Composite xerographic photoreceptor with injecting contact layer

Claim 1

A photosensitive member comprising a conductive substrate, an intermediate layer overlying said substrate and a photoconductive layer overlying said intermediate layer, said photoconductive layer comprising an insulating organic resin matrix containing therein photoconductive particles from 0.01 to 1.0 microns in size, with substantially all of the photoconductive particles being in substantial particle-to-particle contact in said member in a multiplicity of interlocking photoconductive paths through the thickness of said layer, said photoconductive paths being present in a volume concentration, based on the volume of said layer, of from about 1 to 25 percent, with the outer surface of said photoconductive layer comprising organic resin material, said intermediate layer comprising an insulating organic resin matrix bonded to both said photoconductive layer and said substrate, said intermediate layer further comprising, based on the volume of said intermediate layer, from 25 to 99 percent conductive particles selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, platinum, copper and brass ranging in size from 0.1 to 5.0 microns dispersed uniformly in said intermediate layer, said intermediate layer being joined to said photoconductive layer along an interface wherein at least a portion of said photoconductive particles in said photoconductive layer contact at least a portion of said conductive particles in said intermediate layer, said conductive particles having available charge carriers at suitable energy levels whereby said photoconductive particle to conductive particle contact points constitute individual charge carrier injecting contact points.