Shadow mask alignment using variable pitch coded apertures

1. A shadow mask-substrate alignment method comprising:

(a) providing a substrate including a grate having a plurality of bars in spaced relation, wherein each pair of spaced bars of the grate of the substrate is separated by a gap, wherein the grate of the substrate includes at least three gaps, wherein the spacing between each pair of adjacent gaps is different;

(b) providing a shadow mask including a grate having a plurality of bars in spaced relation, wherein each pair of spaced bars of the grate of the shadow mask is separated by a gap through the shadow mask, wherein the grate of the shadow mask includes at least three gaps, wherein the spacing between each pair of adjacent gaps is different;

(c) providing a light source—light receiver pair, with the light receiver of said pair positioned in a path of light output by the light source of said pair;

(d) causing the grate of the substrate and the grate of the shadow mask to be positioned in the path of the light; and

(e) following step (d), causing the orientation of the substrate, the shadow mask or both to be adjusted to position the grate of the substrate, the grate of the shadow mask, or both until a predetermined amount of light on the path passes through the gaps in the grate of the substrate and the gaps with the grate of the shadow mask and is received by the light receiver.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the grate of the substrate includes at least four gaps; and

the grate of the shadow mask includes at least four gaps.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each gap has the same width; and/or

each bar has a different width.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacing between each pair of adjacent gaps varies according to one of the following: a Barker code; a linear chirp sequence; an exponential chirp sequence; a maximum length sequence; or a pseudo random number sequence.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

step (e) includes causing the orientation of the substrate, the shadow mask or both to be adjusted to position elongated axes of the bars of the grate of the substrate parallel to elongated axes of the bars of the grate of the shadow mask, and to position the bars of the grates of the substrate and the shadow mask to partially overlap the gaps of the grates of the shadow mask and the substrate, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the bars of the grates of the substrate and the shadow mask partially overlap the gaps of the grates of the shadow mask and the substrate, respectively, by 50%.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the light source comprises an LED and a collimating lens operative for collimating light output by the LED; and

the light receiver comprises a PIN diode and a focusing lens operative for focusing light received thereby onto the PIN diode.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the substrate and the shadow mask each include a plurality of grates;

step (c) includes providing a plurality of light source—light receiver pairs, wherein the light receiver of each said pair is positioned in a path of light output by the light source of said pair;

step (d) includes positioning in each path of light one grate of the substrate and one grate of the shadow mask; and

step (e) includes causing the orientation of the substrate, the shadow mask or both to be adjusted to position the grates of the substrate, the grates of the shadow mask, or both until a predetermined amount of light on each path passes through the grates in the path and is received by the light receiver in said path.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

each light receiver outputs a signal having a level related to amount of light received by said light receiver; and

step (e) includes adjusting the orientation of the substrate, the shadow mask or both until a combination of the levels of the signals output by the light receivers equals a predetermined value or falls within a predetermined range of values.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined value is zero.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate and the shadow mask each have a rectangular or square shape with one grate adjacent each corner of the rectangle or square.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of each bar extends radially ±15 degrees from a central axis of the corresponding substrate or shadow mask.

13. A shadow mask-substrate alignment method comprising:

(a) positioning a light source, a beam splitter, a substrate including a first grate, a shadow mask including a second grate, and a light receiver relative to each other to define a light path that includes light output by the light source being at least partially reflected by the beam splitter, the at least partially reflected light passing through one of the first or second grate and being at least partially reflected by the other of the first or second grate back through the one of the first or second grate, and the at least partially reflected light reflected back through the one of the first or second grate passing at least partially through the beam splitter for receipt by the light receiver; and

(b) causing the orientation of the substrate, the shadow mask or both to be adjusted to position the first grate, the second grate, or both the first and second grates until a predetermined amount is received by the light receiver, wherein:

each grate includes a plurality of spaced bars;

each pair of spaced bars is separated by a gap;

each grate includes at least three gaps, wherein the spacing between each pair of adjacent gaps is different; and

at least one of the first grate and the second grate includes at least one gap that extends through the respective substrate and shadow mask.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the grate of the substrate includes at least four gaps; and

the grate of the shadow mask includes at least four gaps.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

each gap has the same width; and/or

each bar has a different width.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the spacing between each pair of adjacent gaps varies according to one of the following: a Barker code; a linear chirp sequence; an exponential chirp sequence; a maximum length sequence; or a pseudo random number sequence.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

step (b) includes causing the orientation of the substrate, the shadow mask or both to be adjusted to position elongated axes of the bars of the first grate parallel or substantially parallel to elongated axes of the bars of the second grate and to position the bars of the first and second grates to partially overlap the gaps of the second and first grates, respectively.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the bars of the first and second grates partially overlap the gaps of the second and first grates, respectively, by 50%.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the light source comprises an LED and a collimating lens operative for collimating light output by the LED; and

the light receiver comprises a PIN diode and a focusing lens operative for focusing light received from the beam splitter onto the PIN diode.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein a longitudinal axis of each bar extends radially ±15 degrees from a central axis of the corresponding substrate or shadow mask.