of the deposition mask 20 in the width direction D2 is restricted by the curved surface 84.

In the fifth modified example, the ridge line 86 is formed parallel to the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62. That is, the minimum distance from the lid portion 62 to the curved surface 84 is constant along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. The ridge line 86 of the curved surface 84 extends through the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1. This makes the deflection shapes of the deposition mask 20 and the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 uniform along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20, suppressing the deposition mask 20 and the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 from deflecting into a two-dimensionally complex shape. This suppresses plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20.

In the fifth modified example, as shown in FIG. 40, the lid portion 62 does not have the convex portion 67 as shown in FIG. 29, and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 is in contact with the lid side interposing sheet 82 (particularly, the portion of the lid side interposing sheet 82 that overlaps with the ridge line 86). This allows the lid side interposing sheet 82 to be supported by the second opposing surface 66. Therefore, even if a vertical force is applied to the deposition mask 20 during transportation, the vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. In addition, since the lid side interposing sheet 82 covers the deposition mask 20, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the lid side interposing sheet 82. Therefore, the vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed, and the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed from bending upward.

In addition, in the fifth modified example, as described above, the lid-side insert sheet 82 is supported by the second opposing surface 66, which allows the pressing force from the lid 62 to be dispersed. This allows the deposition mask 20 to smoothly thermally expand or contract relative to the receiving portion 61 and the lid 62 when the temperature changes. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20, and thus suppresses plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20.

Furthermore, in the fifth modified example, the portion of the lid-side insert sheet 82 that overlaps with the ridge line 86 is disposed at the center of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20. In this case, the force due to the thermal expansion of the deposition mask 20 can be released to a pair of side edges 20f of the deposition mask 20 that are disposed far from the ridge line 86. In this respect, the deposition mask 20 can be smoothly thermally expanded, and plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. In particular, since the ridge line 86 is disposed at the center of the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, it is possible to provide symmetry to the deformation of the deposition mask 20 during thermal expansion. Therefore, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be effectively suppressed.

In the fifth modified example, the second opposing surface 66 of the lid 62 is in contact with the lid-side interposing sheet 82 (i.e., the portion of the lid-side interposing sheet 82 that overlaps with the ridge line 86). However, this is not limited to the above, and a gap may be formed between the second opposing surface 66 and the lid-side interposing sheet 82 as a whole, and the lid-side interposing sheet 82 may not be in contact with the second opposing surface 66. Even in this case, the deposition mask 20 can bend along the curved surface 84 of the receiving portion 61, so that the movement of the deposition mask 20 in the width direction D2 can be restricted by the curved surface 84. In addition, since the lid-side interposing sheet 82 covers the deposition mask 20, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the lid-side interposing sheet 82. Therefore, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed.

Also, an example in which the curved surface 84 is configured as a rigid body has been described. However, this is not limited to this, and the curved surface 84 may have elasticity. In this case, the vertical force applied to the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be absorbed, and plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. For example, the receiving part 61 may be configured by a rectangular parallelepiped receiving part main body and a curved part provided on the side of the lid part 62 of the receiving part main body, and the curved part may be formed in a solid or hollow shape using an elastic material such as rubber. It is preferable that the receiving part main body is formed of a material having rigidity (for example, a plastic cardboard sheet) similar to the receiving part 61 shown in FIG. 30. The same applies to the sixth modified example described later.

Also, as in the sixth modified example shown in FIG. 44 to FIG. 46, the curved surface 84 of the first opposing surface 65 may have a shape different from that of the fifth modified example. For example, as shown in FIG. 46, the curved surface 84 may include a ridge line 87 extending from one side edge 20f to the other side edge 20f in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view. In other words, the ridge line 87 of the curved surface 84 extends from one side edge to the other side edge in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the storage space 64a defined by the pair of spacers 64 in a plan view. The ridge line 87 here means a line connecting the highest points (the points closest to the lid portion 62) of the curved surface 84 in the vertical cross section at each position in the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20. Even in this case, the deposition mask 20 and each of the interposing sheets 81, 82, and 83 are deflected along the curved surface 84 under the influence of gravity. That is, the deposition mask 20 bends so that a pair of edges 20g of the deposition mask 20 are positioned lower than the longitudinal center of the deposition mask 20. Therefore, movement of the deposition mask 20 in the longitudinal direction D1 is restricted by the curved surface 84.

In the sixth modified example, the ridge line 87 is also formed parallel to the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62. That is, the minimum distance from the lid portion 62 to the curved surface 84 is constant across the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20. The ridge line 87 of the curved surface 84 extends through the deposition mask 20 in the width direction D2. This makes the deflection shapes of the deposition mask 20 and the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 uniform across the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20, suppressing the deposition mask 20 and the interleaving sheets 81, 82, and 83 from deflecting into a two-dimensionally complex shape. This suppresses plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20.

In the sixth modified example, the lid portion 62 does not have a convex portion 67 as shown in FIG. 29, and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 is in contact with the lid side interposing sheet 82 (particularly, the portion of the lid side interposing sheet 82 that overlaps with the ridge line 87). This allows the lid side interposing sheet 82 to be supported by the second opposing surface 66. Therefore, even if a vertical force is applied to the deposition mask 20 during transportation, the vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. In addition, since the lid side interposing sheet 82 covers the deposition mask 20, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the lid side interposing sheet 82. Therefore, the vertical movement of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed, and the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed from bending upward.

In addition, in the sixth modified example, as described above, the lid-side insert sheet 82 is supported by the second opposing surface 66, which allows the pressing force from the lid 62 to be dispersed. This allows the deposition mask 20 to smoothly thermally expand or contract relative to the receiving portion 61 and the lid 62 when the temperature changes. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of thermal stress in the deposition mask 20, and thus suppresses plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20.

Furthermore, in the sixth modified example, the portion of the lid-side insert sheet 82 that overlaps with the ridge line 87 is disposed at the center of the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20. In this case, the force due to the thermal expansion of the deposition mask 20 can be released to a pair of edges 20g of the deposition mask 20 that are disposed far from the ridge line 87. In this respect, the deposition mask 20 can be smoothly thermally expanded, and plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed. In particular, since the ridge line 87 is disposed at the center of the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20, it is possible to provide symmetry to the deformation of the deposition mask 20 during thermal expansion. Therefore, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be effectively suppressed.

In the sixth modified example, the second opposing surface 66 of the lid 62 is in contact with the lid-side interposing sheet 82 (particularly, the portion of the lid-side interposing sheet 82 that overlaps with the ridge line 87). However, this is not limited to the above, and a gap may be formed between the second opposing surface 66 and the lid-side interposing sheet 82 as a whole, and the lid-side interposing sheet 82 may not be in contact with the second opposing surface 66. Even in this case, the deposition mask 20 can bend along the curved surface 84 of the receiving portion 61, so that the movement of the deposition mask 20 in the width direction D2 can be restricted by the curved surface 84. In addition, since the lid-side interposing sheet 82 covers the deposition mask 20, the deposition mask 20 can be supported by the lid-side interposing sheet 82. Therefore, plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 can be suppressed.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the deposition mask packaging body and deposition mask packaging device according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 are formed separately and bound by the elastic belt 63. However, this is not limited to the above, and the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 may be connected via a hinge portion (not shown) so that the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 can be folded via the hinge portion. The elastic force of the elastic belt 63 can press the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 against each other, thereby holding the deposition mask 20.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the deposition mask stack 80 arranged between the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62 has a plurality of deposition masks 20. However, this is not limited to the above, and only one deposition mask 20 may be arranged between the receiving portion 61 and the lid portion 62.

An environmental test and a drop test were performed on the deposition mask package 60 in which the deposition mask 20 in the embodiment shown in Figures 27 to 32 was packaged, and the condition of the deposition mask 20 was confirmed.

The deposition masks 20 used in the tests were deposition masks 20 fabricated by the etching process shown in Figures 4 to 19. The material of these deposition masks 20 was an Invar material containing 36 mass% nickel. Each deposition mask 20 had a width dimension of 67 mm and a total length of 850 mm in the longitudinal direction. The thickness of the deposition masks 20 was 15 μm.

In Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 47, a deposition mask package 60 having the same configuration as the embodiment shown in FIG. 27 to FIG. 32 was used. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the lid portion 62 was not provided with a protruding portion 67. Of these, in Comparative Example 1, the gap 68 was not provided. That is, the lid portion side insertion sheet 82 was abutted against the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62 to prevent the gap 68 from being formed therebetween. In Comparative Example 2, the protruding portion 67 was not provided, but the dimension of the gap 68 was set to 0.6 mm.

In Example 1, a protrusion 67 was provided on the lid 62. The dimension G of the gap 68 formed by this (see Figure 31) was set to 0.6 mm in Example 1.

As shown in Figure 47, PET film was used for the intermediate insert sheet 81, the lid side insert sheet 82, and the receiving side insert sheet 83.

In both Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Example 1, the receiving portion 61 was made from a single 10 mm thick polypropylene cardboard sheet. The receiving portion 61 had a thickness of 10 mm. The lid portion 62 was made from the same single cardboard sheet, and the lid portion 62 had a thickness of 10 mm.

As described above, in Example 1, the lid portion 62 was provided with a protrusion 67. The protrusion 67 was made of a urethane foam sponge, and the dimension of the protrusion 67 along the longitudinal direction D1 of the deposition mask 20 was 20 mm, and the dimension along the width direction D2 was 10 mm. The thickness of the protrusion 67 was set according to the dimension (here, 0.6 mm) of the gap 68 formed between the lid-side insert sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid portion 62. The dimension of the end opening 24 along the width direction D2 of the deposition mask 20 was set to 10 mm. As a result, each protrusion 67 was arranged at a position that overlaps the corresponding end opening 24 of the deposition mask 20 in a plan view, and was arranged so as not to protrude from the corresponding end opening 24.

One receiving part side interposing sheet 83 was placed on the first opposing surface 65 of the receiving part 61, and the deposition masks 20 and the intermediate interposing sheets 81 were alternately stacked on top of it to produce a deposition mask laminate 80, and the lid part side interposing sheet 82 was further stacked on top. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Example 1, nine deposition masks 20 and eight intermediate interposing sheets 81 were used. Then, the lid part 62 was placed and the elastic belt 63 was attached to obtain the deposition mask package 60 according to this embodiment. The deposition mask package 60 was produced in a workroom where the room temperature was controlled at 25°C.

The prepared deposition mask package 60 was placed in a temperature-controllable device (not shown), and the temperature inside the device was changed. Specifically, the temperature inside the device was first set to -10°C and maintained for a predetermined time. Next, the temperature inside the device was raised to 60°C and maintained for a predetermined time. After that, the temperature inside the device was returned to room temperature, and the deposition mask package 60 was removed from the device. The deposition mask package 60 was then unpacked in a workroom where the room temperature was controlled at 25°C.

After unpacking, each deposition mask 20 was visually inspected (with the naked eye) to see if it had any wavy wrinkles. The results are shown in Figure 47. Figure 47 also shows the number of deposition masks 20 that had wrinkles.

After visual inspection, the deposition mask 20 was packaged again and a drop test was performed. In the drop test, the deposition mask package 60 was allowed to drop naturally from a height of 60 cm above a hard floor surface. The deposition mask package 60 was oriented such that the receiving portion 61 was on the lower side and the lid portion 62 was on the upper side, so that the up-down direction in FIG. 28 was vertical. This orientation was maintained even when the deposition mask package 60 landed on the floor surface. After dropping, the deposition mask package 60 was unpacked and the deposition mask 20 was visually (with the naked eye) checked for the presence or absence of a dent. The results are shown in FIG. 47. FIG. 47 shows the number of deposition masks 20 for which a dent was confirmed.

As shown in Comparative Example 1 in Figure 47, when the dimension of the gap 68 formed between the lid-side insert sheet 82 and the second opposing surface 66 of the lid 62 was 0 mm, wrinkles due to temperature changes were confirmed in all nine deposition masks 20. In this case, it is believed that the deposition masks 20 were unable to thermally expand or contract smoothly, causing the wrinkles.

In Comparative Example 2, the lid portion 62 was not provided with a protrusion 67 and the dimension of the gap 68 was set to 0.6 mm, so no wrinkles due to temperature changes were observed. This is thought to be because the lid-side interposing sheet 82 was not in contact with the lid portion 62 and the gap 68 was formed. However, in Comparative Example 2, dents due to the drop test were observed in two deposition masks 20. This is thought to be because the lid-side interposing sheet 82 was not supported by the lid portion 62, etc.

In contrast, when the lid portion 62 was provided with a protrusion 67 as shown in Example 1, no dents were observed in any of the nine deposition masks 20 due to the drop test. This is believed to be because the lid-side interposing sheet 82 was supported by the lid portion 62 via the protrusion 67.

In addition, according to Example 1, no wrinkles due to temperature changes were observed in any of the nine deposition masks 20. This is believed to be due to the presence of gaps 68 around the protrusions 67. In Example 1, the dimension G of the gap 68 was 0.6 mm. Therefore, it was confirmed that when the gap dimension G is 0.6 mm or more, it is possible to effectively prevent plastic deformation from occurring in the deposition mask 20 even when a temperature rise of 60°C is expected.

In this embodiment, the deposition mask 20 produced by the etching process is used, but it is believed that at least similar results can be obtained with the deposition mask 20 produced by the plating process. That is, as described above, the deposition mask 20 for the etching process uses the metal plate 21 produced as a rolled material, but the crystals of the deposition mask 20 produced by the plating process are finer than the crystals of the metal plate 21. As a result, the hardness and yield strength of the deposition mask 20 for the plating process are greater than those of the metal plate 21. Therefore, even if the deposition mask 20 produced by the plating process is used, it is believed that results equivalent to or better than those of this embodiment can be obtained, and plastic deformation of the deposition mask 20 during transportation can be suppressed.

Claims (9)

A first base portion;
a second base portion facing the first base portion;
a deposition mask disposed between the first base portion and the second base portion, the deposition mask having a plurality of through holes formed in an effective area disposed between both ends in a longitudinal direction ;
spacers arranged on both sides in a width direction of the deposition mask;
a first sheet disposed between the deposition mask and the second base,
the second base portion has a pair of protrusions disposed at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the deposition mask in a plan view,
The protrusion presses the first sheet,
a gap is formed between the first sheet and the second base around the protrusion,
the deposition mask package, in which no other convex portion that presses the first sheet is disposed between the pair of convex portions. The deposition mask package according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion does not overlap the through hole in a plan view. the deposition mask has end openings provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction,
The deposition mask packaging body according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are arranged at positions overlapping the corresponding end openings in a plan view. The deposition mask package according to claim 3, wherein the convex portion does not protrude from the corresponding end opening in a plan view. The deposition mask package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion extends in the width direction of the deposition mask. The deposition mask package according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hardness of the convex portion is lower than the hardness of the first base portion and the hardness of the second base portion. The deposition mask package according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the hardness of the spacer is higher than the hardness of the first base and the hardness of the second base. A fourth sheet is disposed between the first sheet and the second base,
8. The deposition mask package according to claim 1, wherein the fourth sheet is thicker than the first sheet. A packaging device for a deposition mask that packages a deposition mask having a plurality of through holes formed in an effective area disposed between both ends in a longitudinal direction,
A first base portion;
a second base portion facing the first base portion;
a pair of spacers disposed between the first base and the second base, the pair of spacers defining an accommodation space in which the deposition mask is accommodated between the pair of spacers;
The second base portion has a pair of protrusions arranged at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the accommodation space in a plan view,
In the packaging device for a deposition mask, no other convex portion is disposed between the pair of convex portions.

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