Method for manufacturing electrophotographic photosensitive member

A method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member using a plasma CVD method, comprising the steps of:

• (i) placing a cylindrical base member in a reactor which can be evacuated, the reactor having an electrode therein, so as to be spaced apart from the electrode;
• (ii) introducing a raw material gas for deposited film formation into the reactor;
• and
• (iii) applying an alternating voltage of a rectangular wave having a frequency of 3 kHz or more and 300 kHz or less between the electrode and the cylindrical base member so that a potential at the cylindrical base member with respect to a potential at the electrode becomes alternately positive and negative during one period of the rectangular wave, to decompose the raw material gas, and forming a deposited film on the cylindrical base member,
• wherein, when,
• the potential difference between the electrode and the cylindrical base member whose potential with respect to the electrode is the positive, is defined as a first potential difference, and
• the potential difference between the electrode and the cylindrical base member whose potential with respect to the electrode is the negative, is defined as a second potential difference,
• one of the first potential difference and the second potential difference is a value (V1) less than the absolute value of a discharge maintaining voltage, and the other is a value (V2) greater than or equal to the absolute value of a discharge starting voltage, the discharge maintaining voltage being lower than the discharge starting voltage, and
• wherein, when the one period of the rectangular wave is defined as T, a period during which the absolute value of the potential difference between the electrode and the cylindrical base member is the value (V2) is defined as t2, and a value obtained by dividing t2 by T (t2/T) is defined as duty ratio, the duty ratio is 20% or more and 80% or less.