An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a substrate, a photoconductive layer formed from hydrogenated amorphous silicon on the substrate, an intermediate layer formed from hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide on the photoconductive layer, and a surface layer formed from hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide on the intermediate layer, wherein
- when the ratio (C/(Si+C)) of the number of carbon atoms (C) in the surface layer with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of carbon atoms (C) in the surface layer is represented by CS, the CS is 0.61 or more and 0.75 or less,
- when the ratio (H/(Si+C+H)) of the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the surface layer with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si), the number of carbon atoms (C), and the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the surface layer is represented by HS, the HS is 0.20 or more and 0.45 or less, and
- the layer thickness of the surface layer is 0.2 μm or more and 3.0 μm or less;
- when the ratio (C/(Si+C)) of the number of carbon atoms (C) in the intermediate layer with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of carbon atoms (C) in the intermediate layer is represented by CM, the CM is 0.25 or more and 0.9×CS or less,
- when the ratio (H/(Si+C+H)) of the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the intermediate layer with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si), the number of carbon atoms (C), and the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the intermediate layer is represented by HM, the HM is 0.20 or more and 0.45 or less, and
- the layer thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.1 μm or more and 1.0 μm or less;
- when the sum of the atom density of silicon atoms and the atom density of carbon atoms in the surface layer is represented by DS×1022 atoms/cm3, the DS is 6.60 or more,
- when the sum of the atom density of silicon atoms and the atom density of carbon atoms in the intermediate layer is represented by DM×1022 atoms/cm3, the DM is less than 6.60, and
- when the atom density of silicon atoms in the photoconductive layer is represented by DP ×1022 atoms/cm3, the DP is 4.20 or more and 4.80 or less;
- and
- when the maximal value of the ratio (H/(Si+H)) of the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in a distribution of hydrogen quantity in the photoconductive layer in a layer thickness direction with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the distribution is represented by HPmax, the DS and the HPmax satisfy the following Expression (2):
- HPmax≦−0.04×DS+0.60 Expression (2)
- when the ratio (H/(Si+H)) of the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the intermediate layer side from the middle position of the photoconductive layer in the layer thickness direction with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the intermediate layer side is represented by Hp2, the DS and the HP2 satisfy the following Expression (1)
- HP2≧0.07×DS−0.38 Expression (1), and
- the layer thickness of the photoconductive layer is 40 μm or more.