United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 5,284,730 Takei Et Al
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IIIUS005284730A United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 5,284,730 Takei et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 8, 1994 (54) ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC 56) References Cited LIGHT-RECEIVING MEMBER U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: Tetsuya Takei, Nagahama; Shigeru 4,225,222 9/1980 Kempter .......................... 355/3 DR Shirai, Hikone; Hirokazu Ohtoshi, 4,265,991 5/1981 Hirai et al. ............................ 430/64 Nagahama; Ryuji Okamura, Shiga; 4,483,911 11/1984 Ogawa et al. ... 430/65 Yasuyoshi Takai, Nagahama; 4,539,283 9/1985 Shirai et al. ... 430/61 4,775,606 10/1988 Shirai ......... 430/67 Hiroyuki Katagiri, Shiga, all of Japan 4,792,509 12/1988 Shirai et al. ... 430/64 4,824,749 4/1989 Shirai et al. ........................... 430/66 (73) Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 2746967 4/1979 Fed. Rep. of Germany . 21 Appl. No.: 925,617 2855718 6/1979 Fed. Rep. of Germany. 57-11556 1/1982 Japan . 60-67951 4/1984 Japan . 22) Filed: Aug. 6, 1992 62-16861 7/1987 Japan. Primary Examiner-John Goodrow Related U.S. Application Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & (63) Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 780,780, Oct. 23, 1991. Scinto (30) Foreign Application Priority Data 57 ABSTRACT Oct. 24, 1990 (JP) Japan .................................. 2-287564 An electrophotographic light-receiving member has a Oct. 24, 1990 (JP Japan ... ... 2-2875.65 surface layer of a non-single crystal material (SixCO2)- Mar. 29, 1991 (JP) Japan ... ... 3-89316 HF (wherein 0.1 SxS 0.4, 0.4sys 0.7, 0.05Szs 0.2, Aug. 30, 1991 JP Japan ... ... 3-220385 X-y-Z = 1, 0.299 sts 0.589, 0.41 Sus 0.7, Aug. 30, 1991 (JP) Japan ... ... 3-220386 0.001 Sv S0.1 and t-u-v = 1), in which the ratio of silicon atoms bonded to carbon atoms in the surface Sep. 20, 1991 JP Japan .................................. 3-24.1751 layer is at least 50% of the total number of silicon atoms, 51) Int. Cl. ............................................... G03G 5/14 and the ratio of silicon atoms bonded to oxygen atoms is 52 U.S.C. ...................................................... 430/66 10 to 30 atomic 9% of the total number of silicon atoms. 58 Field of Search ....................... 430/58, 59, 66, 67, 430/84, 95 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent 5,284,730 F. G. 2 (A) F. G. 2 (B) F. G. 2 (C) U.S. Patent Feb. 8, 1994 Sheet 2 of 6 5,284,730 F. G. 3 1504 -----ulantansense’N-1503 15O2 U.S. Patent Feb. 8, 1994 Sheet 3 of 6 5,284,730 F. G. 6 1111/ 1103 1102 1101 s SSPN -11071 1105 SE1 1112 g | YNE N SN ano 1106 3|| 3|||N I Š | N s 1 11 O4 Y -- st- - NYNYYRio9 IIIDr. t 1110 U.S. Patent Feb. 8, 1994 Sheet 4 of 6 5,284,730 F. G. 7 O4. 1102 U.S. Patent Feb. 8, 1994 Sheet 5 of 6 5,284,730 sS3 S 'G D ALSN31N U.S. Patent Feb. 8, 1994 Sheet 6 of 6 5,284,730 3.S.g3.::sss O or o N. vo LAn s r. N. v. O re ('qJD) ALISN3LN1 5,284,730 1. 2 vironmental conditions for a longer time, without being ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHT-RECEIVING subjected to maintenance by a service man. MEMBER In this situation, the fact is that conventional electro photographic light-receiving members have room for This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. improvement. 07/780,780, filed Oct. 23, 1991. Particularly, the repeated use of the members at a BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION high speed for a long time under high humidity some times causes the phenomenon that the fine lines on the Field of the Invention image formed are blurred (image flowing), and in the The present invention relates to an electrophoto 10 extreme case, the characters of the image cannot be graphic light-receiving member having sensitivity to read. In addition, once an electrophotographic light electromagnetic waves such as light (including ultravio receiving member in an electrophotographic apparatus let rays, visible rays, infrared rays, X-rays, y-rays and has produced the above phenomenon, it will continue to the like). produce image flowing even if it is returned to environ 15 mental conditions under relatively low humidity which Description of the Related Art previously produced no image flowing. In a conven In the field of image formation, photoconductive tional method of preventing such image flowing caused materials used for forming a light-receiving layer in an under high humidity, a drum is heated for decreasing electrophotographic light-receiving member are re the relative humidity on the surface of the drum. How quired to have properties such as high sensitivity, high 20 ever, this method requires heating of the surface of the SN ratio, absorption spectral properties which conform drum to an extremely high temperature. Thus, the cost with the spectral properties of the electromagnetic of the apparatus and the electricity consumption are wave applied thereto, high photoresponsibility, desired increased, and the toner used sometimes adheres to the dark resistance values, harmlessness to human bodies during use and the like. 25 surface of the drum depending upon the set tempera A photoconductive material found to have such ex ture. cellent properties is amorphous silicon (referred to as In addition, when a light-receiving member having a "A-Si or a-Si" hereinafter). For example, Germany hard surface with high durability is repeatedly used for Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2746967 and 2855718 and Japa a long time, as described above, the toner used some nese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-86341 disclose the appli 30 times adheres to the drum (filming), producing nonuni cation of A-Sito an electrophotographic light-receiving formity in density and blurs on the image formed. member. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-11556 discloses a technique in which a surface barrier layer made of a It is an object of the present invention to solve the non-photoconductive amorphous material containing 35 above-described problems of a conventional electro silicon and carbon atoms is provided on a photoconduc photographic light-receiving member having a light tive layer made of a silicon-based amorphous material receiving layer made of A-Si. for the purpose of attempting to improve the electrical, Namely, it is a main object of the present invention to optical and photoconductive properties, such as the provide an electrophotographic light-receiving member dark resistance value, photosensitivity, photoresponsi having a light-receiving layer made of a silicon-based bility and the like, of a photoconductive member having non-single crystal material which has electrical, optical a photoconductive layer comprising an A-Sideposited and photoconductive properties which are substantially film, the working environmental properties thereof constantly stable without depending upon the working such as humidity resistance and the like, and the time environment, which has excellent optical fatigue resis stability. 45 tance, excellent durability without any deterioration In addition, Patent Application No. 62-168161 dis during repeated use, and excellent moisture resistance, closes a technique which uses as a material for a surface which shows substantially no residual potential and layer a material consisting of an amorphous substance which produces substantially no filming of toner after containing as components silicon atoms, carbon atoms repeated use. and 41 to 70 atomic 9% of hydrogen atoms. 50 According to a first aspect of the present invention, Further, Patent Application No. 60-67951 discloses a an electrophotographic light-receiving member com technique for a photosensitive material in which a light prises a substrate and a light-receiving layer formed on transmitting insulating overcoat layer containing amor the substrate. The light-receiving layer has a surface phous silicon, carbon, oxygen and fluorine is laminated layer or a surface-side region formed of a non-single on the photosensitive material. 55 crystal material comprising silicon, carbon and hydro The above techniques permit improvement in the gen atoms, where the ratio of silicon atoms each having electrical, optical and photoconductive properties of an at least one bond to a carbon aton in the surface layer electrophotographic light-receiving member, the work or surface-side region is at least 50% of the total number ing environmental properties and durability thereof, of silicon atoms in the surface layer or surface-side and the quality of the image formed. region. On the other hand, as the copying speed, the printing According to another aspect of the present invention, speed (image forming speed) and durability of an elec an electrophotographic light-receiving member com trophotographic apparatus are rapidly increased, the prises a non-single crystal layer comprising at least frequency of maintenance must be decreased for de silicon, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and fluorine atoms creasing the service cost by improving the reliability of 65 on an outermost surface layer, wherein the ratio of each of the parts of the apparatus. In these circum silicon atoms bonded to carbon atoms in the non-single stances, an electrophotographic light-receiving member crystal layer is 50 to 100 atomic % of the total number can be continuously repeatedly used under various en of silicon atoms therein, the ratio of silicon atoms 5,284,730 3 4. bonded to oxygen atoms in the non-single crystal layer ratio of bonds between silicon and carbon atoms and the is 10 to 30 atomic % of the total number of silicon atoms ratio of bonds between silicon and oxygen atoms to therein, and the non-single crystal layer is substantially values within desired ranges.