Claims
- 1. A light receiving member comprising a substrate and a light-receiving layer of a multi-layer structure having a first layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms and a second layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and exhibiting photoconductivity provided successively from the substrate side, said light-receiving layer having at least one pair of non-parallel interfaces within a short range and said non-parallel interfaces being arranged in a large number in at least one direction within the plane perpendicular to the layer thickness direction, said non-parallel interfaces being connected to one another smoothly in the direction in which they are arranged.
- 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the light-receiving layer has a layer thickness of 1 to 100 .mu.m.
- 3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the layer thickness T.sub.B of the first layer and the layer thickness T of the second layer satisfy the relationship of TB/T.ltoreq.1.
- 4. The invention comprising a light-receiving member comprising a substrate and a light-receiving layer of a multi-layer structure having a first layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms and a second layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and exhibiting photoconductivity provided successively from the substrate side, said light-receiving layer having at least one pair of non-parallel interfaces within a short range and said non-parallel interfaces being arranged in a large number in at least one direction within the plane perpendicular to the layer thickness direction, said non-parallel interfaces being connected to one another smoothly in the direction in which they are arranged.
- 5. The invention according to claim 1 or 4 wherein the arrangement is made regularly.
- 6. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the arrangement is made in cycles.
- 7. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the short range is 0.3 to 500 .mu.m.
- 8. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the non-parallel interfaces are formed on the basis of the smooth unevenness arranged regularly provided on the surface of the substrate.
- 9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the unevenness is formed by sinusoidal linear projections.
- 10. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the substrate is cylindrical.
- 11. The invention according to claim 10, wherein the sinusoidal linear projection has a spiral structure within the surface of the substrate.
- 12. The invention according to claim 11, wherein the spiral structure is a multiple spiral structure.
- 13. The invention according to claim 9, wherein the sinusoidal linear projection is divided in its edge line direction.
- 14. The invention according to claim 11, wherein the edge line direction of the sinusoidal linear projection is along the center axis of the cylindrical substrate.
- 15. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the smooth unevenness has slanted planes.
- 16. The invention according to claim 15 wherein the slanted planes are mirror finished.
- 17. The invention according to claim 8, wherein on the free surface of the light-receiving layer is formed a smooth unevenness arranged with the same pitch as the smooth unevenness provided on the substrate surface.
- 18. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the distribution state of germanium atoms in the first layer is nonuniform in the layer thickness direction.
- 19. The invention according to claim 18, the nonunirom distribution state of germanium atoms is more enriched toward the substrate side.
- 20. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein a substance for controlling conductivity is contained in the first layer.
- 21. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group III or the group V of the periodic table.
- 22. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein a substance for controlling conductivity is contained in the second layer.
- 23. The invention according to claim 22, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group III or the group V of the periodic table.
- 24. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the light-receiving layer has a layer region (PN) containing a substance for controlling conductivity.
- 25. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the distribution state of the substance for controlling conductivity in the layer region (PN) is nonuniform in the layer thickness direction.
- 26. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the distribution state of the substance for controlling conductivity in the layer region (PN) is uniform in the layer thickness direction.
- 27. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group III or the group V of the periodic table.
- 28. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the layer region (PN) is provided in the first layer.
- 29. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the layer region (PN) is provided in the second layer.
- 30. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the layer region (PN) is provided at the end portion on the substrate side of the light-receiving layer.
- 31. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the layer region (PN) is provided over both the first layer and the second layer.
- 32. The invention according to claim 24, wherein the layer region (PN) occupies a part of the layer region in the light-receiving layer.
- 33. The invention according to claim 32, wherein the content of the substance for controlling conductivity in the layer region (PN) is 0.01 to 5.times.10.sup.4 atomic ppm.
- 34. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms is contained in the first layer.
- 35. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein 0.01 to 40 atomic % of hydrogen atoms are contained in the first layer.
- 36. The invention according to claim 4, wherein 0.01 to 40 atomic % of halogen atoms are contained in the first layer.
- 37. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein 0.01 to 40 atomic % as a total of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms are contained in the first layer.
- 38. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein 1 to 40 atomic % of hydrogen atoms are contained in the second layer.
- 39. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein 1 to 40 atomic % of halogen atoms are contained in the second layer.
- 40. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein 1 to 40 atomic % as a total of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms are contained in the second layer.
- 41. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms is contained in the second layer.
- 42. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the light-receiving layer contains at least one kind of atoms selected from oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms.
- 43. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the light-receiving layer has a layer region (OCN) containing at least one kind of atoms selected from oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms.
- 44. The invention according to claim 43, wherein the layer region (OCN) is provided at the end portion on the substrate side of the light-receiving layer.
- 45. The invention according to claim 44, wherein the layer region (OCN) contains 0.001 to 50 atomic % of oxygen atoms.
- 46. The invention according to claim 44, wherein the layer region (OCN) contains 0.001 to 50 atomic % of carbon atoms.
- 47. The invention according to claim 44, wherein the layer region (OCN) contains 0.001 to 50 atomic % of nitrogen atoms.
- 48. The invention according to claim 44, wherein oxygen atoms are contained in the layer region (OCN) in nonuniform distribution state in the layer thickness direction.
- 49. The invention according to claim 44, wherein oxygen atoms are contained in the layer region (OCN) in uniform distribution state in the layer thickness direction.
- 50. The invention according to claim 44, wherein carbon atoms are contained in the layer region (OCN) in nonuniform distribution state in the layer thickness direction.
- 51. The invention according to claim 44, wherein carbon atoms are contained in the layer region (OCN) in uniform distribution state in the layer thickness direction.
- 52. The invention according to claim 44, wherein nitrogen atoms are contained in the layer region (OCN) in nonuniform distribution state in the layer thickness direction.
- 53. The invention according to claim 44, wherein nitrogen atoms are contained in the layer region (OCN) in uniform distrubution state in the layer thickness direction.
- 54. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the first layer has a layer thickness of 30.ANG. to 50 .mu.m.
- 55. The invention according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the second layer has a layer thickness of 0.5 to 90 .mu.m.
- 56. An electrophotographic image forming process comprising:
- (a) applying a charging treatment to the light receiving member of claim 1;
- (b) irradiating the light receiving member with a laser beam carrying information to form an electrostatic latent image; and
- (c) developing said electrostatic latent image.
Priority Claims (12)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
59-143294 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-144387 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-146110 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-146968 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-150187 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-148651 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-220377 |
Oct 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-221257 |
Oct 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-222225 |
Oct 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-223019 |
Oct 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-224038 |
Oct 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-225107 |
Oct 1984 |
JPX |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application contains subject matter related to commonly assigned, copending application Ser. Nos. 697,141; 699,868; 705,516; 709,888; 720,011; 740,901; 786,970; 725,751; 726,768, 719,980; 739,867, 740,714,714; 741,300; 753,048; 752,920 and 753,011.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2733187 |
Jan 1978 |
DEX |
56-150754 |
Nov 1981 |
JPX |
60-31144 |
Feb 1985 |
JPX |