Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member to be charged for carrying an electrostatic latent image; a contact charging means for contact charging the member to be charged and a developing means for developing the latent image. The developing means includes a developer having a magnetic toner and fine powder treated with a silicone oil or varnish-treating agent, wherein the magnetic toner particles include a binder resin and contain from 10-70 wt. % of magnetic fine powder. An image forming method includes the steps of contact charging, latent image forming and developing with a developer having the binder resin, 10 to 70 wt. % magnetic fine powder and fine powder treated with a silicone oil or varnish-treating agent.

Abstract: An electrophotographic toner composition suitable for heat-fixation and showing good storage characteristics is constituted by polymer components, a colorant and a metal-containing organic compound. The toner composition shows a melt index (at 125.degree. C., 10 kg-load) of 5-25 g/10 min., and the polymer components are characterized by (a) containing substantially no THF (tetrahydrofuran)-insoluble content, (b) including a THF-soluble content thereof providing a GPC (gel permeation chromatography) chromatogram showing i) a main peak in a molecular weight region of 2.times.10.sup.3 -3.times.10.sup.4, and a sub-peak or shoulder in a molecular weight region of at least 10.sup.5, and ii) an areal percentage of 3-10% in a molecular weight region of at least 10.sup.6, and (c) including a polymer component (H) in a molecular weight region of at least 10.sup.5 obtained by polymerization using a polyfunctional polymerization initiator and a monofunctional polymerization initiator.

Abstract: A toner for developing electrostatic images is prepared from a binder resin, a colorant or magnetic material, and a wax component. The toner is provided with improved low-temperature fixability anti-electrostatic offset characteristic, anti-blocking characteristic and anti-offset characteristic by controlling the thermal characteristic of the wax component so as to provide a DSC (differential scanning colorimeter) curve on temperature increase, showing a minimum onset temperature of heat absorption of at least 50.degree. C. and at least two heat absorption peaks including a largest and a second largest peaks, different from each other in peak temperature by at least 15.degree. C., wherein low-temperature heat absorption peak P.sub.1 of the two peaks shows a half-value width of at most 20.degree. C. and a higher-temperature heat absorption peak P.sub.2 shows a half-value width of at most 20.degree. C., and wherein the peak P.sub.1 shows a higher half-width temperature and the peak P.sub.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member to be charged for carrying an electrostatic image, a contact-charging means for charging the member to be charged in contact with the member to be charged, and a developing means for developing the electrostatic image carried on the member to be charged. The developing means includes a developer for developing the electrostatic image comprising a toner and hydrophobic inorganic fine powder. The hydrophobic fine powder has a hydrophobicity of 60% or higher and the toner has a volume average particle size of 4-8 microns. The hydrophobic inorganic fine powder not only improves the fluidity of the developer and adjusts the chargeability of the developer but also prevents difficulties due to interaction between the member to be charged and the contact charging means in the presence of residual developer, such as damages of the member to be charged and toner-sticking onto the member to be charged.

Abstract: The present invention relates a toner for developing electrostatic images, comprising: a resin composition, which contains a binder resin and low molecular weight wax, and a coloring agent, wherein the binder resin does not substantially contain insoluble tetrahydrofuran (THF) component, its chromatograph measured with soluble tetrahydrofuran (THF) component has a main peak in a region of a molecular weight of 2,000 to 30,000 and a subpeak or a shoulder in a high molecular weight region of a molecular weight of 100,000 or more, a ratio of weight average molecular weight (Mw)/number average molecular weight (Mn) thereof is 30 or more, the high molecular weight region has a crosslinking monomer unit as a component monomer unit and the binder resin contains high molecular weight polymer having a Mw of 1,200,000 or more polymerized by using both polyfunctional initiator and a mono-functional initiator. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a resin composition for producing a toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is constituted by an image-bearing member for bearing a latent image, and a developing apparatus for developing the latent image. The developing apparatus is constituted by a developer container for containing a developer, a developer-carrying member for carrying and conveying the developer contained in the developer container to a developing zone opposite the image-bearing member, and an elastic blade for regulating the developer carried and conveyed on the developer-carrying member to a prescribed thickness to form a thin developer layer on the developer-carrying member. A developer suitable for use in the above developing apparatus is given by a toner, which comprises a binder resin composition which contains 10-70 wt. % of a THF (tetrahydrofuran)-insoluble content and the remainder of a THF-soluble content including a component with a molecular weight of 10000 or below on a GPC (gel permeation chromatography) chromatogram of the THF-soluble content constituting 10-50 wt.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure system checks for the shape of the charged particle beam shaped by a mask by causing a scanning of a marker pattern provided on a substrate along a scanning path. The reflected electrons emitted from the substrate are detected, and the shape of the charged particle beam is obtained based upon the profile of the reflected electrons along the scanning path. By comparing expected pattern of the reflected charged particles, one can detect anomaly in the beam shaping aperture on the mask, wherein the step for comparing the observed pattern and the expected pattern includes a step of pattern matching for shifting the patterns with each other for seeking a minimum of unoverlapped area of the patterns. When the difference between the observed pattern and the expected pattern exceeds a threshold in the state that the unoverlapped area is minimized, an alarm produced with the information indicative of the location of the pattern wherein the threshold has been exceeded.

Abstract: A magnetic developer for developing electrostatic images is constituted by magnetic toner particles, each containing a binder resin having a melt viscosity of at most 5.0.times.10.sup.6 poise at 150.degree. C. and a magnetic material. The magnetic material is blended with a proportion (C) [wt. %] of inorganic fine particles based on the magnetic material to carry 0.2-5 wt. % of the inorganic fine particles secured to the magnetic material surface. The magnetic material has a specific surface area (A) [m.sup.2 /g] before securing of the inorganic fine particles and is provided with an increase in surface area (B) [m.sup.2 /g] by the securing of the inorganic fine particles; wherein the parameters A, B and C satisfy the following formulae (1) and (2):0.1.ltoreq.B/A.ltoreq.0.8 (1)B<30.times.C (2).

Abstract: The present invention provide a toner for developing an electrostatic image. The toner comprises a binder resin and a coloring agent. The binder resin comprises a styrene type binder resin. The amount of an aldehyde contained in the binder resin is not more than 0.005% by weight based on the weight of the toner. The binder resin is produced by a process comprising the steps of preparing a monomer composition comprising a polymerizable monomer containing at least not less than 50% by weight of a styrene monomer, and a polymerization initiator, and subjecting said monomer composition to suspension polymerization in an aqueous medium having dissolved oxygen in an amount of not more than 2.5 mg/lit to form a styrene polymer or copolymer containing an aldehyde monomer in an amount of not more than 0.01% by weight.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member to be charged for carrying an electrostatic image, a contact-charging means for charging the member to be charged in contact with the member to be charged, and a developing means for developing the electrostatic image carried on the member to be charged. The developing means includes a developer for developing the electrostatic image comprising a toner and hydrophobic inorganic fine powder. The hydrophobic inorganic fine powder not only improves the fluidity of the developer and adjusts the chargeability of the developer but also prevents difficulties due to interaction between the member to be charged and the contact charging means in the presence of residual developer, such as damages of the member to be charged and toner-sticking onto the member to be charged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising an electrostatic latent image bearing member and a developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image. The developing apparatus comprises a developer container in which a developer is held, and a developer-carrying member for carrying thereon the developer and transporting the developer to a developing zone. The developer-carrying member has a surface layer of a resin containing at least conductive fine particles and a solid lubricant, and the surface layer has in its relative load curve (Abbot's load curve) a cutting depth C.sub.v of not more than 5 .mu.m when a relative load length t.sub.p is 5%; and the developer contains a toner and a fine powder pretreated with a silicone oil or silicone varnish.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is constituted by an image-bearing member for bearing a latent image, and a developing apparatus for developing the latent image. The developing apparatus is constituted by a developer container for containing a toner, and a developer-carrying member for carrying and conveying the toner contained in the developer container to a developing zone opposite the image-bearing member. The developer-carrying member is provided with a coating layer containing electroconductive fine particles. A developer suitable for use in the above developing apparatus is given by a toner, which comprises a binder resin composition which contains 10-70 wt. % of a THF (tetrahydrofuran)-insoluble content and the remainder of a THF-soluble content including a component with a molecular weight of 10000 or below on a GPC (gel permeation chromatography) chromatogram of the THF-soluble content constituting 10-50 wt. % of the binder resin.

Abstract: A developer for developing electrostatic images, comprising: at least, 100 wt. parts of a negatively chargeable magnetic toner having a volume-average particle size of 5 to 30 microns; 0.1 to 3 wt. parts of positively chargeable resin particles having an average particle size of 0.1 to 1.0 micron; and 0.05 to 3 wt. parts of hydrophobic silica fine powder having a triboelectric chargeability of -100 to -300 .mu.c/g.

Abstract: The present invention provide a toner for developing an electrostatic image. The toner comprises a binder resin and a coloring agent. The binder resin comprises a styrene type binder resin. The amount of an aldehyde contained in the binder resin is not more than 0.005% by weight based on the weight of the toner. The binder resin is produced by a process comprising the steps of preparing a monomer composition comprising a polymerizable monomer containing at least not less than 50% by weight of a styrene monomer, and a polymerization initiator, and subjecting said monomer composition to suspension polymerization in an aqueous medium having dissolved oxygen in an amount of not more than 2.5 mg/lit to form a styrene polymer or copolymer containing an aldehyde monomer in an amount of not more than 0.01% by weight.

Abstract: A developer for developing electrostatic images, comprising: at least, 100 wt. parts of a negatively chargeable magnetic toner having a volume-average particle size of 5 to 30 microns; 0.1 to 3 wt. parts of potitively chargeable resin particles having an average particle size of 0.1 to 1.0 micron; and 0.05 to 3 wt. parts of hydrophobic silica fine powder having a triboelectric chargeability of -100 to -300 .mu.c/g.

Abstract: A developer for developing electrostatic latent images comprises negatively chargeable toner particles and hydrophobic, negatively chargeable silica fine power,said silica fine powder being obtained by treating silica fine powder with a silane coupling agent represented by the following formula:R.sub.m SiY.sub.n or Y.sub.3 --Si--NH--Si--Y.sub.3and treating further said treated silica fine powder with a silicone oil having the structure: ##STR1## An image forming method comprises forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum; developing said latent image with a developer to form toner images, said developer comprising negatively chargeable toner particles and, hydrophobic, negatively chargeable silica fine powder,said silica fine powder being obtained by treating silica fine powder with a silane coupling agent represented by the following formula:R.sub.m SiY.sub.n or Y.sub.3 --Si--NH--Si--Y.sub.

Abstract: A developer for developing electrostatic latent images comprises negatively chargeable toner particles and hydrophobic, negatively chargeable silica fine power,said silica fine powder being obtained by treating silica fine powder with a silane coupling agent represented by the following formula:RmSiYn or Y.sub.3 --Si--NH--Si--Y.sub.3and treating further said treated silica fine powder with a silicone oil having the structure: ##STR1## An image forming method comprises forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum; developing said latent image with a developer to form toner images, said developer comprising negatively chargeable toner particles and, hydrophobic, negatively chargeable silica fine powder,said silica fine powder being obtained by treating silica fine powder with a silane coupling agent represented by the following formula:RmSiYn or Y.sub.3 --Si--NH--Si--Y.sub.