Patent ID: 8383305

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a latent image bearing member that bears a latent electrostatic image, comprising a photosensitive layer on an electroconductive substrate, the photosensitive layer having a surface comprising a silicone-based compound and being a cross-linked surface layer formed by curing a polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure; a charging device that charges a surface of the latent image bearing member; a latent electrostatic image formation device that forms a latent electrostatic image on a surface of the latent image bearing member; a development device that develops the latent electrostatic image with a toner or a development agent to obtain a developed image, disposed downstream of the charging device relative to a rotation direction of the latent image bearing member; a transfer device that transfers the developed image formed on the surface of the latent image bearing member to a transfer medium; and a lubricant supplying device that supplies a lubricant to the surface of the latent image bearing member, disposed downstream of the transfer device and upstream of the charging device relative to the rotation direction of the latent image bearing member, the latent image bearing member satisfying the following relationships of Relationship (I), Relationship (II) and Relationship (III): |( A 1 −B 1)−( A 2 −B 2)|≦5.0 Relationship (I) B1≧1 (atomic %) Relationship (II) 1 (nm)≦X≦30 (nm) Relationship (III), wherein, according to XPS analysis: A1 represents an oxygen atom content ratio in the cross-linked surface layer; B1 represents a silicon atom content ratio therein; A2 represents an oxygen atom content ratio in a surface obtained by digging through the cross-linked surface layer along a direction perpendicular to the surface of the latent image bearing member to the electroconductive substrate to a depth point X where the silicon atom content ratio of B1 decreases to not greater than B1×0.5; and B2 represents the silicone atom content ratio in the surface at the depth point X.