Abstract: The present invention provides a photosensitive member composed of a photosensitive layer and a surface protective layer on an electrically substrate in this order, in which the surface protective layer comprises an amorphous carbon layer which has a specified ratio of absorptivity coefficients of infrared absorption peaks in infrared absorption spectrum.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a rotatably disposed photosensitive member, a charger disposed in opposed relation to the surface of the photosensitive member for charging the surface of the photosensitive member, and a protection shutter disposed adjacent to the charger, the shutter having a protecting member which statically adheres to the surface of the photosensitive member to shield the surface of the photosensitive member from the charger.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for image formation in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image supporting member having a carbon-based high-hardness surface coating layer. The electrostatic latent image is developed with a toner which includes resin particles composed of at least a binder resin and a colorant, specific fine particles fixed on the surface of the resin particles and post-treatment fine particles mixed with the resin particles on the surface of which the fine particles are fixed. The fine particles prevent the post-treatment fine particles from being embedded in the resin particles. The developed toner image is then transferred onto a transfer member to form the image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photosensitive member in which a vacuum thin layer is formed as a surface protective layer on or over the roughened surface of the photosensitive layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photosensitive layer comprising:a substrate;a photosensitive layer formed on the substrate;a surface protective layer formed on the photosensitive layer, the surface protective layer being a deposited layer formed by a vacuum vapor deposition method to have no less than 400/cm.sup.2 solvent-penetrable spots formed in its thickness direction.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising the steps of forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive member having a surface layer containing binder resin and photosensitive material dispersed in the binder resin, supplying charged toner particles to the above electrostatic latent image to form a toner image on the above photosensitive member, conveying paper toward the surface of the above photosensitive member to engage the paper with the above toner image, and transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive member to the above paper, the relationship among the normal velocity (N) [mm/sec] of the paper which is defined by the formula of (v) sin .theta., and the thickness (T) [.mu.m] and the Vickers hardness (V) of the surface layer of the above photosensitive member satisfying the condition of T.multidot.(V/N).sup.0.