Electrophotographic light receiving member having an outermost surface with a specific metal element-bearing region and a region substantially free of said metal element which are two-dimensionally distributed

An electrophotographic light receiving member according to claim 19, wherein the region (a) comprises a plurality of island-like regions each containing said at least metal element which are spacedly distributed in the region (b).

An electrophotographic apparatus comprises an electrophotographic light receiving member, an exposure means, a charging means, and a development means, wherein said electrophotographic light receiving member has an outermost surface portion comprised of a non-single crystal material and a region (a) containing at least a metal element selected from the group consisting of metal elements belonging to groups 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the periodic table and a region (b) substantially not containing said metal element which are two-dimensionally distributed at said outermost surface of said light receiving layer.

An electrophotographic process comprising the steps of charging an electrophotographic light receiving member by means of a charging means of a contacting system or a non-contacting system, and conducting exposure, development, transferring, and cleaning in the named order, wherein said electrophotographic light receiving member has an outermost surface portion comprised of a non-single crystal material and a region (a) containing at least a metal element selected from the group consisting of metal elements belonging to groups 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the periodic table and a region (b) substantially not containing said metal element which are two-dimensionally distributed at said outermost surface of said light receiving layer.