Method for producing deposition mask

1. A method for producing a deposition mask including a quadrangular mask substrate secured so as to define an xy plane and a plurality of active region formation portions provided on the mask substrate and arrayed in p rows by q columns, the plurality of active region formation portions each including a plurality of openings arrayed in m rows by n columns, the method comprising:

a step of preparing the mask substrate secured so as to define the xy plane; and

an opening formation step of forming the plurality of active region formation portions on the mask substrate;

wherein:

the opening formation step includes:

step A of forming openings of “a” number of continual columns included in a first region including at least the (n/2)th column or the {(n+1)/2}th column;

step B of forming openings of “b” number of continual columns included in a second region adjacent to the first region in a −x direction with a first gap region being sandwiched between the first region and the second region, the first gap region including “sa” number of continual columns; and

step C of forming openings of “c” number of continual columns included in a third region adjacent to the first region in an x direction with a second gap region being sandwiched between the first region and the third region, the second gap region including “sb” number of continual columns; and

the step B and the step C are performed after the step A.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step D of forming openings in the first gap region, or step E of forming openings in the second gap region, is performed after the step A, the step B and the step C.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second region includes the central column in all the regions adjacent to the first region in the −x direction, and the third region includes the central column in all the regions adjacent to the first region in the x direction.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the opening formation step further includes:

step F of forming openings of “d” number of continual columns included in a fourth region adjacent to the second region in the −x direction; and

step G of forming openings of “e” number of continual columns included in a fifth region adjacent to the third region in the x direction; and

the step F or the step G is performed after the step A, the step B and the step C.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step F and the step G are performed before the step D and the step E.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fourth region is not directly adjacent to the second region, and the fifth region is not directly adjacent to the third region.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step D is a step of forming the openings of a number, smaller than “sa”, of continual columns that include the central column in all the regions located between the first region and the second region, and the step E is a step of forming the openings of a number, smaller than “sb”, of continual columns that include the central column in all the regions located between the first region and the third region.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the fourth region includes the openings of a number, smaller than “d”, of continual columns including the central column in all the regions adjacent to the second region in the −x direction; and

the fifth region includes the openings of a number, smaller than “e”, of continual columns including the central column in all the regions adjacent to the third region in the x direction.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the opening formation step further includes:

step F of forming openings of “d” number of continual columns included in a fourth region adjacent to the second region in the −x direction with a third gap region being sandwiched between the second region and the fourth region, the third gap region including “sc” number of continual columns; and

step G of forming openings of “e” number of continual columns included in a fifth region adjacent to the third region in the x direction with a fourth gap region being sandwiched between the third region and the fifth region, the fourth gap region including “sd” number of continual columns; and

the step F or the step G is performed after the step A, the step B and the step C.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step F and the step G are performed before the step D and the step E.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the opening formation step further includes:

step H of forming openings of “f” number of continual columns included in a sixth region adjacent to the fourth region in the −x direction; and/or

step I of forming openings of “g” number of continual columns included in a seventh region adjacent to the fifth region in the x direction.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the “a”, “b”, “c”, “sa” and “sb” are independently 100 or greater and 300 or less.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step B and the step C are performed after the step A for all the active region formation portions of an arbitrary column.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the opening formation step is performed from the active region formation portions belonging to the (q/2)th column or the {(q+1)/2}th column.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the opening formation step is performed from the active region formation portions belonging to the (p/2)th row or the {(p+1)/2}th row.

16. A method for producing a deposition mask including a quadrangular mask substrate secured so as to define an xy plane and a plurality of active region formation portions provided on the mask substrate and arrayed in p rows by q columns, the plurality of active region formation portions each including a plurality of openings arrayed in m rows by n columns, the method comprising:

a step of preparing the mask substrate secured so as to define the xy plane; and

an opening formation step of forming the plurality of active region formation portions on the mask substrate;

wherein the opening formation step is performed from the active region formation portions belonging to the (p/2)th row or the {(p+1)/2}th row.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the opening formation step is performed from the active region formation portions belonging to the (q/2)th column or the {(q+1)/2}th column.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask substrate includes a resin layer including the plurality of openings and a magnetic metal layer including at least one through-hole exposing the plurality of openings.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask substrate includes a magnetic metal layer including the plurality of openings.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mask substrate includes a resin layer including the plurality of openings and a magnetic metal layer including at least one through-hole exposing the plurality of openings.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mask substrate includes a magnetic metal layer including the plurality of openings.