Abstract: A one-component developing apparatus includes a developing roller which holds a one-component developer and feeds the developer to a photosensitive drum, and a developer layer thickness regulating blade. The regulating blade has an edge which is parallel with a surface of the developing roller and the edge regulates the thickness of the developer layer on the drum. The edge is constructed by being machined along a direction in parallel with the surface of the developer roller. The edge of the regulating blade may be either sharp or rounded.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming thin films on substrates includes a reactor vessel, and discharge and grounded electrodes opposably disposed within the reactor vessel. The discharge electrode has walls surrounding a hollow space having an outlet that is open to the grounded electrode. A starting gas is introduced into the reactor vessel through that hollow space. A radio frequency voltage is applied between the discharge and grounded electrodes to produce a discharge plasma zone therebetween. The potential of the discharge electrode is biased toward the negative side so that the discharge electrode behaves as a cathode to which a direct current voltage is applied, whereby a high density plasma is obtained in the hollow space of the discharge electrode.

Abstract: 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.