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AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsSachio Ishioka, Eiichi Maruyama, Yoshinori Imamura, Hirokazu Matsubara, Shinkichi Horigome
Estimating the term…
Disclosed is an electrophotographic member having an amorphous-silicon photoconductive layer, wherein the distance between a portion in which light illuminating the photoconductor is absorbed therein until its intensity decreases to 1% of that at incidence and the interface of the photoconductor opposite to the light incidence side thereof is at most 5 .mu.m, whereby the residual potential of the photoconductive layer can be reduced. That part of the photoconductive layer constituting the electrophotographic member which is at least 10 nm thick inwardly of the photoconductive layer from the surface thereof to store charges is made of amorphous silicon which has an optical forbidden band gap of at least 1.6 eV and a resistivity of at least 10.sup.10 .OMEGA..multidot.cm. Further, within such photoconductive layer, a region of amorphous silicon which has an optical forbidden band gap smaller than that of the amorphous silicon forming the surface part is disposed at a thickness of at least 10 nm. By forming the region of the narrower optical forbidden band gap within the photoconductive layer in this manner, the sensitivity of the photoconductive layer to light of longer wavelengths can be enhanced.
In an electrophotographic member having at least a support and a photoconductive layer of amorphous silicon containing hydrogen carried by said support, said support being made of a conductive material or an insulating material having a layer of a conductive material thereon, the improvement comprising that said photoconductive layer of an amorphous silicon containing hydrogen has at least 50 atomic % amorphous silicon and said hydrogen amounts to at least 1 atomic % and at most 50 atomic %, and that the distance between the region at which the intensity of light illuminating said photoconductive layer on the light incident side thereof is reduced by absorption therein to 1% of that at incidence and the surface of said photoconductive layer opposite to said light incident side thereof is at most 5 .mu.m.
In an electrophotographic system having at least an electrophotographic member which has a support and a photoconductive layer of amorphous silicon containing hydrogen carried by said support, said support being made of a conductive material or an insulating material having a layer of a conductive material thereon, and a light source which illuminates the electrophotographic member;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.