Electrophotographic photosensitive member and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 10,338,486 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2018
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Abe, Yukihiro, Ohira, Jun, Ooyama, Kazunari, Ueno, Takanori, Owaki, Hironori, Kojima, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US16/120,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20190072866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 430 66
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/75 Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/082 and not being incorporated in a bonding material, e.g. vacuum deposited
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/08214 Silicon-based
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/08278 Depositing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/08285 Carbon-based in ad mixture with Si G03G5/08214
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/144 comprising inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14704 comprising inorganic material

Abstract

An average value of a hydrogen content ratio of a surface layer made of hydrogenated amorphous carbon is set to be 0.40 or less and a maximum value of an sp² bonding ratio in an outermost surface region of the surface layer made of the hydrogenated amorphous carbon is set to be 0.50 or less.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member including a substrate, a photoconductive layer, and a surface layer made of hydrogenated amorphous carbon in this order, wherein

an average value of a hydrogen content ratio of the surface layer is 0.40 or less, and

a maximum value of a sp² bonding ratio in an outermost surface region is 0.50 or less when a region having a depth of 5 nm or less from an outermost surface of the surface layer is defined as the outermost surface region.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value of the hydrogen content ratio in the outermost surface region is 0.45 or more.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the outermost surface region includes an oxygen atom, and a maximum value of an oxygen content ratio in the outermost surface region is 0.15 or more.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein a film thickness of the surface layer is 20 nm or more and 300 nm or less.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value of the sp² bonding ratio in the outermost surface region is 0.40 or less.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer is a photoconductive layer made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein a lower blocking layer is provided between the substrate and the photoconductive layer.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 7, wherein the lower blocking layer has a nitrogen atom.

9. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein an upper blocking layer is provided between the photoconductive layer and the surface layer.

10. An electrophotographic apparatus including an electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a substrate, a photoconductive layer, and a surface layer made of hydrogenated amorphous carbon in this order,

an average value of a hydrogen content ratio of the surface layer is 0.40 or less, and

a maximum value of a sp² bonding ratio in an outermost surface region is 0.50 or less when a region having a depth of 5 nm or less from an outermost surface of the surface layer is defined as the outermost surface region.