Method of fabricating metal mask and metal mask

Abstract

A method of fabricating a metal mask includes receiving a metal planar substrate and patterning the metal planar substrate. The metal planar substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The patterning the metal planar substrate includes forming strip-shaped structures, forming through holes, and forming a blind hole in a direction from the first surface to the second surface. The through holes extend to the first surface and the second surface. The through holes and the strip-shaped structures are alternately arranged. The blind hole extends across the through holes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a metal mask, comprising:
 receiving a metal planar substrate, wherein the metal planar substrate comprises:
 a first surface; and 
 a second surface, opposite to the first surface; and 
   patterning the metal planar substrate, comprising:
 forming a plurality of strip-shaped structures; 
 forming a plurality of through holes, wherein the plurality of through holes extends to the first surface and the second surface, and the plurality of through holes and the plurality of strip-shaped structures are alternately arranged; and 
 forming a blind hole in a direction from the first surface to the second surface, wherein the blind hole extends across the plurality of through holes. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of through holes is elongated and extends in a first direction. 
     
     
         3 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 2 , wherein the blind hole is elongated and extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 1 , wherein the metal planar substrate includes a thickness between 20 μm and 150 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 1 , wherein the patterning the metal planar substrate comprises performing a lithography process to form a first pattern on the first surface extending in a first direction, a second pattern on the first surface extending in a second direction and a third pattern corresponding to the first pattern on the second surface, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 5 , wherein the patterning the metal planar substrate comprises performing an etching process to remove a portion of the metal planar substrate such that the plurality of through holes is formed through the first pattern and the third pattern, and the blind hole is formed through the second pattern. 
     
     
         7 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 6 , wherein the performing the etching process to remove the portion of the metal planar substrate comprises reducing a thickness of the metal planar substrate by at least 25%. 
     
     
         8 . The method of fabricating the metal mask of  claim 1 , further comprising, after the patterning the metal planar substrate, using the blind hole as a bending axis to bend the metal planar substrate such that the metal mask becomes three-dimensional. 
     
     
         9 . A metal mask, comprising:
 a first board portion;   a plurality of strip-shaped structures connected to the first board portion and extending in a first direction, wherein two adjacent strip-shaped structures of the plurality of strip-shaped structures are spaced apart, and wherein the plurality of strip-shaped structures comprises:
 a first section; and 
 a second section connecting the first board portion and the first section; and 
   a first blind hole on a first surface of the plurality of strip-shaped structures and between the first section and the second section, wherein the first blind hole is elongated and extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.   
     
     
         10 . The metal mask of  claim 9 , wherein a depth of the first blind hole is at least 25% of a thickness of the plurality of strip-shaped structures. 
     
     
         11 . The metal mask of  claim 9 , wherein the first blind hole is used as a bending axis,
 wherein the first board portion and the second section are positioned next to a first side of the bending axis;   wherein the first section is positioned next to a second side of the bending axis; and   wherein the first side is the second side are opposite to each other.   
     
     
         12 . The metal mask of  claim 9 , wherein the first blind hole is used as a bending axis, and the first section and the second section collectively form an L-shaped structure in a cross-sectional view. 
     
     
         13 . The metal mask of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a second board portion, wherein the plurality of the strip-shaped structures connects the first board portion and the second board portion; and   a second blind hole on the first surface of the plurality of strip-shaped structures, wherein the second blind hole is elongated, extends in the second direction and parallel to the first blind hole.   
     
     
         14 . The metal mask of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of strip-shaped structures further comprises a third section connecting the second board portion and the first section, wherein the second blind hole is between the first section and the third section. 
     
     
         15 . The metal mask of  claim 14 , wherein the first blind hole and the second blind hole are used as a first bending axis and a second bending axis respectively,
 wherein the first section is positioned between the first bending axis and the second bending axis;   wherein the first board portion and the second section are positioned next to a side of the first bending axis; and   wherein the second board portion and the third section are positioned next to a side of the second bending axis.   
     
     
         16 . The metal mask of  claim 14 , wherein the first blind hole and the second blind hole are used as a first bending axis and a second bending axis respectively, and the first section, the second section and the third section collectively form a C-shaped structure in a cross-sectional view. 
     
     
         17 . The metal mask of  claim 13 , wherein a thickness of the plurality of strip-shaped structures is 1 time to 4 times a depth of the second blind hole. 
     
     
         18 . The metal mask of  claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the plurality of strip-shaped structures is between 20 μm and 150 μm.