Patent ID: 6294299
Filing Date: 2001-09-25
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An electrophotographic light-receiving member comprising a conductive support; and a light-receiving layer provided on the conductive support and having a photoconductive layer composed of a non-monocrystalline material comprising silicon atoms as a matrix, hydrogen and/or halogen atoms, and an element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table, wherein the photoconductive layer has (a) a hydrogen content of 10-30 atomic %, an optical band gap of 1.75-1.85 eV, and a characteristic energy of the Urbach tail obtained from an optical absorption spectrum of 55-65 meV, (b) a hydrogen content of 10-20 atomic %, an optical band gap of 1.65-1.75 eV, and a characteristic energy of the Urbach tail obtained from an optical absorption spectrum of 50-55 meV, or (c) a hydrogen content of 25-40 atomic %, an optical band gap of 1.80-1.90 eV, and a characteristic energy of the Urbach tail obtained from an optical absorption spectrum of 50-55 meV, and wherein the photoconductive layer has from the surface side toward the conductive support side, a third layer region that absorbs 50 to 90% of image exposure light incident on the photoconductive layer, a second layer region that is other than the third layer region of a layer region that absorbs 60 to 90% of pre-exposure light incident on the photoconductive layer, the pre-exposure light having a wavelength larger than the wavelength of the image exposure light, and a first layer region that is other than the third and the second layer regions of the photoconductive layer, wherein the percentage of absorption of the pre-exposure light is not less than the percentage of absorption of the image exposure light, and wherein the content of the element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table decreases in the order of the first, the second and the third layer regions and changes such that the contents of the Group IIIb element of two adjoining layer regions are not the same at an interface thereof, and the content of the Group III(b) element in each layer region of the first layer region, the second layer region and the third layer region is (i) constant within the layer region or (ii) varies so as to be greater at the substrate side within the layer region.