# US 12,183,617 B2 · Alignment mask, metal mask assembly, and preparation method therefor

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- Number: US 12,183,617 B2
- Document ID: US12183617B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/295,730
- Filed: 2020-08-18
- Published: 2022-01-13
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-10
- Assignees: Chengdu Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.; Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.; BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Ju Mei; Peng Xu; Jianbo Ye; Guoqiang Ma; Leifang Xiao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183617B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/57: {Mask-wafer alignment}
- C23C 14/042: {using masks}
- C23C 14/12: Organic material
- C23C 16/042: {using masks}
- H01J 37/32651: {Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields}
- H01J 37/3447: {Collimators, shutters, apertures}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- 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)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

Disclosed are an alignment mask, a metal mask assembly, and a preparation method therefor. The alignment mask includes a mask body. The mask body includes: multiple alignment holes; and, separating parts surrounding at least some alignment holes and used for separating the areas at where the at least some alignment holes are located from other areas, where the separation parts include at least one semi-etched line.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An align mask, comprising a mask body, wherein the mask body comprises:
a plurality of align holes; and
an isolation part, enclosing at least two of the align holes and isolating an area, where the at least two of the align holes are arranged, from other areas;
wherein the isolation part comprises one or more half-etch lines;
the mask body is strip-shaped,
the mask body comprises:
a retention area,
two cut-out areas arranged at two ends of the retention area; and
two cut-out half-etch lines respectively arranged at junctions between the two cut-out areas and the retention area; and
the two cut-out half-etch lines extend in a first direction which is the same as an extending direction of short edges of the mask body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The align mask according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of align holes are arranged in the retention area, are closer to a first long edge of the mask body than a second long edge of the mask body and are arrayed along the first long edge, the second long edge is a long edge opposite to the first long edge of the mask body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The align mask according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of align holes comprise:
two first align holes, and
second align holes arranged between the two first align holes;
wherein the two first align holes are closer to the two cut-out half-etch lines respectively than the second align holes;
each of the two cut-out half-etch lines is provided with a first part, and a projection of one of the two first align holes is closer to the each cut-out half-etch line than the second align holes, on the each cut-out half-etch line, is arranged in the first part; and
the first long edge is provided with two second parts corresponding to the two first align holes respectively, and a projection of each of the two first align holes, on the first long edge, is arranged in a corresponding second part.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The align mask according to claim 3, wherein
the isolation part comprises two first isolation parts respectively corresponding to the two first align holes;
each of the two first isolation parts encloses a corresponding first align hole;
the each of the two first isolation parts comprises:
a corresponding first part of a cut-out half-etch line,
a first half-etch line arranged on one side, away from the corresponding first part, of the first align hole, and
a second half-etch line arranged on one side, away from a second part of the first long edge, of the first align hole;
the first half-etch line extends in the first direction, and the second half-etch line extends in a second direction which is the same as an extending direction of long edges of the mask body; and
the corresponding first part of the cut-out half-etch line, the second part of the first long edge, the first half-etch line and the second half-etch line are connected end to end to form a loop around the first align hole.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The align mask according to claim 4, wherein
the mask body further comprises at least two test openings; the at least two test openings are closer to the second long edge of the mask body than the first long edge of the mask body and are arrayed along the second long edge; and
the isolation part further comprises a third half-etch line arranged between the plurality of align holes and the at least two test openings, the third half-etch line extends in the second direction, and two ends of the third half-etch line are connected with second half-etch lines of the two first isolation parts respectively.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The align mask according to claim 2, wherein
the two cut-out half-etch lines are provided with first parts respectively; and projections of the plurality of align holes, on the two cut-out half-etch lines, are arranged in the first parts;
the mask body further comprises at least two test openings, wherein the at least two test openings are closer to the second long edge of the mask body than the first long edge of the mask body and are arrayed along the second long edge;
the isolation part comprises a second isolation part enclosing the plurality of align holes, wherein the second isolation part comprises:
the first parts of the two cut-out half-etch lines, and
a fourth half-etch line arranged on one sides, away from the first long edge, of the plurality of align holes, and
the fourth half-etch line extends in a second direction which is the same as an extending direction of long edges of the mask body; and
the first parts of the two cut-out half-etch lines, the first long edge and the fourth half-etch line are connected end to end to form a loop around the plurality of align holes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A preparation method of a metal mask assembly, comprising:
respectively welding a metal mask and the align mask according to claim 1 onto a mask frame; and
cutting a mask body of the align mask along an isolation part, for partitioning an area where at least part of align holes are arranged from other areas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The preparation method according to claim 7, wherein the mask body comprises two cut-out areas and two cut-out half-etch lines, and the method further comprises:
cutting the mask body of the align mask along the two cut-out half-etch lines, for cutting out the two cut-out areas of the mask body.

### Claim 9

A metal mask assembly, comprising a mask frame, a metal mask, an align mask, and a first welding spot part between the align mask and the mask frame;
wherein the metal mask and the align mask are respectively welded onto the mask frame;
the align mask comprises a body of a retention area;
the body of the retention area comprises:
a plurality of align holes, and
a partitioning part, partitioning an area where at least two of the plurality of align holes are arranged from other areas; and
the partitioning part comprises one or more cutting lines;
the first welding spot part is arranged in the area where the at least two of the plurality of the align holes are arranged;
the body of the retention area is strip-shaped;
the plurality of align holes are closer to a first long edge of the body of the retention area than a second long edge of the body of the retention area, and are arrayed along the first long edge;
the second long edge is a long edge opposite to the first long edge of the body of the retention area;
the plurality of align holes comprise:
two first align holes; and
second align holes arranged between the two first align holes;
wherein the two first align holes are respectively closer to two short edges of the body of the retention area than the second align holes;
each of the short edges is provided with a first part, and a projection of one of the first align holes is closer to the each short edge than the second align holes, on the each short edge is arranged in the first part; and
the first long edge is provided with two second parts corresponding to the two first align holes respectively, and a projection of each of the two first align holes, on the first long edge, is arranged in a corresponding second part.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The metal mask assembly according to claim 9, wherein
the partitioning part comprises two first partitioning parts respectively corresponding to the two first align holes;
each of the two first partitioning parts encloses a corresponding first align hole;
the each of the two first partitioning parts comprises:
a first cutting line arranged on one side, away from a first part of a corresponding short edge, of the first align hole; and
a second cutting line arranged on one side, away from a second part of the first long edge, of the first align hole;
the first cutting line extends in a first direction, and the second cutting line extends in a second direction;
the first direction is the same as an extending direction of the short edges of the body of the retention area, and the second direction is the same as an extending direction of long edges of the body of the retention area; and
the first part, the second part of the first long edge, the first cutting line and the second cutting line are connected end to end to form a loop around the first align hole.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The metal mask assembly according to claim 10, comprising two first welding spot parts respectively corresponding to the two first partitioning parts;
wherein each of the two first welding spot parts is arranged in an area enclosed by a corresponding first partitioning part, is arranged around the first align hole, and is configured to fix an area where the first align hole is arranged on the mask frame.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The metal mask assembly according to claim 11, further comprising two second welding spot parts;
wherein the two second welding spot parts are arranged between the align mask and the mask frame, and respectively correspond to the two first partitioning parts;
wherein each second welding spot part is closer to a corresponding first partitioning part than the second align holes; is arranged on one side, away from a corresponding first part, of a corresponding first cutting line; and extends in the first direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The metal mask assembly according to claim 10, wherein
the body of the retention area further comprises at least two test openings; the at least two test openings are closer to the second long edge of the body of the retention area
than the first long edge of the body of the retention area and are arrayed along the second long edge; and
the partitioning part further comprises a third cutting line arranged between the plurality of align holes and the at least two test openings, the third cutting line extends in the second direction, and two ends of the third cutting line are connected with second cutting lines of the two first partitioning parts respectively.

### Claim 14

A metal mask assembly, comprising a mask frame, a metal mask, an align mask, and a first welding spot part between the align mask and the mask frame;
wherein the metal mask and the align mask are respectively welded onto the mask frame;
the align mask comprises a body of a retention area;
the body of the retention area comprises:
a plurality of align holes, and
a partitioning part, partitioning an area where at least two of the plurality of align holes are arranged from other areas; and
the partitioning part comprises one or more cutting lines;
the first welding spot part is arranged in the area where the at least two of the plurality of the align holes are arranged;
the body of the retention area is strip-shaped; the plurality of align holes is closer to a first long edge of the body of the retention area than a second long edge of the body of the retention area and are arrayed along the first long edge; the second long edge is a long edge opposite to the first long edge of the body of the retention area; short edges of the body of the retention area are provided with first parts respectively; and projections of the plurality of align holes, on the short edges, are arranged in the first parts;
the body of the retention area further comprises at least two test openings, the at least two test openings are closer to the second long edge of the body of the retention area than the first long edge of the body of the retention area and are arrayed along the second long edge;
the partitioning part comprises a fourth cutting line arranged on one sides, away from the first long edge, of the plurality of align holes; and the fourth cutting line extends in a second direction which is the same as an extending direction of long edges of the body of the retention area; and
the first parts of the two short edges, the first long edge and the fourth cutting line are connected end to end to form a loop around the plurality of align holes.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The metal mask assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of align holes comprise two first align holes and second align holes arranged between the two first align holes;
the metal mask assembly comprises two first welding spot parts; and
the two first welding spot parts are arranged in an area of a side, facing the plurality of align holes, of the fourth cutting line, and are respectively arranged around the two first align holes.