Electrophotographic multi-layered photosensitive member having a top protective layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide and method for fabricating the same

摘要

An electrophotographic multi-layered photosensitive member having a top layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide and the method for forming the top layer are provided. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide has an atomic ratio of carbon to carbon plus silicon C/(Si+C) ranging from 0.17 to 0.47 and a ratio of the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to a silicon atom per silicon atom, to number of hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom per carbon atom, {(Si--H)/Si}/{(C--H)/C}, ranging from 0.3 to 1.0. The top layer is formed on a photosensitive member of hydrogenated amorphous silicon by employing a glow discharge CVD method. The gaseous mixture composed of disilane (Si.sub.2 H.sub.6) and propane (C.sub.3 H.sub.8) mixed with a mol ratio expressed as C.sub.3 H.sub.8 /(Si.sub.2 H.sub.6 +C.sub.3 H.sub.8) ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 is used. Another gaseous mixture is also used with an improved result. The mixture comprises disilane (Si.sub.2 H.sub.6) gas, propane (C.sub.3 H.sub. 8) gas, and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas, the mixing mol ratio of the propane gas to the disilane gas expressed as C.sub.3 H.sub.8 /(Si.sub.2 H.sub.6 + C.sub.3 H.sub.8) ranging from 02 to 0.7, and the mixing mol ratio of the hydrogen gas to the remaining gas, H.sub.2 /(Si.sub.2 H.sub.6 +C.sub.3 H. sub.8), ranging from 1 to 10.