Carbon nanotube-based high-definition shadow mask and manufacturing method thereof

Large-area, high-resolution OLED deposition shadow mask based on carbon nanotube yarn mesh

This technology is a high-definition shadow mask used for OLED light-emitting layer deposition and its manufacturing method. It features a mask pattern layer composed of a carbon nanotube yarn mesh layer and a solution-processed carbon nanotube thin film layer placed on a glass substrate with openings.

High-resolution OLED panels for VR/AR require large-area shadow masks of 1m×1m or larger with UHD resolution or higher. Conventional SUS-based masks suffer from warping due to internal stress and reduced tensile strength when scaled up, and the wet etching process makes it difficult to achieve high-definition patterns of 1200 dpi or higher.

This technology reduces internal stress and increases tensile strength using carbon nanotube layers, while achieving fine resolution by forming patterns through photolithography or lift-off processes. If necessary, durability is reinforced by adding a metal thin film layer such as Invar and a chromium etch-stop layer. It can be applied to large OLED and micro-OLED deposition processes, enabling high-resolution pixel patterning without sagging, even as panel sizes increase.

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Key Features:

• A structure comprising a mask pattern layer with a light-emitting layer deposition mask pattern and a glass substrate with openings in the pattern area
• A carbon nanotube yarn layer forming a mesh structure with carbon nanotube strands, and a carbon nanotube thin film layer formed thereon via spray or spin coating
• A mask pattern layer further comprising a metal thin film layer made of Invar, Cr, Al, Mo, Ni, Fe, or a Ni-Fe alloy on the carbon nanotube thin film layer
• A process of forming a first etch-stop layer on the bottom of a glass substrate, a second etch-stop layer and a carbon nanotube layer on the top, and etching the bottom after patterning

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