# US 8,465,891 B2 · Electrophotographic photosensitive member and electrophotographic apparatus

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- Number: US 8,465,891 B2
- Document ID: US8465891B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/943,977
- Filed: 2010-11-11
- Published: 2011-05-19
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-17
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Tomohito Ozawa; Kazuyoshi Akiyama; Yuu Nishimura; Daisuke Tazawa
- Inventors: Tomohito Ozawa; Kazuyoshi Akiyama; Yuu Nishimura; Daisuke Tazawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465891B2

## CPC

- G03G 5/08235: {comprising three or four silicon-based layers}
- G03G 5/0433: {all layers being inorganic}
- G03G 5/144: {comprising inorganic material}
- G03G 5/14704: {comprising inorganic material}
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a photoconductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a surface layer. When Si+C atom density in the surface layer is represented by DS×1022 atoms/cm3, the DS is 6.60 or more, and when the maximal value of H/(Si+H) in a distribution of hydrogen quantity in the photoconductive layer in a layer thickness direction is represented by HPmax, the average value of the H/(Si+H) in the second photoconductive region is represented by HP2, the DS and the HP2 satisfy the following expression (1) and the DS and the HPmax satisfy the following expression (2). HP2≧0.07×DS−0.38 Expression (1) HPmax≦0.04×DS+0.60 Expression (2)

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the HPmax is 0.31 or less.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the DS and the HP2 satisfy the following expression (3)
HP2≧0.08×DS−0.41 Expression (3).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the DS is 6.81 or more.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein when the ratio of the number of hydrogen atoms (H) in the substrate 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 substrate side is represented by HP1, the HP2 is smaller than the HP1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, further comprising a charge injection inhibition layer formed from hydrogenated amorphous silicon between the substrate and the photoconductive layer, wherein the charge injection inhibition layer contains at least one kind of atom among carbon atom, nitrogen atom, and oxygen atom.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer formed from hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride on the substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

An electrophotographic apparatus comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, a main charger, an image exposing source, and a developing apparatus.