Layered amorphous silicon containing photoconductive element having surface layer with specified optical band gap

A light-receiving member for electrophotography comprising asubstrate and a light-receiving layer provided on the substrate comprising a photoconductive layer exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms as the constituent in a matrix of silicon atoms and a surface layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms as the constituents, said surface layer being changed in the distribution concentration in the layer thickness direction of the constituent elements such that an optical band gap of said surface layer and an optical band gap of said photoconductive layer are matched at an interface between the surface layer and the photoconductive layer and the maximum distribution concentration of the hydrogen atoms within said surface layer being 41 to 70 atomic percent.