Cleaning method and cleaning apparatus for a mask

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus for a mask. The cleaning method includes: step 1, providing a to-be-cleaned mask which is made of metal and has an organic material film attached thereto; step 2, heating the to-be-cleaned mask with microwave to break up the organic material film attached to the mask; step 3, stopping heating with microwave, and spraying the heated mask with a solution to remove off the broken organic material film from the mask; step 4, cleaning residual organic material film on the mask with a solution; step 5, rinsing the cleaned mask to wash off residual solution on the mask; step 6, drying the rinsed mask with microwave. Accordingly, the cleaning period of mask is dramatically shortened, the cleaning productivity is increased and the probability of material residue is decreased.

Claims

1. A cleaning method for a mask, comprising: step 1: providing a to-be-cleaned mask, wherein the mask is made of metal and has an organic material film attached thereto; step 2: heating the to-be-cleaned mask with microwave to break up the organic material film attached to the mask; step 3: stopping the heating with microwave, and spraying a solution onto the microwave-heated mask to remove off the broken organic material film from the mask; step 4: cleaning residual organic material film on the mask with a solution; step 5: rinsing the cleaned mask to wash off residual solution on the mask; and step 6: drying the rinsed mask with microwave; wherein the step 2 and step 3 both are performed in a microwave dry cleaning tank, the step 4 is performed in a solution wet cleaning tank, and the step 5 is performed in a solution wet washing tank; and the microwave dry cleaning tank, the solution wet cleaning tank and the solution wet washing tank are adjacently arranged in order.

2. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mask is used for an organic light emitting diode evaporation process.

3. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microwave dry cleaning tank comprises a tank body, a microwave generator disposed at the bottom of the tank body and a solution sprayer disposed at the top of the tank body; the mask is heated with microwave by the microwave generator; and the mask is sprayed with the solution by the solution sprayer.

4. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the step 2 and step 3, the to-be-cleaned mask is obliquely disposed in the microwave dry cleaning tank, the organic material film faces upwards, and the solution sprayer is a low speed solution sprayer.

5. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solution wet cleaning tank is contained with a solution into which the mask is immersed.

6. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solution wet washing tank is contained with a detergent into which the mask is immersed.

7. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step 6 is performed in the microwave dry cleaning tank.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above embodiments will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a conventional cleaning apparatus for a mask.

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a cleaning apparatus for a mask according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a cleaning method for a mask according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an operation in step 2 of the cleaning method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of comparison of the mask before and after microwave processing in step 2 of the cleaning method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an operation in step 3 of the cleaning method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an operation in step 4 of the cleaning method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an operation in step 5 of the cleaning method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an operation in step 6 of the cleaning method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(11) The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of embodiments are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.

(12) Referring to FIGS. 2 through 9, a cleaning apparatus 10 for a mask according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is used for cleaning a to-be-cleaned mask 20. The cleaning apparatus 10 includes a microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40, a solution wet-type cleaning tank 50 and a solution wet-type washing tank 60. The microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40 includes a tank body 41, a microwave generator 45 disposed at the bottom of the tank body, and a low speed solution sprayer 43 disposed at the top of the tank body.

(13) The microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40, the solution wet-type cleaning tank 50 and the solution wet-type washing tank 60 are adjacently arranged in that order.

(14) The low speed solution sprayer 43 in operation is to spray a solution 432 onto the mask 20.

(15) The solution wet-type cleaning tank 50 is contained with a solution 432. The solution wet-type washing tank 60 is contained with a detergent 62. The mask 20 is made of metal and used for an OLED evaporation process.

(16) A cleaning method for a mask according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the following step 1 to step 6.

(17) Step 1: a to-be-cleaned mask 20 is provided. The mask is made of metal and has an organic material film 21 attached thereto.

(18) The mask is used for an OLED evaporation process.

(19) Step 2: the to-be-cleaned mask 20 is heated with microwave to thereby break up the organic material layer 21 attached to the mask 20.

(20) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the step 2 is performed in the microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40. The microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40 includes a tank body 41, a microwave generator 45 disposed at the bottom of the tank body, and a solution sprayer 43 disposed at the top of the tank body. The mask 20 is heated with microwave by the microwave generator 45. The to-be-cleaned mask 20 is obliquely arranged in the microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40. The organic material film 21 faces upwards.

(21) As illustrated in FIG. 5, the organic material film 21 attached onto the mask 20 is effected by polarization rotation friction of microwave and then is broken from inside to outside into small pieces.

(22) Step 3: heating with microwave is stopped, and the microwave-heated mask 20 is then sprayed with the solution 432 to wash off the broken organic material film 21 from the mask 20.

(23) As illustrated in FIG. 6, the step 3 is performed in the microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40. The to-be-cleaned mask 20 is obliquely arranged in the microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40. The organic material film 21 faces upwards. The mask 20 is sprayed with the solution 432 by the solution sprayer 43. The solution sprayer 43 is a low speed solution sprayer.

(24) After a period of spraying, most of the organic material film 21 is removed off from the mask 20, and the residual is the organic material strongly attached to the mask 20.

(25) Step 4: the residual organic material film 21 attached to the mask 20 is cleaned with the solution 432.

(26) As illustrated in FIG. 7, the step 4 is performed in the solution wet-type cleaning tank 50. The solution wet-type cleaning tank 50 is contained with the solution 432, and the mask 20 is immersed into the solution 432 for cleaning.

(27) By the immersion of solution 432, the residual organic material film 21 is cleaned up by the solution 432.

(28) Step 5: the cleaned mask 20 is rinsed to wash off the residual solution on the mask 20.

(29) As illustrated in FIG. 8, the step 5 is performed in the solution wet-type washing tank 60. The solution wet-type washing tank 60 is contained with a detergent 62, and the mask 20 is immersed into the detergent 62 for rinsing.

(30) Step 6: the mask 20 then is dried with microwave.

(31) As illustrated in FIG. 9, the step 6 is performed in the microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40. The mask 20 is heated with microwave by the microwave generator 45. The mask 20 is obliquely arranged in the microwave dry-type cleaning tank 40.

(32) In summary, the cleaning method and cleaning apparatus for a mask according to the present invention employ the microwave dry-type cleaning method and apparatus to pre-process the mask with microwave before the mask put into the solution wet-type cleaning tank, so that the organic material attached to the mask immediately before put into the solution wet-type cleaning tank is dramatically reduced, the cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency of the mask are increased, the cleaning period is shortened, the cleaning productivity is increased and thereby facilitating the whole productivity improvement of OLED display device.

(33) While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.