TWI847929B - Metal mask - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of fabricating a metal mask includes receiving a conductive substrate with a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a third surface connecting the first and second surface, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and connecting the first and second surface. The method further includes forming trenches and protrusion portions, both of which are arranged in an alternating manner in a direction from the first surface to the second surface, and filling the trenches with an insulation material covering one portion of the protrusion portions. The method further includes forming a metal layer on the conductive substrate to cover the other portion of the protrusion portions without covered by the insulation material. The method further includes removing the insulation material and removing the conductive substrate, which makes the metal layer become a metal mask with strip-shaped structures in a three-dimensional profile.

Description

Metal Mask

The present disclosure relates to a metal mask, and in particular to a metal mask having a three-dimensional structure.

Display panels have been widely used to output images or operate menus. Display panels contain multiple electronic components and circuits connecting these electronic components. For example, in a display panel using a pixel array, a signal can be transmitted to the thin film transistors of the pixel array through the circuit to apply voltage to the pixel electrodes connected to the thin film transistors. In response to the current trend of the consumer market, display panel related products are also gradually tending to have a high screen ratio.

In response to this, narrow-frame display panels have been developed and have received a warm response from the consumer market. In the narrow-frame design, for the peripheral area of the display panel outside the display area, how to electrically connect the electronic components located on both sides of the substrate and effectively utilize the space in the peripheral area to complete the wiring or component configuration has become one of the important issues in the relevant field.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a metal mask includes a first flat plate portion and a plurality of strip structures. The strip structures are connected to the first flat plate portion, and adjacent strip structures are separated from each other. The strip structures include a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first thickness. The second portion connects the first flat plate portion and the first portion, and has a first turning angle with the first portion, and the second portion has a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is substantially the same as the first thickness.

In some embodiments, the strip structure further includes a third portion connected to the first portion and having a second turning angle with the first portion.

In some embodiments, the third portion has a third thickness, wherein the third thickness is substantially the same as the first thickness and the second thickness.

In some embodiments, the second portion and the third portion are parallel to each other.

In some embodiments, the metal mask further includes a second plate portion, wherein the third portion connects the second plate portion and the first portion.

In some embodiments, the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion are parallel to each other.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a metal mask includes a first flat plate portion and a plurality of strip structures. The plurality of strip structures are connected to the first flat plate portion, and adjacent strip structures are separated from each other, and the strip structures have a folding structure so that the metal mask is a three-dimensional structure. The strip structure includes a first part and a second part. The first part extends along a first plane and has a first thickness. The second part extends along a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, connects the first flat plate portion and the first part, and has a first folding angle with the first part, and the second part has a second thickness, which is substantially the same as the first thickness, wherein the first part, the second part and the first flat plate portion are formed simultaneously by the same deposition process, and the connection between the second part and the first flat plate portion and the first part has a uniform thickness.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a metal mask and a method for forming the same. The formed metal mask has a three-dimensional shape and can be formed with a high reliability by a simple process.

When an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element, it can be directly on or connected to another element, or intervening elements may also exist. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element, there are no intervening elements. As used herein, "connected" may refer to physical and/or electrical connections. Furthermore, "electrically connected" or "coupled" may mean the presence of other elements between two elements.

In addition, relative terms such as "below" or "bottom" and "above" or "top" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if the device in one figure is flipped, the elements described as being on the "below" side of the other elements will be oriented on the "above" side of the other elements. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" can include both "below" and "above" orientations, depending on the specific orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one figure is flipped, the elements described as being "below" or "below" other elements will be oriented as being "above" other elements. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" or "below" can include both above and below orientations.

The terms first, second, and third, etc. used herein are understood to be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or blocks. However, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or blocks should not be limited by these terms. These terms are limited to identifying a single element, component, region, layer, and/or block. Therefore, a first element, component, region, layer, and/or block hereinafter may also be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer, and/or block without departing from the original intention of this disclosure.

As used herein, "about," "approximately," or "substantially" includes the stated value and an average within an acceptable range of deviation for the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account the measurement in question and the particular amount of error associated with the measurement (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" can mean within one or more standard deviations of the stated value.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that those terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted as an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined as such herein.

In the display manufacturing process, especially in narrow-frame displays, in order to electrically connect the electronic components on both sides of the substrate, conductive vias, photolithography, or etching processes can be used to form conductive traces at the edges. However, making conductive vias in the substrate is not a mature display manufacturing process, and using photolithography or etching processes may be cumbersome. Therefore, it will increase the difficulty of the process and require extremely high manufacturing costs.

The present disclosure provides a metal mask with a three-dimensional structure and a method for forming the same. The metal mask with a three-dimensional structure can be applied to the process of manufacturing wires between electronic components on opposite sides of a substrate.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 5, which are schematic diagrams of forming a metal mask at different operation stages according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. There may be other process operations between the operation steps of Figures 1 to 5, and for the purpose of simplifying the description, other process operations may be omitted or simply described in this article.

Referring to FIG. 1 , in step S10 , a conductive substrate 100 is received, which has a first surface S1 (e.g., parallel to the xy plane), a second surface S2 relative to the first surface S1, a third surface S3 connecting the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 (e.g., parallel to the xz surface), and a fourth surface S4 relative to the third surface S3, wherein the fourth surface S4 also connects the first surface S1 and the second surface S2. The conductive substrate 100 is composed of a conductive material, such as a metal. In some embodiments, the conductive substrate 100 includes copper, nickel, iron, cobalt, tin, chromium, titanium, aluminum, other metals, alloys of the above metals, or combinations thereof. For example, the conductive substrate 100 may include nickel. In another example, the conductive substrate 100 may include stainless steel.

The length L1 (e.g., the length along the x-axis) and the width W1 (e.g., the length along the y-axis) of the conductive substrate 100 may be adjusted according to product design and process conditions. In some embodiments, the length L1 and the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100 may be determined in step S10. In other embodiments, the length L1 and the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100 may be determined in a later step (e.g., in step S12 described below).

Referring to FIG. 2 , in step S12, a plurality of trenches 200 and a plurality of protrusions 102 are staggeredly formed in the conductive substrate 100 in a direction from the first surface S1 toward the second surface S2 (e.g., parallel to the z-axis and downward). In some embodiments, the first surface S1 of the conductive substrate 100 may be recessed by machining to form the trenches 200 in the conductive substrate 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the trenches 200 penetrate the third surface S3 and the fourth surface S4 of the conductive substrate 100. That is, the length of the trenches 200 in the y-axis direction is substantially equal to the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100.

After forming the trench 200 , the conductive substrate 100 may include a protrusion 102 and a base 104 , wherein the trench 200 is located between the protrusions 102 , and the protrusion 102 protrudes from the base 104 and extends upward (eg, in a direction parallel to the z-axis).

Referring to FIG. 3 , in step S14, an insulating material 300 is filled into the trench 200 (see FIG. 2 ), wherein the insulating material 300 covers a portion of the protrusion 102. Specifically, the insulating material 300 fills the trench 200 (see FIG. 2 ) and contacts the sidewalls of the protrusion 102 in the trench 200 (see FIG. 2 ) and the upper surface of the base 104 in the trench 200 (see FIG. 2 ). In some embodiments, the insulating material 300 also covers the sidewalls and a portion of the surface of the conductive substrate 100, thereby exposing a specific surface, and a metal layer will be formed on the exposed specific surface in a subsequent operation (discussed later). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the first surface S1, the third surface S3 and the fourth surface S4 are exposed specific surfaces, and therefore are not covered by the insulating material 300. In other words, the insulating material 300 covers not only a portion of the protrusion 102, but also the second surface S2 and the outer wall of the conductive substrate 100.

Referring to FIG. 4 , in step S16, a metal layer 400 is formed on the exposed surface of the conductive substrate 100. In other words, the metal layer 400 covers the other portions of the protrusion 102 that are not covered by the insulating material 300 (see FIG. 3 ). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the metal layer 400 covers the exposed surfaces of the structure of FIG. 3 , such as the first surface S1, the third surface S3, and the fourth surface S4.

To further describe, the metal layer 400 may include a plurality of strip structures 402 and a flat portion 404. The strip structures 402 may be a portion of the metal layer 400 deposited on the protrusion 102. For example, the strip structures 402 cover the first surface S1, the third surface S3, and the fourth surface S4 (see FIG. 3 ) exposed by the protrusion 102. The flat portion 404 may be a portion of the metal layer 400 deposited on the base 104. For example, the flat portion 404 covers the third surface S3 and the fourth surface S4 (see FIG. 3 ) of the base 104.

In some embodiments, forming the metal layer 400 on the conductive substrate 100 may include using electrochemistry to deposit the material of the metal layer 400 on the conductive substrate 100. The material of the metal layer 400 may include copper, nickel, iron, cobalt, tin, chromium, titanium, aluminum, other metals, alloys of the above metals, or combinations thereof. For example, the metal layer 400 may include nickel. During the electrochemical deposition process, the conductive substrate 100 of FIG. 3 is electrically connected (e.g., connected to a power supply), and when the plating solution contacts the exposed surface of the conductive substrate 100, the ions in the plating solution (e.g., the ion state of the material of the metal layer 400) can undergo a reduction reaction to form the metal layer 400 on the exposed surface of the conductive substrate 100. Therefore, the configuration of the exposed surface can be determined by the arrangement of the conductive substrate 100 and the insulating material 300, thereby defining the morphology of the metal layer 400.

The metal layer 400 may have a thickness T1, wherein the thickness T1 is between about 20 micrometers (µm) and about 300 micrometers. In some embodiments, the thickness T1 is between about 20 micrometers and about 150 micrometers. When the thickness of the metal layer 400 is less than about 20 micrometers, it may cause increased difficulty in operation. For example, in a subsequent demolding process (e.g., removing the conductive substrate 100 and leaving the metal layer 400), a too thin metal layer 400 may require more delicate operations to maintain the morphology of the metal layer 400. When the thickness of the metal layer 400 is greater than about 300 micrometers, there is no obvious benefit to the process. For example, in some embodiments, a shadow effect may occur in the process of forming a thickness exceeding about 300 micrometers. In some embodiments, the thickness T1 of the metal layer 400 may be uniformly distributed.

Before forming the metal layer 400 on the conductive substrate 100, the conductive substrate 100 may be subjected to a surface treatment. For example, when the conductive substrate 100 includes the same material as the metal layer 400, the conductive substrate 100 may be subjected to a surface treatment before the metal layer 400 is deposited on the treated conductive substrate 100. In this way, in a subsequent demolding process (e.g., removing the conductive substrate 100 and leaving the conductive layer 400), the aforementioned oxidation treatment may help separate the conductive substrate 100 and the metal layer 400. In some embodiments, the surface treatment may include forming an oxide film on the conductive substrate 100. It should be noted that the surface treatment does not substantially affect the formation of the metal layer 400.

Referring to FIG. 5 , in step S18 , the insulating material 300 is removed. Furthermore, the conductive substrate 100 is removed to leave the metal layer 400 as a metal mask 400 having a stripe structure 402 , a flat plate portion 404 and a thickness T1 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the metal mask 400 is a three-dimensional structure having a stripe structure 402 .

Further describing FIG. 5, the flat plate portion 404 of the metal mask 400 may include a first flat plate portion 404-1 and a second flat plate portion 404-2. In some embodiments, the first flat plate portion 404-1 and the second flat plate portion 404-2 are parallel to each other. The strip structure 402 of the metal mask 400 is separated from each other and connects the first flat plate portion 404-1 and the second flat plate portion 404-2. The strip structure 402 includes a first portion 402-1, a second portion 402-2, and a third portion 402-3, wherein the first portion 402-1 is located at the top (e.g., parallel to the z-axis) and connects the second portion 402-2 and the third portion 402-3, the second portion 402-2 connects the first flat plate portion 404-1 and the first portion 402-1, and the third portion 402-3 connects the second flat plate portion 404-2 and the first portion 402-1. In some embodiments, the second portion 402-2 and the third portion 403-3 are parallel to each other.

In some embodiments, when the thickness T1 of the original metal layer 400 is uniformly distributed, the metal layer 400 in FIG. 5 can maintain a uniform thickness T1 when used as a metal mask 400. Therefore, the thickness of the first portion 402-1, the thickness of the second portion 402-2, and the thickness of the third portion 402-3 can be substantially the same, that is, all have a thickness T1.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 at the same time, wherein FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the metal mask along the section line A-A of FIG. 5 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, the cross-sectional morphology of the metal mask 400 is similar to a U-shaped structure or an upside-down U-shaped structure. Among them, the first portion 402-1 and the second portion 402-2 are sandwiched by a first turning angle θ1, and the first portion 402-1 and the third portion 402-3 are sandwiched by a second turning angle θ2. As mentioned above, the morphology of the metal mask 400 can be defined by the arrangement of the conductive substrate 100 and the insulating material 300 (see FIG. 3).

In some embodiments, the length D1 of the first portion 402-1 may be substantially the same as the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100 in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, when the second portion 402-2 and the third portion 403-3 are parallel to each other, the distance D2 between the inner surfaces of the second portion 402-2 and the third portion 403-3 may be substantially the same as the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100 in FIG. 1. In still other embodiments, when the second portion 402-2 and the third portion 403-3 are parallel to each other and the first flat portion 404-1 and the second flat portion 404-2 are parallel to each other, the distance D3 between the inner surfaces of the first flat portion 404-1 and the second flat portion 404-2 may be substantially the same as the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100 in FIG. 1.

Next, please refer to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, which illustrate schematic diagrams of various stages of applying the metal mask 400 of FIG. 5 (for example, using the metal mask 400 to form metal traces on the side of a plate-shaped substrate) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that there may be other process operations between the operation steps of FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, and for the purpose of simplifying the description, other process operations may be omitted or simply described in this article.

Referring to FIG. 7 , in step A10, a plate-like substrate 700 is received and a metal mask 400 is disposed on a side region of the plate-like substrate 700. Further describing FIG. 7 , the flat plate portion 404 of the metal mask 400 contacts the fifth surface S5 (e.g., parallel to the xy plane) and the sixth surface S6 relative to the fifth surface S5 of the plate-like substrate 700, and the strip structure 402 of the metal mask 400 contacts the fifth surface S5, the sixth surface S6 and the seventh surface S7 (e.g., parallel to the yz plane), wherein the seventh surface S7 connects the fifth surface S5 and the sixth surface S6.

The morphology of the metal mask 400 is designed to conform to the morphology of the plate substrate 700, so that the metal mask 400 can fit the contour of the side region of the plate substrate 700. In some embodiments, the width W2 of the plate substrate 700 is substantially the same as the length D1 of the first portion 402-1 of the strip structure 402 (see FIG. 6 ).

Referring to FIG. 8 , in step A12, a metal material 800 is formed on the surface of the plate-like substrate 700 that is not shielded by the metal mask 400. More specifically, the metal material 800 is formed between the strip structures 402 of the metal mask 400. The thickness of the metal material 800 is less than the thickness of the metal mask 400 (e.g., the thickness T1 in FIG. 5 ). In some embodiments, a cover layer (not shown) may be used to shield other portions of the plate-like substrate 700 to prevent the metal material 800 from appearing on other portions of the plate-like substrate 700. In some embodiments, the metal material 800 is formed by a sputtering process, an evaporation process, or other suitable methods. It should be noted that, in actual operation, the metal material 800 is not only formed on the exposed surface of the plate-like substrate 700, but also formed on the metal mask 400. To simplify the diagram, part of the metal material 800 formed on the metal mask 400 is not shown here.

Since the thermal expansion of the metal mask 400 is relatively small, the metal mask 400 is less likely to undergo structural changes (e.g., volume expansion or contraction) due to temperature during the process of forming the metal material 800 (e.g., using a sputtering process or an evaporation process, etc.). Therefore, the metal mask 400 can maintain the original structural configuration, which helps to maintain the process stability of the metal material 800, thereby improving the reliability of the metal trace 900 (see FIG. 9 below) formed subsequently.

Please refer to FIG. 9 . In step A14 , the metal mask 400 is removed, and the remaining metal material 800 becomes the metal trace 900 on the side area of the plate-shaped substrate 700 . The metal trace 900 extends continuously on the fifth surface S5 , the seventh surface S7 , and the sixth surface S6 . The metal trace 900 can be electrically connected to the components subsequently disposed on the fifth surface S5 and the components disposed on the sixth surface S6 (not shown). Therefore, the metal trace 900 can be formed on the peripheral area of the plate-shaped substrate 700 in a more convenient manner by using the metal mask 400 .

Please refer to FIGS. 10 to 12, which respectively show schematic diagrams of forming a metal mask of another structure at different operation stages according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The operation steps of forming the metal mask of another structure may be similar to the operation steps for forming the metal mask 400 described above. For example, the metal mask of another structure may directly apply step S10 of FIG. 1 and step S12 of FIG. 2. Furthermore, the metal mask of another structure may be formed in step S24 of FIG. 10 similar to step S14 of FIG. 3, step S26 of FIG. 11 similar to step S16 of FIG. 4, and step S28 of FIG. 12 similar to step S18 of FIG. 5. It should be noted that, since the metal mask of another structure can directly apply step S10 of FIG. 1 and step S12 of FIG. 2 , these two steps will not be described in detail here.

There may be other process operations between the operation steps of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 . For the purpose of simplifying the description, other process operations may be omitted or simply described in this article.

Referring to FIG. 10 , in step S24, an insulating material 1000 is additionally formed on the fourth surface S4 of the conductive substrate 100 on the structure of FIG. 3 . In this way, the first surface S1 and the third surface S3 are exposed specific surfaces, which means that they are exposed without being covered by the insulating material 300 and the insulating material 1000. In some embodiments, the insulating material 1000 is substantially the same as the insulating material 300.

Referring to FIG. 11 , in step S26, a metal layer 1100 is formed on the exposed surface of the conductive substrate 100, that is, the metal layer 1100 covers the other portions of the protrusion 102 that are not covered by the insulating material 300 and the insulating material 1000 (see FIG. 10 ). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 , the metal layer 1100 covers the exposed surfaces (e.g., the first surface S1 and the third surface S3) in the structure of FIG. 10 .

To further describe, the metal layer 1100 may include a plurality of strip structures 1102 and a flat plate portion 1104. The strip structures 1102 may be a portion of the metal layer 1100 formed on the protrusion 102. For example, the strip structures 1102 cover the first surface S1 and the third surface S3 (see FIG. 10 ) exposed by the protrusion 102. The flat plate portion 1104 may be a portion of the metal layer 1100 deposited on the base 104. For example, the flat plate portion 1104 covers the third surface S3 (see FIG. 10 ) of the base 104.

In some embodiments, forming the metal layer 1100 on the conductive substrate 100 may include using electrochemistry to deposit the material of the metal layer 1100 on the conductive substrate 100. The material of the metal layer 1100 may include copper, nickel, iron, cobalt, tin, chromium, titanium, aluminum, other metals, alloys of the above metals, or combinations thereof. For example, the metal layer 1100 may include nickel. During the electrochemical deposition process, the conductive substrate 100 of FIG. 10 is electrically connected (e.g., connected to a power supply), and when the plating solution contacts the exposed surface of the conductive substrate 100, the ions in the plating solution (e.g., the ion state of the material of the metal layer 1100) can undergo a reduction reaction to form the metal layer 1100 on the exposed surface of the conductive substrate 100. Therefore, the configuration of the exposed surface can be determined by the arrangement of the conductive substrate 100, the insulating material 300, and the insulating material 1000, thereby defining the morphology of the metal layer 1100.

The metal layer 1100 may have a thickness T2, wherein the thickness T2 is between about 20 micrometers (µm) and about 300 micrometers. In some embodiments, the thickness T2 is between about 20 micrometers and about 150 micrometers. When the thickness of the metal layer 1100 is less than about 20 micrometers, it may lead to increased difficulty in operation. For example, in a subsequent demolding process (e.g., removing the conductive substrate 100 and leaving the metal layer 1100), a too thin metal layer 1100 may require more delicate operations to maintain the morphology of the metal layer 1100. When the thickness of the metal layer 1100 is greater than about 300 micrometers, there is no obvious benefit to the process. For example, in some embodiments, a shadow effect may occur in the process of forming a thickness exceeding about 300 micrometers. In some embodiments, the thickness T2 of the metal layer 1100 may be uniformly distributed.

Similarly, before forming the metal layer 1100 on the conductive substrate 100, the conductive substrate 100 may be subjected to surface treatment. The surface treatment method is as described above, so it will not be described in detail here.

Referring to FIG. 12 , in step S28 , the insulating material 300 and the insulating material 1000 are removed. Furthermore, the conductive substrate 100 is removed to leave the metal layer 1100 as a metal mask 1100 having a stripe structure 1102 , a flat plate portion 1104 and a thickness T2 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the metal mask 1100 is a three-dimensional structure having the stripe structure 1102 .

Further describing FIG. 12 , the strip structures 402 of the metal mask 1100 are separated from each other and connected to the flat plate portion 1104. The strip structure 1102 includes a first portion 1102-1 and a second portion 1102-2, wherein the first portion 1102-1 is located at the top (e.g., parallel to the z-axis) and connected to the second portion 1102-2, and the second portion 1102-2 connects the flat plate portion 1104 and the first portion 1102-1. In some embodiments, the metal mask 1100 may correspond to the metal mask 400 of FIG. 5 . For example, the first portion 1102-1 may correspond to the first portion 402-1 of FIG. 5 , the second portion 1102-2 may correspond to the second portion 402-2 of FIG. 5 , and the flat plate portion 1104 may correspond to the first flat plate portion 404-1 of FIG. 5 .

In some embodiments, when the thickness T2 of the original metal layer 1100 is uniformly distributed, the metal layer 1100 in FIG. 11 can maintain a uniform thickness T2 when used as a metal mask 1100. Therefore, the thickness of the first portion 1102-1 and the thickness of the second portion 1102-2 can be substantially the same, that is, both are thickness T2.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 12 and also refer to FIG. 13, wherein FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the metal mask 1100 along the section line B-B of FIG. 12 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, the cross-sectional morphology of the metal mask 1100 is similar to an L-shaped structure with upper and lower mirrors. Among them, the first portion 1102-1 and the second portion 1102-2 sandwich a third turning angle θ3. As mentioned above, the morphology of the metal mask 1100 can be defined by the arrangement of the conductive substrate 100 with the insulating material 300/1000 (see FIG. 10). In some embodiments, the length D4 of the first portion 1102-1 can be substantially the same as the width W1 of the conductive substrate 100 in FIG. 1.

Next, please refer to FIGS. 14 to 17, which illustrate schematic diagrams of various stages of applying the metal mask 1100 of FIG. 12 (for example, using the metal mask 1100 to form metal traces on the side of a plate-shaped substrate) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that there may be other process operations between the operation steps of FIGS. 14 to 17, and for the purpose of simplifying the description, other process operations may be omitted or simply described in this article. Furthermore, the sequence of the operation steps of FIGS. 14 to 17 is not unique and can be omitted, adjusted in sequence, or replaced by other feasible operations.

Referring to FIG. 14 , in step A20 , a plate-like substrate 700 is received and a metal mask 1100 is disposed on a side region of the plate-like substrate 700. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 , a flat plate portion 1104 of the metal mask 1100 contacts a fifth surface S5 (e.g., parallel to the xy plane) of the plate-like substrate 700, and a strip structure 1102 of the metal mask 1100 contacts the fifth surface S5 and a seventh surface S7 (e.g., parallel to the yz plane).

Since the morphology of the metal mask 1100 is designed to conform to the morphology of the plate-like substrate 700, the metal mask 1100 can fit the contour of the side region of the plate-like substrate 700. In some embodiments, the width W2 of the plate-like substrate 700 is substantially the same as the length D4 of the first portion 1102-1 of the strip structure 1102 (see FIG. 13 ). In other embodiments, the width W2 of the plate-like substrate 700 is less than the length D4 of the first portion 1102-1 of the strip structure 1102 (see FIG. 13 ).

Referring to FIG. 15 , in step A22, the first metal material 1500 is formed on the surface of the plate-like substrate 700 that is not shielded by the metal mask 1100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 , the first metal material 1500 is formed on the fifth surface S5 and the seventh surface S7 of the plate-like substrate 700. More specifically, the first metal material 1500 is formed between the strip structures 1102 of the metal mask 1100. The thickness of the first metal material 1500 is less than the thickness of the metal mask 1100 (e.g., the thickness T2 in FIG. 12 ). In some embodiments, a cover layer (not shown) may be used to shield other portions of the plate-like substrate 700 to prevent the first metal material 1500 from appearing on other portions of the plate-like substrate 700. In some embodiments, the first metal material 1500 is formed by a sputtering process, an evaporation process or other suitable methods. It should be noted that in actual operation, the first metal material 1500 is not only formed on the exposed surface of the plate-like substrate 700, but also formed on the metal mask 1100. In order to simplify the diagram, the part of the first metal material 1500 formed on the metal mask 1100 is not shown here.

Referring to FIG. 16, in step A23, the metal mask 1100 of FIG. 15 is turned over, and then the metal mask 1100 is disposed on the side region of the same plate-shaped substrate 700 as in FIG. 15. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the flat plate portion 1104 of the metal mask 1100 contacts the sixth surface S6 of the plate-shaped substrate 700, and the strip structure 1102 of the metal mask 1100 contacts the sixth surface S6 and the seventh surface S7.

It should be noted that in step A23, the metal mask 1100 is disposed at a position corresponding to the position of the first metal material 1500 on the seventh surface S7. In other words, after the metal mask 1100 is disposed on the plate-shaped substrate 700, it can be observed that the first metal material 1500 and the first portion 1102-1 of the strip structure 1102 are alternately disposed on the seventh surface S7.

Next, the second metal material 1600 is formed on the surface of the plate-like substrate 700 that is not shielded by the metal mask 1100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 16 , the second metal material 1600 is formed on the sixth surface S6 and the seventh surface S7 of the plate-like substrate 700. More specifically, the second metal material 1600 is formed between the strip structures 1102 of the metal mask 1100. The thickness of the second metal material 1600 is less than the thickness of the metal mask 1100 (e.g., the thickness T2 in FIG. 12 ). In some embodiments, a cover layer (not shown) may be used to shield other portions of the plate-like substrate 700 to prevent the second metal material 1600 from appearing on other portions of the plate-like substrate 700.

In some embodiments, the second metal material 1600 is formed by a sputtering process, an evaporation process or other suitable methods. In actual operation, the second metal material 1600 is not only formed on the exposed surface of the plate-like substrate 700, but also formed on the metal mask 1100. To simplify the diagram, the part of the second metal material 1600 formed on the metal mask 1100 is not shown.

In addition, in steps A22 and A23, since metal materials (e.g., the first metal material 1500 and the second metal material 1600) are repeatedly formed between the first portion 1102-1 of the strip structure 1102 on the seventh surface S7, the metal material here is a double-layer stack of the first metal material 1500 and the second metal material 1600. In some embodiments, the thickness of the double-layer stack of the first metal material 1500 and the second metal material 1600 is less than the thickness of the metal mask 1100 (e.g., the thickness T2 in FIG. 12 ).

Please refer to FIG. 17 . In step A24 , the metal mask 1100 is removed, and the remaining first metal material 1500 and second metal material 1600 together form a metal trace 1700 on the side area of the plate-shaped substrate 700 . The metal trace 1700 extends continuously on the fifth surface S5 , the seventh surface S7 , and the sixth surface S6 . The metal trace 1700 can be electrically connected to the components subsequently disposed on the fifth surface S5 and the components disposed on the sixth surface S6 (not shown). The thickness of the metal trace 1700 on the seventh surface S7 can be greater than the thickness of the metal trace 1700 on the fifth surface S5 or the sixth surface S6 . In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal trace 1700 on the seventh surface S7 is about twice the thickness of the metal trace 1700 on the fifth surface S5 or the sixth surface S6 .

In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a metal mask and a method for forming the same. A metal mask having a three-dimensional structure can be formed by a relatively simple process.

In addition, the three-dimensional structure of the mask disclosed in the present invention is composed of metal. When used in high-temperature processes, the metal mask has a smaller thermal expansion than other materials (e.g., polymers), so it has better process reliability and a wider temperature operating range. Furthermore, the metal mask disclosed in the present invention has a three-dimensional structure, which can be aligned and bonded with the plate-like substrate, and then a metal trace is formed on the side area of the plate-like substrate through a sputtering or evaporation process, thereby electrically connecting the components on the opposite sides (e.g., the upper and lower sides) of the plate-like substrate. Therefore, the use of a three-dimensional structure of the metal mask can simplify the process of side wiring and reduce the process cost.

The above briefly describes the features of several embodiments of the present disclosure, so that those with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can more easily understand the present disclosure. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field should understand that the present disclosure can easily serve as a basis for the modification or design of other structures or processes to achieve the same purpose and/or obtain the same advantages as the embodiments of the present disclosure. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can also understand that the structures equivalent to the above do not deviate from the spirit and scope of protection of the present disclosure, and can be changed, replaced and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

100: conductive substrate 102: protrusion 104: base 200: groove 300: insulating material 400: metal layer/metal mask 402: strip structure 402-1: first part 402-2: second part 402-3: third part 404: flat part 404-1: first flat part 404-2: second flat part 700: plate substrate 800: metal material 900: metal trace 1000: insulating material 1100: metal layer/metal mask 1102-1: first part 1102-2: second part 1104: flat part 1500: first metal material 1600: second metal material 1700: Metal traces A10: Step A12: Step A14: Step A20: Step A22: Step A23: Step A24: Step D1: Length D2: Distance D3: Distance D4: Length L1: Length S1: First surface S2: Second surface S3: Third surface S4: Fourth surface S5: Fifth surface S6: Sixth surface S7: Seventh surface S10: Step S12: Step S14: Step S16: Step S18: Step S24: Step S26: Step S28: Step T1: Thickness T2: Thickness W1: Width W2: width A-A: section line B-B: section line x, y, z: reference coordinate axes θ1: first turning angle θ2: second turning angle θ3: third turning angle

The following embodiments are read with the accompanying figures to clearly understand the viewpoints of the present disclosure. It should be noted that, according to standard practice in the industry, the various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the sizes of the various features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for the sake of clarity of discussion. Figures 1 to 5 are schematic diagrams of various stages of forming a metal mask according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the metal mask along the section line A-A of Figure 5 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams of various stages of applying the metal mask of Figure 5 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 10 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing various stages of forming a metal mask according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the metal mask along the section line B-B of Figure 12 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 14 to 17 are schematic diagrams showing various stages of applying the metal mask of Figure 12 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date, and number) None Foreign storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) None

400: Metal layer/metal mask

402: Strip structure

402-1: Part 1

402-2: Part 2

402-3: Part 3

404: Flat panel

404-1: First flat plate section

404-2: Second flat plate

S18: Step

T1:Thickness

A-A: Section line

x,y,z: reference coordinate axes

Claims (7)

A metal mask comprises: a first flat plate portion; and a plurality of strip structures connected to the first flat plate portion, and the adjacent strip structures are separated from each other, and the strip structures comprise: a first portion having a first thickness; and a second portion connected to the first flat plate portion and the first portion, and having a first turning angle with the first portion, the second portion having a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is substantially the same as the first thickness. The metal mask as described in claim 1, wherein the strip structures further include: A third part connected to the first part and having a second turning angle with the first part. A metal mask as described in claim 2, wherein the third portion has a third thickness, wherein the third thickness is substantially the same as the first thickness and the second thickness. A metal mask as described in claim 2, wherein the second portion and the third portion are parallel to each other. The metal mask as described in claim 2 further includes a second flat portion, wherein the third portion connects the second flat portion and the first portion. A metal mask as described in claim 5, wherein the first flat portion and the second flat portion are parallel to each other. A metal mask comprises: a first flat plate portion; and a plurality of strip structures connected to the first flat plate portion, and the adjacent strip structures are separated from each other, and the strip structures have a turning structure so that the metal mask is a three-dimensional structure, and the strip structures include: a first part extending along a first plane and having a first thickness; and a second part extending along a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, connecting the first flat plate portion and the first part, and having a first turning angle with the first part, the second part having a second thickness, and the second thickness is substantially the same as the first thickness, wherein the first part, the second part and the first flat plate portion are formed simultaneously by the same deposition process, and the connection between the second part and the first flat plate portion and the first part has a uniform thickness.

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