US4780387A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Light receiving member for use in electrophotography comprising amorphous silicon layer and polycrystalline layer
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1987-02-20
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Granted: 1988-10-25
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Expires: 2007-02-20
Abstract
Abstract There is provided an improved light receiving member for use in electrophotography comprising a substrate for electrophotography and a light receiving layer constituted by a contact layer formed of a polycrystal material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent atoms and at least one kind selected from nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms, a photoconductive layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent atoms and a surface layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, the amount of the hydrogen atoms contained in the surface layer being in the range from 1×10 -3 to 40 atomic %. The light receiving layer may have a charge injection inhibition layer or/and an absorption layer of light having a long wavelength.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigeru Shirai
- 👤 Keishi Saitoh
- 👤 Takayoshi Arai
- 👤 Minoru Kato
- 👤 Yasushi Fujioka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 21:41
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G5/00; G03G5/02; G03G5/04; G03G5/08; G03G5/082; G03G5/08214; G03G5/08235; G03G5/08242
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography comprising (a) a substrate for electrophtography and (b) a light receiving layer; said light receiving layer comprising (i) a contact layer from 0.02 to 10 μm in thickness, (ii) a phtoconductive layer from 1 to 100 μm in thickness and (iii) a surface layer from 0.003 to 30 μm in thickness in this order from the side of said substrate; said contact layer (i) comprising a polycrystalline material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of nitorgen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms in a total amount of 0.0005 to 70 atomic %; said photoconductive layer (ii) comprising an amorphous semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms; and said surface layer (iii) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, carbon atoms in an amount of 0.001 to 90 atomic % and hydrogen atoms in an amount of 0.001 to 40 atomic %.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography comprising (a) a substrate for electrophtography and (b) a light receiving layer; said light receiving layer comprising (i) a contact layer from 0.02 to 10 μm in thickness, (ii) a phtoconductive layer from 1 to 100 μm in thickness and (iii) a surface layer from 0.003 to 30 μm in thickness in this order from the side of said substrate; said contact layer (i) comprising a polycrystalline material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of nitorgen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms in a total amount of 0.0005 to 70 atomic %; said photoconductive layer (ii) comprising an amorphous semiconductor material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms; and said surface layer (iii) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, carbon atoms in an amount of 0.001 to 90 atomic % and hydrogen atoms in an amount of 0.001 to 40 atomic %.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is electrically insulative.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the substraste is electroconductive.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is an aluminum alloy.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is cylindrical in form.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an uneven surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an irregular surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophtography according to claim 1, wherein the contact layer further contains at least one kind selected from hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms in a total amount of 0.1 to 70 atomic %.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophtography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer has p-type semiconductor characteristics.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophtography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer has n-type semiconductor characteristics.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer has i-type semiconductor characteristics.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer contains an element of Group III of the Periodic Table.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 12, wherein said element is selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In or T1.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 12, wherein the amount of said element contained in the photoconductive layer is in the range of 0.001 to 300 atomic ppm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer contains an element of Group V of the Periodic Table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 15, wherein said element is selected from the group consisting of P, As, Sb or Bi.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 15, wherein the amount of said element contained in the photoconductive layer is in the range of 0.001 to 300 atomic ppm.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer contains 1 to 40 atomic % of said hydrogen atoms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophtography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer contains 1 to 40 atomic % of said halogen atoms.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophtography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer contains the hydrogen atoms and the halogen atoms in a total amount of 1 to 40 atomic %.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophtography according to claim 1, wherein the photoconductive layer contains a least one kind selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 21, wherein the amount of the nitrogen atoms contained in the photoconductive layer is in the range of 5×10 -4 to 30 atomic %.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 21, wherein the amount of the oxygen atoms contained in the photoconductive layer is in the range of 5×10 -4 to 30 atomic %.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
39 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotographyy acocrding to claim 21, wherein the sum of the nitrogen atoms and of the oxygen atoms in the photoconductive layer is in the range of 5×10 -4 to 30 atomic %.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
A light receving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving layer further contains a charge injection inhibition layer from 0.01 to 10 μm in thickness on the contact layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
49 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 25, wherein the charge injection inhibition layer comprises an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, a conuctivity controlling element and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 26, wherein said amorphous material further contains at least one kind selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
49 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 25, wherein the charge injection inhibition layer comprises a polycrystalline material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent, a conductivity controlling element and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 28, wherein said polycrystalline material further contains at least one kind selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 25, wherein a long wavelength light absorption layer 30 Å to 50 μm in thickness is disposed between the contact layer and the charge injection inhibition layer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
66 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 30, wherein the long wavelength light absorption layer comprises a silicon-containing amorphous material containing germanium atoms in an amount of 1 to 1×10 6 atomic ppm based on the total amount of the silicon atoms and the germanium atoms, and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 31, wherein said silicon-containing amorphous material additionally contains a conductivity controlling element.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
36 words
A light receiving member for use in electrophotography according to claim 32, wherein the silicon-containing amorphous material further contains at least one kind selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
32 words
An electrophotographic process comprising: (a) applying a charge to the light receiving member of claim 1; and (b) applying an electromagnetic wave to said light receiving member thereby forming an electrostatic image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4403026A
Cited
US4666808A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-10-25 | 1992-04-25 | 1992-10-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-10-25 | 1996-04-25 | 1996-10-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-10-25 | 2000-04-25 | 2000-10-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |