Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazuyoshi Akiyama

Hitoshi Murayama

Toshiyasu Shirasuna

Ryuji Okamura

Kazuto Hosoi

Daisuke Tazawa

Kazuhiko Takada

Tomohito Ozawa

Tatsuyuki Aoike

Yuu Nishimura

Yukihiro Abe

Masaaki Yamamura

Takashi Otsuka

Takashi Ohtsuka

Koji Hitsuishi

Makoto Aoki

Satoshi Kojima

Shinji Tsuchida

Hiroaki Niino

Hirokazu Ohtoshi

Takahisa Taniguchi

Shigeru Shirai

Junichiro Hashizume

Shigenori Ueda

Hironori Owaki

Satoshi Takaki

Atsushi Yamagami

Koji Teranishi

Motoya Yamada

An image-forming method uses an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer formed of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide in which a ratio of the number of carbon atoms to the sum of the number of silicon atoms and the number of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 0.61 or more and 0.75 or less, and the sum of the atomic density of the silicon atoms and the atomic density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60&#xd7;10atoms/cmor more, and the peak wavelength of pre-exposure light is shorter than the peak wavelength of image exposure light.

Image-forming method

In an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer and, provided on the photoconductive layer, a surface layer constituted of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide, the ratio of the number of atoms of carbon atoms (C) to the sum of the number of atoms of silicon atoms (Si) and number of atoms of carbon atoms (C), C/(Si+C), in the surface layer is from 0.61 or more to 0.75 or less, and the sum of atom density of the silicon atoms and atom density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60&#xd7;10atom/cmor more.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member and electrophotographic apparatus

An electrophotographic apparatus has an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer of an amorphous silicon carbide. The ratio of the atom density (C) of carbon atoms to the sum of the atom density (Si) of silicon atoms and the atom density (C) of carbon atoms, C/(Si+C), in the surface layer is set larger from one end portion toward the other end portion of the electrophotographic photosensitive member in the direction of rotational axis thereof, and is from 0.61 or more to 0.75 or less in the entire region of the electrophotographic photosensitive member in the direction of rotational axis thereof. The electrophotographic apparatus has an air current generator which draws out air from the side of the one end portion toward the side of the other end portion.

Electrophotographic apparatus having an electrophotgraphic photosensitive member with an amorphous silicon carbide surface layer

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a photoconductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a surface layer. When Si+C atom density in the surface layer is represented by D&#xd7;10atoms/cm, the Dis 6.60 or more, and when the maximal value of H/(Si+H) in a distribution of hydrogen quantity in the photoconductive layer in a layer thickness direction is represented by H, the average value of the H/(Si+H) in the second photoconductive region is represented by H, the Dand the Hsatisfy the following expression (1) and the Dand the Hsatisfy the following expression (2).&#x2267;0.07&#xd7;&#x2212;0.38&#x2003;&#x2003;Expression (1)&#x2266;0.04&#xd7;+0.60&#x2003;&#x2003;Expression (2)

The present invention provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a photoconductive layer, an intermediate layer made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide on the photoconductive layer, and a surface layer made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide on the intermediate layer, wherein a ratio (C/(Si+C); C2) in the surface layer is 0.61 to 0.75, and a sum of atom density of silicon and carbon is 6.60&#xd7;10atoms/cmor more, a ratio (C/(Si+C); C1) and a sum (D1) of atom density of silicon and carbon in the intermediate layer increase continuously from the photoconductive layer toward the surface layer without exceeding C2 and D2, and the intermediate layer has a continuous region in which C1 is 0.25 to C2 while D1 is 5.50&#xd7;10to 6.45&#xd7;10atoms/cm, the region being 150 nm or larger in a layer thickness direction, and an electrophotographic apparatus equipped therewith.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a substrate, a photoconductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a surface layer sequentially formed. The intermediate layer contains silicon, carbon and hydrogen, and a distribution of a hydrogen ratio, which is a ratio of the number of hydrogen atoms to the number of silicon, carbon and hydrogen atoms, in the intermediate layer has a maximum region. A largest hydrogen atomic ratio in the intermediate layer is larger than a hydrogen atomic ratio in the surface layer, and the hydrogen atomic ratio in the surface layer is 0.30 to 0.45. A distribution of a carbon atomic ratio, which is a ratio of the number of carbon atoms to the number of silicon and carbon atoms, in the intermediate layer has a maximum and a minimum region. A carbon atomic ratio in the maximum region is 0.53 to 0.63, a carbon atomic ratio in the minimum region is 0.47 or more, and the maximum hydrogen region in the intermediate layer is partially superimposed on the minimum carbon region.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a photoconductive layer and, provided on the photoconductive layer, a surface layer containing a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide. A ratio of the number of carbon atoms (C) to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and number of carbon atoms (C), C/(Si+C), in the surface layer is from 0.61 or more to 0.75 or less, and the sum of atom density of the silicon atoms and atom density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60&#xd7;10atom/cmor more.

The present invention provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member in which a photoconductive layer is an amorphous layer that contains a silicon atom as a main component, and a surface layer contains an aluminum atom, a zinc atom and an oxygen atom so as to satisfy Expression (1) and Expression (2):3.0&#x2266;100{/()}&#x2266;7.0&#x2003;&#x2003;(1), and1.05&#x2266;/(1.50)&#x2266;1.20&#x2003;&#x2003;(2),in Expression (1) and Expression (2), x represents atom % of the aluminum atom contained in the surface layer, y represents atom % of the zinc atom contained in the surface layer, and z represents atom % of the oxygen atom contained in the surface layer.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a step of forming a first surface layer and a second surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member by supplying a source gas into a reaction vessel so that C/S, which are respectively flow rates of CHand SiHflowing when the second surface layer is formed, can be 3 or more and 25 or less, and C/S, which are respectively flow rates of CHand SiHflowing when the first surface layer is formed, can be C/Sor more but 60 or less. The method includes an additional step of adjusting the high-frequency power so that P&#x3e;Pcan be satisfied, which are high-frequency powers respectively when the second surface layer is formed and when the first surface layer is formed, and C/(Si+C) of the first surface layer and C/(Si+C) of the second surface layer can be 0.50 or more and 0.80 or less.

Method for manufacturing electrophotographic photosensitive member

An electrophotographic photosensitive member has a conductive substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the conductive substrate, and a surface layer formed on the photoconductive layer. The photoconductive layer is formed of an amorphous material having chiefly silicon atoms. The surface layer has aluminum atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms, where the nitrogen atoms are in a content of from 80 atom % or more to 95 atom % or less, and the oxygen atoms are in a content of from 1 atom % or more to 30 atom % or less, based on the aluminum atoms in the surface layer.

In a plasma treatment method of and apparatus for treating the surface of a treatment target substrate by utilizing glow discharge produced by supplying high-frequency power into an inside-evacuated reactor through a high-frequency power supply means, a plurality of impedance regulation means for regulating impedances on the side of the reactor and on the side of the high-frequency power supply means are provided correspondingly to the impedances of a plurality of reactors, and the high-frequency power is supplied into the reactors via the impedance regulation means corresponding to the reactors. Plasma treatment can be made in a good efficiency and a low cost on a plurality of reactors having different impedances.

Plasma treatment method

There is provided an electrophotographic photosensitive member used in an electrophotographic apparatus which meets energy saving and higher image quality. The electrophotographic photosensitive member has excellent potential properties, and can suppress the image quality degradation caused by interference. The electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention including on a conductive substrate at least a photoconductive layer mainly composed of amorphous silicon, a surface layer, and at least one intermediate layer interposed between the photoconductive layer and the surface layer, wherein the surface layer contains a metal fluoride (exclusive of silicon fluoride) and the intermediate layer contains a metal oxide.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member

An electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed having a first area layer and a second area layer on a substrate. The first area layer and the second area layer are formed by deposition using different methods, and an intermediate layer is provided therebetween. The intermediate layer is changed continuously in composition in such a manner that the composition at the surface in contact with the first area layer is approximately the same as the composition of the first area layer and that the composition at the surface in contact with the second area layer is approximately the same as the composition of the second area layer, whereby the various characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is prevented from deteriorating.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member and producing method therefore

A vacuum processing method including placing an article to be processed in a reaction container and simultaneously supplying at least two high-frequency powers having different frequencies to the same high-frequency electrode to generate plasma in the reaction container by the high-frequency powers introduced into the reaction container from the high-frequency electrode. The frequencies and power values of the at least two high-frequency powers supplied satisfy a required relationship.

Vacuum processing apparatus in which high frequency powers having mutually different frequencies are used to generate plasma for processing an article

For enhancing plasma uniformity and long-term stability so as to readily form a film with excellent uniformity of thickness and quality and with good repeatability and for suppressing occurrence of image defects and drastically increasing the yield to form a deposited film ready for volume production, particularly, a functional deposit film (for example, an amorphous semiconductor used for semiconductor devices, electrophotographic photosensitive members, photovoltaic devices, and so on) is formed in an apparatus including a reaction vessel which can be hermetically evacuated, a substrate holder in the reaction vessel, a source gas supply, a power supply for high-frequency power. An end covering member is provided at an end of each of the substrate holder, the source gas supply and the power supply.

Growing community of inventors

Mishima, Japan

Kazuyoshi Akiyama