# US 11,306,386 B2 · Mask repairing apparatus and mask repairing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,386 B2 - Document ID: US11306386B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/545,173 - Filed: 2019-08-20 - Published: 2020-04-30 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-24 - Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Display Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Youngmin Moon; Sungsoon Im; Jungwoo Ko; Sangmin Lee; Youngchul Lee; Kyuhwan Hwang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306386B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/042: {using masks} - B23K 26/03: Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece - B23K 26/032: {using optical means} - B23K 26/066: by using masks - B23K 26/36: Removing material (B23K26/55, B23K26/57 take precedence) - B23K 26/362: Laser etching - C23C 14/048: {using irradiation by energy or particles} - C23C 16/042: {using masks} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM ## Abstract A mask repairing apparatus may include a stage, a stereoscopic imaging unit to measure a stereoscopic image of a mask on the stage, a control unit to compare the stereoscopic image with a normal image of the mask and to produce a defect image of the mask, and a laser unit to irradiate a laser beam onto a deficient part of the mask, under control of the control unit. The control unit may control the laser unit, based on the defect image, such that the laser beam is sequentially irradiated onto m multiple layers of the deficient part while repeatedly moving in a first direction and a second direction crossing each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mask repairing method, comprising: producing a stereoscopic image of a mask, in which a plurality of openings are defined; comparing the stereoscopic image with a normal image of the mask to produce a defect image of the mask, the defect image of the mask comprising m multi-level defect images corresponding to m multiple layers of a deficient part; and irradiating a laser beam onto the deficient part of the mask to remove the deficient part, based on the defect image, wherein the laser beam is sequentially irradiated onto the m multiple layers of the deficient part while repeatedly moving in a first direction and a second direction crossing each other to sequentially remove the m multiple layers, where m is a natural number. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: each normal opening of a plurality of openings has a width increasing in a direction from a first surface of the mask to a second surface of the mask, and the second surface is opposite to and above the first surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein producing the stereoscopic image of the mask includes: measuring a stereoscopic image of an exposed surface of the mask exposed when viewed in a top plan view of the mask; and setting a virtual side surface to be perpendicular from an edge of the deficient part to a bottom of the mask, when the edge of the deficient part in the measured stereoscopic image is between the first surface and the second surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein producing the defect image includes: dividing the stereoscopic image into n first multi-level images; and comparing the n first multi-level images with n second multi-level images of the normal image to produce the m multi-level defect images, wherein the m multiple layers correspond to the m multi-level defect images, respectively, where n is a natural number and m is a natural number equal to or smaller than the n. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein producing the m multi-level defect images includes removing portions corresponding to the n second multi-level images from the n first multi-level images to produce the m multi-level defect images. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the m multiple layers are removed from a topmost layer of the m multiple layers in a sequential and downward manner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a moving distance of the laser beam is larger in one of the first and second directions than in the other direction. ### Claim 8 A mask repairing method, comprising: disposing a mask having a plurality of openings on a stage; producing a stereoscopic image of the mask and dividing the stereoscopic image into n first multi-level images; comparing the n first multi-level images with n second multi-level images of a normal image of the mask to produce m multi-level defect images; and sequentially removing m multiple layers of a deficient part of the mask, based on the m multi-level defect images, wherein the m multiple layers correspond to the m multi-level defect images, respectively, and where n is a natural number and m is a natural number less than or equal to n. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the m multiple layers are removed in a sequential manner from a topmost layer of the m multiple layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein removing the m multiple layers includes sequentially irradiating a laser beam onto the m multiple layers while repeatedly moving in a first direction and a second direction crossing each other to sequentially remove the m multiple layers.