← Back to Patent Explorer
US4770965A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Selenium alloy imaging member

Assignee: Xerox Corp
•
Filing: 1986-12-23
•
Granted: 1988-09-13
•
Expires: 2006-12-23
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An electrophotographic imaging member comprising providing a conductive substrate, an alloy layer comprising selenium doped with arsenic having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers, the alloy layer comprising between about 0.3 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of the alloy layer facing away from the conductive substrate and comprising crystalline selenium having a thickness of from about 0.01 micrometer to about 1 micrometer contiguous to the conductive substrate, and a thin protective overcoating layer on the alloy layer, the overcoating layer having a thickness between about 0.05 micrometer and about 0.3 micrometer and comprising from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine. This photoreceptor is prepared by providing a conductive substrate, cleaning the substrate, heating an alloy comprising selenium and from about 0.05 percent to about 2 percent by weight arsenic until from about 2 percent to about 90 percent by weight of the selenium in the alloy is crystallized, vacuum depositing the alloy on the substrate to form a vitreous photoconductive insulating layer having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers containing between about 0.3 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer facing away from the conductive substrate, applying thin protective overcoating layer on the photoconductive insulating layer, the overcoating layer having a thickness between about 0.05 micrometer and about 0.3 micrometer and comprising from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine, and heating the photoconductive insulating layer until only the selenium in the layer adjacent the substrate crystallizes to form a continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer having a thickness up to about one micrometer.

Inventors

  • 👤 William D. Fender
  • 👤 Robert C. Speiser
  • 👤 Gerhard K. Kramer
  • 👤 Hans P. Ceelen

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 19:00
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G5/00; G03G5/02; G03G5/04; G03G5/043; G03G5/0436; G03G5/08; G03G5/082; G03G5/08207; G03G5/14; G03G5/147; G03G5/14708

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 106 words
An electrophotographic x-ray imaging member comprising a conductive substrate, an alloy layer comprising selenium and arsenic having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers, said alloy layer comprising between about 0.1 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of said alloy layer facing away from said conductive substrate and crystalline selenium having a thickness of from about 0.01 micrometer to about 1 micrometer contiguous to said conductive substrate, and a thin protective overcoating layer on said alloy layer, said overcoating layer comprising a film forming binder and from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 106 words
An electrophotographic x-ray imaging member comprising a conductive substrate, an alloy layer comprising selenium and arsenic having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers, said alloy layer comprising between about 0.1 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of said alloy layer facing away from said conductive substrate and crystalline selenium having a thickness of from about 0.01 micrometer to about 1 micrometer contiguous to said conductive substrate, and a thin protective overcoating layer on said alloy layer, said overcoating layer comprising a film forming binder and from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 23 words
An electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 1 wherein said overcoating layer having a thickness between about 0.05 micrometer and about 0.3 micrometer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
An electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 1 wherein said alloy layer is doped with between about 5 to about 25 parts per million by weight chlorine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
An electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 1 wherein said alloy layer has a thickness between about 280 micrometers and about 340 micrometers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 161 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member comprising providing a conductive substrate having a smooth outer surface, cleaning said outer surface of said substrate, vacuum depositing from a starting alloy composition an alloy comprising selenium and from about 0.05 percent to about 2 percent by weight arsenic onto said outer surface of said substrate to form a vitreous photoconductive insulating layer having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers containing between about 0.1 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate, applying a thin protective overcoating layer on said photoconductive insulating layer comprising a film forming binder and from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine, and heating said photoconductive insulating layer until only the selenium in said layer adjacent said substrate crystallizes to form a continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer having a thickness up to about one micrometer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 161 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member comprising providing a conductive substrate having a smooth outer surface, cleaning said outer surface of said substrate, vacuum depositing from a starting alloy composition an alloy comprising selenium and from about 0.05 percent to about 2 percent by weight arsenic onto said outer surface of said substrate to form a vitreous photoconductive insulating layer having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers containing between about 0.1 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate, applying a thin protective overcoating layer on said photoconductive insulating layer comprising a film forming binder and from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine, and heating said photoconductive insulating layer until only the selenium in said layer adjacent said substrate crystallizes to form a continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer having a thickness up to about one micrometer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 5 wherein said protective overcoating layer has a thickness between about 0.05 micrometer and about 0.3 micrometer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 34 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 5 including maintaining said substrate at a temperature of between about 74° C. and about 80° C. during vacuum deposition of said alloy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 42 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 5 including maintaining said photoconductive insulating layer at a temperature of between about 43° C. and about 49° C. for a period of between about 36 hours and about 54 hours.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 32 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 5 wherein said substrate is a flat plate and said alloy is deposited to at least one edge of said substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 62 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 9 including spraying said thin protective overcoating layer on said surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate while said surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate and said edge to which said alloy is deposited are maintained in a vertical orientation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 43 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 5 including heating said alloy prior to said vacuum depositing of said alloy until from about 2 percent to about 90 percent by weight of said selenium in said alloy is crystallized.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 72 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member according to claim 5 including evaporating said alloy comprising selenium and from about 0.05 percent to about 2 percent by weight arsenic from a molten alloy bath while sufficiently constraining the exposed surface area of said molten alloy to maintain said arsenic in said surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate to less than about 2 percent by weight.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 174 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member comprising providing an alloy comprising selenium and arsenic, heating said alloy to between about 93° C. and about 177° C. to at least partially crystallize said alloy, providing a conductive substrate having a smooth outer surface, cleaning said outer surface of said substrate, vacuum depositing said alloy onto said outer surface of said substrate to form a vitreous photoconductive insulating layer having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers containing between about 0.3 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate, applying a thin protective overcoating layer on said photoconductive insulating layer comprising a film forming binder and from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine, and heating said photoconductive insulating layer until only the selenium in said layer adjacent said substrate crystallizes to form a continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer, said continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer having a thickness up to about one micrometer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 174 words
A process for preparing an electrophotographic imaging member comprising providing an alloy comprising selenium and arsenic, heating said alloy to between about 93° C. and about 177° C. to at least partially crystallize said alloy, providing a conductive substrate having a smooth outer surface, cleaning said outer surface of said substrate, vacuum depositing said alloy onto said outer surface of said substrate to form a vitreous photoconductive insulating layer having a thickness of between about 100 micrometers and about 400 micrometers containing between about 0.3 percent and about 2 percent by weight arsenic at the surface of said photoconductive insulating layer facing away from said conductive substrate, applying a thin protective overcoating layer on said photoconductive insulating layer comprising a film forming binder and from about 0.5 percent to about 3 percent by weight nigrosine, and heating said photoconductive insulating layer until only the selenium in said layer adjacent said substrate crystallizes to form a continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer, said continuous substantially uniform crystalline layer having a thickness up to about one micrometer.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3394001A Cited
US3906228A Cited
US3973960A Cited
US4008082A Cited
US4126457A Cited
US4011079A Cited
US4098655A Cited
US4298671A Cited
US4277551A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-09-13 1992-03-14 1992-09-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-09-13 1996-03-14 1996-09-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-09-13 2000-03-14 2000-09-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag