Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member having: a support with a cylindrical shape; and a photosensitive layer, in which the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, and the surface of the support includes Al crystal grains having (?) plane having {001} orientation of ?15° or more and less than +15°, (?) plane having {101} orientation of ?15° or more and less than +15°, and (?) plane having {111} orientation of ?15° or more and less than +15°, a ratio of an area occupied by Al crystal grains having (?) to the total area of the surface of the support is 10% or less, and a ratio of an area occupied by any one of Al crystal grains having (?) and Al crystal grains having (?) is 60% or more.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including: a support; and a photosensitive layer, wherein the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, wherein the surface of the support comprises Al crystal grains having: (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {001} orientation; (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {101} orientation; and (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {111} orientation, and wherein the ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) is 10% or less, and the value of the ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) to an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) is more than 4/6 and less than 6/4.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support, an electroconductive layer, an undercoat layer, a charge generating layer, and a hole transporting layer in this order, wherein when an ionization potential of the electroconductive layer is defined as IPc, the IPc is 5.4 to 5.8 eV, and when an ionization potential of the undercoat layer is defined as IPu, the IPu is 6.0 eV or more, wherein the undercoat layer comprises an electron transporting compound and a compound (?), and when an ionization potential of the compound (?) is defined as IP?, the IPc, the IPu, and the IP? satisfy relation (1): IPu?IPc>IP??IPc??(1).

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including: a support having a cylindrical shape; and a photosensitive layer, wherein the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, the surface of the support includes Al crystal grains having: (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {001} orientation; (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {101} orientation; and (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {111} orientation, a ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) to a total area of the surface of the support is 10% or less, and a ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) to the total area of the surface of the support is more than 10%.

Abstract: The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes: a support; and a photosensitive layer, wherein a surface of the support is formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, wherein the surface of the support includes Al crystal grains having: (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {001} orientation; (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {101} orientation; and (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {111} orientation, and wherein a ratio of an area occupied by Al crystal grains each having the (?) to a total area of the surface of the support is more than 10% and 50% or less, and a ratio of an area occupied by Al crystal grains each having the (?) or the (?) to the remaining area is 80% or more.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises: a support having a cylindrical shape; and a photosensitive layer, wherein the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, and includes Al crystal grains having: (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {001} orientation; (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {101} orientation; and (?) a plane at ?15° or more and less than +15° with respect to a {111} orientation, and wherein a ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) to a total area of the surface of the support is 10% or less, and a ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the (?) to the total area of the surface of the support is more than 10%.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that suppresses an image defect resulting from its support and is reduced in long-term potential fluctuation. The electrophotographic photosensitive member is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support having a cylindrical shape and a photosensitive layer formed on the support, wherein the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, and wherein the IR peak area ratio A of the surface of the support determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy satisfies the following condition: A?0.50 where the IR peak area ratio A represents a ratio a/z of a peak area “a” in the range of from 1,016 cm?1 or more to 1,130 cm?1 or less to a peak area “z” in the range of from 650 cm?1 or more to 1,130 cm?1 or less.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can suppress the surface direction unevenness of an output image throughout repeated image formation. The electrophotographic photosensitive member is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support having a cylindrical shape and a photosensitive layer formed on the support, wherein the support contains at least one of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and wherein when an area at the maximum frequency calculated from the area distribution curve of the aluminum crystal grains of the surface of the support is represented by A (?m2) and the half-width of the highest peak in the area distribution curve is represented by B (?m2), the support satisfies the following formula (1): B/A?1.0 ??(1).

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member having: a support with a cylindrical shape; and a photosensitive layer, in which the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, and the surface of the support includes Al crystal grains having (?) plane having {001} orientation of ?15° or more and less than +15°, (?) plane having {101} orientation of ?15° or more and less than +15°, and (?) plane having {111} orientation of ?15° or more and less than +15°, a ratio of an area occupied by Al crystal grains having (?) to the total area of the surface of the support is 10% or less, and a ratio of an area occupied by any one of Al crystal grains having (?) and Al crystal grains having (?) is 60% or more.

Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling an electrophotographic apparatus including forming a first measurement image by performing first halftone processing on image data, forming a second measurement image by performing second halftone processing different from the first halftone processing on the image data, measuring densities of the first measurement image and the second measurement image, calculating a density difference between each of densities of the measurement images, determining whether the density difference satisfies a predetermined reference value, and applying a surface treatment on an electrophotographic photosensitive member if the density difference does not satisfy the reference value, during a non-image formation period.

Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling an electrophotographic apparatus including forming a first measurement image by performing first halftone processing on image data, forming a second measurement image by performing second halftone processing different from the first halftone processing on the image data, measuring densities of the first measurement image and the second measurement image, calculating a density difference between each of densities of the measurement images, determining whether the density difference satisfies a predetermined reference value, and applying a surface treatment on an electrophotographic photosensitive member if the density difference does not satisfy the reference value, during a non-image formation period.

Abstract: The present invention provides a deposition film forming apparatus including a reaction container, an exhaust device and an exhaust gas flow path for causing a material gas to flow from the reaction container to the exhaust device, wherein the exhaust gas flow path includes a portion whose cross section expands with a step with respect to a direction in which the material gas flows and the deposition film forming apparatus further includes a cleaning gas flow device for causing the cleaning gas to directly flow into a region closer to the exhaust device side than the step of the exhaust gas flow path, a deposition film forming method using the deposition film forming apparatus and a method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member using the deposition film forming method.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a substrate, a photoconductive layer, an intermediate layer, and a surface layer sequentially formed. The intermediate layer contains silicon, carbon and hydrogen, and a distribution of a hydrogen ratio, which is a ratio of the number of hydrogen atoms to the number of silicon, carbon and hydrogen atoms, in the intermediate layer has a maximum region. A largest hydrogen atomic ratio in the intermediate layer is larger than a hydrogen atomic ratio in the surface layer, and the hydrogen atomic ratio in the surface layer is 0.30 to 0.45. A distribution of a carbon atomic ratio, which is a ratio of the number of carbon atoms to the number of silicon and carbon atoms, in the intermediate layer has a maximum and a minimum region. A carbon atomic ratio in the maximum region is 0.53 to 0.63, a carbon atomic ratio in the minimum region is 0.47 or more, and the maximum hydrogen region in the intermediate layer is partially superimposed on the minimum carbon region.

Abstract: The invention is an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a substrate, a photoconductive layer, an intermediate layer and a surface layer sequentially formed, wherein the intermediate contains silicon, carbon and hydrogen, a distribution of a hydrogen ratio which is a ratio of the number of hydrogen to the number of silicon, carbon and hydrogen in the intermediate has a maximum region, a largest hydrogen ratio in the intermediate is larger than a hydrogen ratio in the surface, the hydrogen ratio in the surface is 0.30 to 0.45, a distribution of a carbon ratio which is a ratio of the number of carbon to the number of silicon and carbon in the intermediate has a maximum and a minimum region, a carbon maximum region is 0.53 to 0.63, a carbon minimum region is 0.47 or more, and the maximum hydrogen region in the intermediate is partially superimposed on the minimum carbon region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a deposition film forming apparatus including a reaction container, an exhaust device and an exhaust gas flow path for causing a material gas to flow from the reaction container to the exhaust device, wherein the exhaust gas flow path includes a portion whose cross section expands with a step with respect to a direction in which the material gas flows and the deposition film forming apparatus further includes a cleaning gas flow device for causing the cleaning gas to directly flow into a region closer to the exhaust device side than the step of the exhaust gas flow path, a deposition film forming method using the deposition film forming apparatus and a method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member using the deposition film forming method.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided minimizing the absorption of image exposure having a short wavelength in a surface layer and keeping good electrophotographic properties including resolving power. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate, and a photoconductive layer and a surface region layer sequentially superimposed on the conductive substrate. The surface region layer is composed of a non-single-crystal silicon nitride film containing an Group element in the periodic table and a carbon atom and using at least a silicon atom and a nitrogen atom as base materials. In the surface region layer, the Group 13 element content with respect to the total amount of constituent atoms has distribution having at least two local maximum values in the thickness direction, and an the average concentration of nitrogen atoms is 30 atm % to 70 atm %.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided which can keep at a minimum the absorption of image exposure light of 380 to 500 nm in wavelength in its surface layer and concurrently can satisfactorily keep electrophotographic properties including resolving power. The electrophotographic photosensitive member has a substrate, and a photoconductive layer and a surface layer in this order provided on the substrate. The surface layer includes an amorphous material composed chiefly of silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms and containing at least oxygen atoms and carbon atoms, and the ratios of the numbers of the respective oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms to the total number of oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms contained in the amorphous material are each within a specific range.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided minimizing the absorption of image exposure having a short wavelength in a surface layer and keeping good electrophotographic properties including resolving power. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate, and a photoconductive layer and a surface region layer sequentially superimposed on the conductive substrate. The surface region layer is composed of a non-single-crystal silicon nitride film containing an Group element in the periodic table and a carbon atom and using at least a silicon atom and a nitrogen atom as base materials. In the surface region layer, the Group 13 element content with respect to the total amount of constituent atoms has distribution having at least two local maximum values in the thickness direction, and an the average concentration of nitrogen atoms is 30 atm % to 70 atm %.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided in which electrophotographic properties including resolving power have been improved with minimized absorption of image exposure light at a short wavelength in a surface layer. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a photoconductive layer composed of a non-single-crystal silicon film and a surface region layer composed of a non-single-crystal silicon nitride film containing silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms, superimposed on a conductive substrate. The surface region layer has a gradient-composition layer in which the composition ratio between silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms is changed and a surface layer in which the composition ratio between them is constant. The gradient-composition layer and surface region layer contain a Group 13 element, and the content distribution of the element in the thickness direction of each layer has at least one local maximum value.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided which can keep at a minimum the absorption of image exposure light of 380 to 500 nm in wavelength in its surface layer and concurrently can satisfactorily keep electrophotographic properties including resolving power. The electrophotographic photosensitive member has a substrate, and a photoconductive layer and a surface layer in this order provided on the substrate. The surface layer includes an amorphous material composed chiefly of silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms and containing at least oxygen atoms and carbon atoms, and the ratios of the numbers of the respective oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms to the total number of oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms contained in the amorphous material are each within a specific range.