US 6,635,397 B2 · Negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member

Abstract

A negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising an aluminum-based substrate and a silicate film and a light-receiving layer in this order. The silicate film has a layer thickness of 0.5 nm to 15 nm and comprises at least aluminum atoms, silicon atoms and oxygen atoms. The light-receiving layer has at least a lower-part charge injection blocking layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms, not doped with any impurities, a photoconductive layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, an upper-part charge injection blocking layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, carbon atoms and atoms belonging to the Group 13 of the periodic table, and a surface protective layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms and containing carbon atoms.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims24

Dependent claims

A negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising an aluminum or aluminum alloy substrate and at least a film and a light-receiving layer which are superposed in this order from the substrate, wherein;

said film has a layer thickness of from 0.5 nm to 15 nm, comprises aluminum atoms, silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, and contains the silicon atoms in an amount of from 0.1 atomic part to 1 atomic part and the oxygen atoms in an amount of from 1 atomic part to 5 atomic parts both based on 1 atomic part of the aluminum atoms;
and
said light-receiving layer has at least a lower-part charge injection blocking layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms, not doped with any impurities;
a photoconductive layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms;
an upper-part charge injection blocking layer formed of a non-signal crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, carbon atoms and atoms belonging to the Group 13 of the periodic table;
and a surface protective layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms and carbon atoms, which layers are superposed in this order from the substrate.

3 more elements

said film has a layer thickness of from 0.5 nm to 15 nm, comprises at least aluminum atoms, silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, and contains the silicon atoms in an amount of from 0.1 atomic part to 1 atomic part and the oxygen atoms in an amount of from 1 atomic part to 5 atomic parts both based on 1 atomic part of the aluminum atoms;
and
said light-receiving layer has at least a lower-part charge injection blocking layer and a photoconductive layer having a first photoconductive layer and a second photoconductive layer which are superposed in this order from the substrate;
said lower-part charge injection blocking layer being formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, and one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, not doped with any impurities;
said photoconductive layer being formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms and one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms;
said first photoconductive layer containing atoms belonging to the Group 15 of the periodic table in an amount of from 0.01 atomic ppm to 10 atomic ppm based on the silicon atoms;
and
said second photoconductive layer not containing any atoms belonging to the Group 13 of the periodic table.

5 more elements

said film has a layer thickness of from 0.5 nm to 15 nm, comprises at least aluminum atoms, silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, and contains the silicon atoms in an amount of from 0.1 atomic part to 1 atomic part and the oxygen atoms in an amount of from 1 atomic part to 5 atomic parts both based on 1 atomic part of the aluminum atoms;
and
said light-receiving layer has at least a lower-part charge injection blocking layer and a photoconductive layer having a first photoconductive layer and a second photoconductive layer which are superposed in this order from the substrate;
said lower-part charge injection blocking layer being formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms, nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, and one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, not doped with any impurities;
said photoconductive layer being formed of a non-single crystal silicon film comprising at least silicon atoms and one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms,
said first photoconductive layer containing atoms belonging to the Group 15 of the periodic table in an amount of from 0.01 atomic ppm to 10 atomic ppm based on the silicon atoms;
and
said second photoconductive layer containing atoms belonging to the Group 13 of the periodic table in an amount of 15 atomic ppm or less.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description21,924 words

Summary2,213 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to a negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising an aluminum-based substrate and formed thereon a functional film having a sensitivity to electromagnetic waves such as light (which herein refers to light in a broad sense and indicates ultraviolet rays, visible rays, infrared rays, X-rays, γ-rays, etc.).

#2. Related Background Art

Brief description of the drawings6 figures

#FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating an example of layer construction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating another example of layer construction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a procedure for forming a silicate film.

Detailed description19,602 words

#In order to solve the problems discussed above, the present inventors have made studies under conditions extending in variety, on a negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member having a lower-part charge injection blocking layer, a photoconductive layer, an upper-part charge injection blocking layer and a surface protective layer which are provided in optimum construction on an aluminum-based substrate having a silicate film formed thereon. As the result, they have discovered that the mobility of carriers can be improved by setting the charge polarity of the electrophotographic photosensitive member negative-charging to change the photo-carriers from holes to electrons and this can make the photo-memory, in particular, the ghost remarkably less occur.

#They have also discovered that an upper-part charge injection blocking layer formed of a non-single crystal silicon carbide film comprising at least silicon atoms, carbon atoms and atoms belonging to the Group 13 of the periodic table contributes to an improvement in chargeability and sensitivity and also to prevention of the smeared images on intense exposure, what is called smeared EV, which causes blurred letters or characters because the photo-carriers are produced in a large quantity because of application of intense exposure to cause a phenomenon that the photo-carriers gather to and flow into the part to which they can readily move.

#The present inventors have made extensive studies also on chargeability in the negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member. As the result, they have discovered that the combination of a silicate film formed on an aluminum-based substrate with a lower-part charge injection blocking layer containing nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms enables formation of a good interface when deposited films are formed and brings about a dramatic improvement in charge-blocking performance because the layer can effectively block the holes and allows the electrons to pass smoothly, and this enables remarkable improvement in chargeability, particularly, simultaneous achievement of the improvement in photosensitivity, the lessening of photo-memory and the improvement in chargeability all at high levels especially in respect of the negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Facts

Application

10/127,593Filed 23 Apr 2002

Priority

JP 2001-12594824 Apr 2001

Published

US 2003/0104293 A15 Jun 2003

Granted

21 Oct 2003

Term ended

28 Apr 2022

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 5 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification7 codes

G03G 5/102
Bases for charge-receiving or other layers: consisting of or comprising metals
G03G 5/08214
And not being incorporated in a bonding material, e.g. vacuum deposited: silicon-based
G03G 5/08235
Silicon-based: comprising three or four silicon-based layers
G03G 5/0825
Silicon-based: comprising five or six silicon-based layers

Timeline

24 Apr 2001Priority claimedJP 2001-125948
23 Apr 2002Application filedUS 10/127,593
20 Jun 2002Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaishaassignment of assignor's interest
5 Jun 2003PublishedUS 2003/0104293 A1
21 Oct 2003GrantedUS 6,635,397 B2
28 Apr 2022Term endedEstimated, includes 5 days of adjustment

Negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member

Life of this patent

Negative-charging electrophotographic photosensitive member

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims24

Description21,924 words

Drawings

Classification7 codes

Life of this patent

Description21,924 words