Abstract: An elongated material treatment apparatus includes, a coating device for coating a photoresist on a main region in a principal surface of an elongated material with a photoresist, and a conveying device for transporting the elongated material from a cleaning device to the coating device while supporting a transport support region in the principal surface cleaned by the cleaning device, there is a cleaning fluid removing device between the cleaning device and the coating device for removing a cleaning fluid deposited on the transport support region, whereby the elongated material is prevented from slipping during the transport of the elongated material by the conveying device and is correctly transported. The elongated material is transported to the coating device, with the cleaning fluid left in the main region, permitting uniform coating of the photoresist on the main region.

Abstract: A photoetching method for processing a thin metal sheet to produce apertured shadow masks. The disclosed method utilizes a supporting layer for supporting a metal sheet. A photoresist layer is formed on the metal sheet for defining pattern images. An etching solution is supplied to metal sheet surfaces exposed through voids of the photoresist layer defining the pattern images to etch the metal surfaces. Then the photoresist layer is removed from the metal sheet, and the metal sheet is removed from the supporting sheet. The resulting metal sheet constitutes a shadow mask having a multiplicity of apertures. Productivity may be doubled by applying two metal sheets to opposite faces of the supporting sheet, respectively, and processing both metal sheets simultaneously.