Light-receiving member with outer layer made by alternatively forming and etching

A light-receiving member produced by the process which comprises the steps of:

• (a) etching a light-receiving layer on a substrate to remove a portion of the light-receiving layer;
• (b) forming on the surface of the light-receiving layer an outer layer, said outer layer comprising (i) a non-single-crystalline material containing silicon atoms and at least one kind of carbon atoms, oxygen atoms or nitrogen atoms;
• or (ii) a non-single-crystalline material containing carbon atoms;
• and
• (c) etching the surface of the outer layer with an etchant so as to remove a portion of the outer layer to form a surface layer, wherein the surface layer has incorporated therein an element of the etchant with a content of the incorporated etchant element varying in a thickness direction of the surface layer to provide a region having a larger content of the etchant element between regions having a smaller content of the etchant element.

A light-receiving member produced by the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming an outer layer on the surface of a light-receiving layer, said light-receiving layer supported by a substrate, said outer layer comprising a non-single-crystalline material containing silicon atoms and at least one kind of carbon atoms, oxygen atoms or nitrogen atoms;
• (b) etching the surface of the outer layer with an etchant so as to remove a portion of the outer layer;
• (c) forming a second outer layer of a non-single crystalline material containing silicon atoms and at least one kind of carbon atoms, oxygen atoms or nitrogen atoms on the surface of the remaining outer layer after the step (b) is conducted;
• and
• (d) etching the surface of the second outer layer formed in the step (c), with the etchant, to form a surface layer on the light-receiving layer, wherein the surface layer has incorporated therein an element of the etchant with a content of the incorporated etchant element varying in a thickness direction of the surface layer to provide a region having a larger content of the etchant element between regions having a smaller content of the etchant element.

A light-receiving member produced by the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming an outer layer on the surface of a light-receiving layer, said light-receiving layer supported by a substrate, said outer layer comprising a non-single-crystalline material containing carbon atoms;
• (b) etching the surface of the outer layer with an etchant so as to remove a portion of the outer layer;
• (c) forming a second outer layer of a non-single-crystalline material containing carbon atoms on the surface of the remaining outer layer after the step (b) is conducted;
• and
• (d) etching the surface of the second outer layer formed in the step (c) with the etchant, to form a surface layer on the light-receiving layer, wherein the surface layer has incorporated therein an element of the etchant with a content of the incorporated etchant element varying in a thickness direction of the surface layer to provide a region having a larger content of the etchant element between regions having a smaller content of the etchant element.

A light-receiving member produced by the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming an outer layer on the surface of a light-receiving layer, said light-receiving layer supported by a substrate, said outer layer comprising a non-single-crystalline material containing boron atoms and nitrogen atoms;
• (b) etching the surface of the outer layer with an etchant so as to remove a portion of the outer layer;
• (c) forming a second outer layer of a non-single-crystalline material containing boron atoms and nitrogen atoms on the surface of the remaining outer layer after the step (b) is conducted;
• and
• (d) etching the surface of the second outer layer formed in the step (c) with the etchant, to form a surface layer on the light-receiving layer, wherein the surface layer has incorporated therein an element of the etchant with a content of the incorporated etchant element varying in a thickness direction of the surface layer to provide a region having a larger content of the etchant element between regions having a smaller content of the etchant element.