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

摘要

An electrophotographic multi-layered photosensitive member comprises a top layer (11) of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide formed over a photoconductive layer (3) and having an atomic ratio of carbon to carbon plus silicon C/(Si+C) ranging from 0.17 to 0.45 and a ratio of number of hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms per silicon atom, to number of hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon atoms per carbon atom, (Si-H)/Si / (C-H)/C , ranging from 0.3 to 1.0. The top layer is formed on a photosensitive layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon by employing a glow discharge CVD method. In one embodiment, the gaseous mixture is composed of disilane (Si₂H₆) and propane (C₃H₈) mixed with a mol ratio C₃H₈/(Si₂H₆+ C₃H₈) ranging from 0.2 to 0.6. In another embodiment, the gaseous mixture comprises disilane (Si₂H₆) gas, propane (C₃H₈) gas, and hydrogen (H₂) gas, the mixing mol ratio C₃H₈/ (Si₂H₆+C₃H₈) ranging from 0.2 to 0.7, and the mixing mol ratio H₂/(Si₂H₆+C₃H₈ ranging froml 1 to 10.