Abstract: A light-receiving member comprises a substrate and a light-receiving layer of a multi-layer structure having at least one photosensitive layer and a surface layer comprising an morphous material containing silicon atoms and carbon atoms, said light-receiving layer having at least one pair of non-parallel interfaces within a short range and said non-parallel interfaces being arranged in a large number in at least one direction within the plane perpendicular to the layer thickness direction, said non-parallel interfaces being connected to one another smoothly in the direction in which they are arranged.

Abstract: A light receiving member comprises a light receiving layer of a multi-layer structure having a first layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms, a second layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and exhibiting photoconductivity and a surface layer having reflection preventive function provided on a substrate successively from the substrate side, said light receiving layer containing at least one selected from oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms and having at least one pair of non-parallel interfaces within a short range and said non-parallel interfaces being arranged in a large number in at least one direction within the plane perpendicular to the layer thickness direction.

Abstract: A light-receiving member comprises light-receiving layer of a multi-layer structure having a first layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms and a second layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and exhibiting photoconductivity provided on a substrate successively from the substrate side, said light-receiving layer having at least one pair of non-parallel interfaces within a short range and said non-parallel interfaces being arranged in a large number in at least one direction within the plane perpendicular to the layer thickness direction.

Abstract: A light-receiving member comprises a substrate for light-receiving member and a light-receiving layer having photoconductivity provided on said substrate, said light-receiving layer comprising from the side of said substrate a first layer (I) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, a second layer (II) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms and a third layer (III) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms, and the germanium atoms contained in said second layer (II) being distributed ununiformly in the layer thickness direction of said layer.

Abstract: A light receiving member comprises a light receiving layer of a multi-layer structure having at least one photosensitive layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms on a substrate, said photosensitive layer having at least one pair of non-parallel interfaces within a short range and said non-parallel interfaces being arranged in a large number in at least one direction within a plane perpendicular to the layer thickness direction.

Abstract: A photoconductive member is provided which has substrate for photoconductive member and a light-receiving layer having photoconductivity with a layer constitution in which a first layer region (G) comprising an amorphous material containing germanium atoms and a second layer region (S) exhibiting photoconductivity consisting of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms are successively provided from the aforesaid substrate side, said light-receiving layer containing carbon atoms together with a substance (C) for controlling conductivity in a distribution state such that, in said light-receiving layer, the maximum value C(PN).sub.max of the distribution concentration of said substance (c) in the layer thickness direction exists within said second layer region (S) and, in said second layer region (S), said substance (C) is distributed in greater amount on the side of said substrate.

Abstract: A light-receiving member has a substrate and a light receiving layer having photoconductivity containing an amorphous material comprising a matrix of silicon atoms provided on said substrate, said light receiving layer having, from the said support side with respect to the layer thickness direction of said layer, a first layer region containing atoms of the group III of the periodic table at higher concentration toward the side of said substrate and a second layer region containing atoms of the group III of the periodic table and nitrogen atoms.

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a support for a photoconductive member and an amorphous layer exhibiting photoconductivity and comprising an amorphous material comprising silicon atoms as a matrix and at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms as a constituting atom, characterized in that the amorphous layer has a first layer region containing oxygen atoms and a second layer region containing an atom of Group III or an atom of Group V of the Periodic Table and existing interiorly at the support side, and the first layer region and the second layer region share in common at least a portion of said mutual region, and there is the relation:t.sub.B /(T+t.sub.B).ltoreq.0.4where t.sub.B is the thickness of the second layer region and T is a difference between the thickness of the amorphous layer and the thickness of the second layer region t.sub.B.

Abstract: A photoconductive member, which comprises a support for photoconductive member and a light receiving layer having a layer constitution comprising a first layer region comprising an amorphous material containing Ge.sub.x Si.sub.1-x (0.95<x.ltoreq.1) and a second layer region comprising silicon atoms exhibiting photoconductivity, two layer regions being provided successively from the support side.

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a substrate for photoconductive member and a light receiving layer provided on said substrate having a layer constitution in which a first layer region (G) comprising an amorphous material containing germanium atoms and a second layer region (S) exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms are successively provided from the substrate side, said light receiving layer containing a substance for controlling conductivity (C) in a distributed state such that, in said light receiving layer, the maximum value of the content of said substance (C) in the layer thickness direction exists within said second layer region (S) or at the interface with said first layer region (G) and, in said second layer region (S), said substance (C) is distributed in greater amount on the side of said substrate.

Abstract: A light-receiving member comprises a substrate for light-receiving member and a light-receiving layer having photoconductivity provided on said substrate, said light-receiving layer comprising from the side of said substrate a first layer (I) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, a second layer (II) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms and a third layer (III) comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, and the germanium atoms contained in said second layer (II) being distributed ununiformly in the layer thickness direction of said layer.

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a substrate for the photoconductive member and a light receiving layer exhibiting photoconductivity provided on said substrate comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms, the light receiving lager having a layer region (N) containing nitrogen atoms, and the layer region (N) having a region (X) in which the content C (N) of nitrogen atoms in the layer thickness direction smoothly and continuously increases toward the upper surface of the light receiving layer.

Abstract: A photoconductive member having a substrate for photoconductive member and a light-receiving layer having photoconductivity provided on said substrate is prepared in which the light-receiving layer comprises from the side of said substrate a first layer (I) constituted of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, a second layer (II) constituted of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms and a third layer (III) constituted of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and carbon atoms, and the germanium atoms contained in said second layer (II) being distributed ununiformly in the layer thickness direction of said layer.

Abstract: A photoconductive member is provided which comprises a substrate for a photoconductive member and a light receiving layer provided on said substrate having a layer constitution comprising (1) a first layer in which a layer region (G) comprising an amorphous material containing germanium atoms and a layer region (S) exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms are successively provided from the substrate side, and (2) a second layer which is constituted of an amorphous material comprising silicon atoms and at least one of carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms, said first layer containing oxygen atoms and having a first layer region, a third layer region and a second layer region, with oxygen atom distribution concentration in the layer thickness direction of C(1), C(3), and C(2), respectively, in the order mentioned from the substrate side with a proviso that C(3) does not solely take the maximum value and when either one of C(1) and C(2) is zero, the other two are not zero

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a substrate and a layer constituted of an amorphous material containing Si and Ge and exhibiting photoconductivity, said layer having a layer region containing nitrogen ununiformly in the direction of layer thickness, the distribution concentration curve of nitrogen in the direction of layer thickness being smooth and the maximum distribution concentration being present in said layer.An amorphous layer of Si containing at least one of oxygen and carbon may overlie the above mentioned layer.

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a substrate for photoconductive member and a light receiving layer having photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms, said light receiving layer containing carbon atoms and having a first layer region, a third layer region and a second layer region with the carbon atom content in the layer thickness direction of C(1), C(3) and C(2), respectively, in the order from the substrate side [with the proviso that when C(3) cannot solely be the maximum and either one of C(1) and C(2) is zero, the other two are not zero and not equal to each other, or when C(3) is zero, the other two are not zero, or when none of C(1), C(2) and C(3) is zero, the three of C(1), C(2) and C(3) cannot be equal at the same time and C(3) cannot solely be the maximum].

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a substrate for photoconductive member and a light receiving layer having photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms, said light receiving layer containing nitrogen atoms and having a first layer region, a third layer region and a second layer region with the nitrogen atom content in the layer thickness direction of C(1), C(3) and C(2), respectively, in the order from the substrate side (with the proviso that when C(3) cannot solely be the maximum and either one of C(1) and C(2) is zero, the other two are not zero and not equal to each other, or when C(3) is zero, the other two are not zero, or when none of C(1), C(2) and C(3) is zero, the three of C(1), C(2) and C(3) cannot be equal at the same time and C(3) cannot solely be the maximum).

Abstract: A photoconductive member, is provided which has a support, a first layer having photoconductivity containing an amorphous material comprising silicon atoms as a matrix provided on said support and a second layer containing silicon atoms and carbon atoms as essential components provided on said first layer, wherein said first layer contains at least one kind of atoms selected from the group III of the periodic table together with nitrogen atoms, with the nitrogen atoms having a substantially uniform concentration distribution within said first layer and the group III atoms of the periodic table having a depth concentration profile of said atoms with respect to the layer thickness direction having the maximum concentration at the end surface on the side of said support or in the vicinity thereof and having the concentration of said atoms tending to decrease continuously toward the second layer.

Abstract: A photoconductive member comprises a substrate for photoconductive member and a light receiving layer having a layer constitution in which a first layer region (G) comprising an amorphous material containing germanium atoms and a second layer region (S) exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms are successively provided from the substrate side, said light receiving layer containing carbon atoms.

Abstract: A photoconductive member is provided which has a substrate for photoconductive member, and a light-receiving layer comprising (1) a first layer with a layer constitution in which a first layer region (G) comprising an amorphous material containing germanium atoms and a second layer region (S) exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms are successively provided on said substrate from the aforesaid substrate side, and (2) a second layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms and at least one of carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms, said first layer having a layer region (O) containing oxygen atoms, wherein the depth profile of oxygen atoms in the layer thickness direction in said layer region (O) is increased smoothly and continuously toward the upper end surface of the first layer.