JP2001337171A - Image recording medium and manufacturing method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent deterioration of blocking performance in an electrostatic recording body manufactured by forming a stripe electrode on a support body and forming a blocking layer on it. SOLUTION: After an electrode layer 5 is formed on the support body 8 (A), etching is performed to form the stripe electrode 6(B). The blocking layer 7 is formed using a dip method, in which a member 11 on which the stripe electrode 6 is formed, is immersed in a material liquid 70 for blocking layer 7 along the longitudinal direction of an element 6a in a vessel 40 in which the liquid 70 is filled and is pulled up (C). Consequently, the blocking layer 7 is formed continuously over the upper face and the side face of each element 6a, to surely prevent pouring-in of dark current from the stripe electrode 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording medium on which image information can be recorded as an electrostatic latent image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in medical X-ray photography, a photoconductor (for example, using selenium Se) which is sensitive to X-rays has been used to reduce the exposure dose received by a subject and improve diagnostic performance. A system is disclosed in which an electrostatic latent image is recorded on an image recording medium by X-rays using an image recording medium using the same, and then the electrostatic latent image is read (for example, US Pat. No. 4176275, No. 5268569, No.
No. 5354982, No. 4535468, "23027 Method and devisc
e for recording and transducing an electromagnetic
energy pattern "; Research Disclosure June 1983, JP-A-9-5906, U.S. Patent No. 4961209," X-ray imaging
using amorphous selenium "; Med Phys.22 (12) etc.).

[0003] Specifically, for example, the aforementioned US Patent No. 453546
No. 8 includes a relatively thick 2 mm thick Al or the like, and a recording light side electrode layer as a conductive substrate having transparency to radiation as recording electromagnetic waves (hereinafter also referred to as recording light). a photoconductive layer for recording having a thickness of 100 to 500 μm containing a-Se (amorphous selenium) as a main component;
10.0 μm thick AsS ₄ , As ₂ S ₃ , As ₂ Se ₃
An intermediate layer (trap layer), comprising a latent image polar charge generated in the recording photoconductive layer and stored as a trap;
A reading photoconductive layer having a thickness of 0.5 to 100 μm containing a-Se as a main component and a 100 nm thick Au or ITO (Indium Tin) layer.
An image recording medium is disclosed in which a reading light side electrode layer made of Oxide) and having a permeability to reading electromagnetic waves (hereinafter also referred to as reading light) is laminated in this order. Further, in particular, it is preferable to use the reading light side electrode layer as a positive electrode in that good mobility of holes of a-Se can be used, and it is also preferable to use S / S by direct injection of electric charge from the electrode. It is disclosed that a blocking layer made of an organic material is provided between the reading light side electrode layer and the reading photoconductive layer in order to prevent N deterioration. That is, this image recording medium is a multilayer recording medium having a high dark resistance and an excellent reading response speed, and is composed of a layer mainly composed of a-Se.

Here, in order to improve the S / N of an image and to shorten the reading time by performing parallel reading (mainly in the main scanning direction), the electrodes of the reading light side electrode layer are provided with a large number of elements. (Linear electrode) may be a stripe electrode arranged at a pixel pitch (for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 10-232824 by the present applicant). However, in the lamination structure of the image recording medium described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat.No. 4,535,468, in the final step of production, the reading light-side electrode layer must be formed after forming the reading photoconductive layer, and the stripe It is difficult to form electrodes. This is because, in order to perform fine processing of an electrode in order to form a stripe electrode, it is necessary to perform photoetching used in semiconductor manufacturing. During this step, a high temperature such as a baking step of a photoresist (for example, This is because a-Se, which usually requires a process at 200 ° C. and forms an already formed photoconductive layer, cannot withstand such a high temperature and its characteristics are deteriorated.

Further, since the alkali developing solution used in the photoresist developing process and a-Se come in contact with each other and emit harmful gas, the removal of the harmful gas complicates the process and raises the cost. .

On the other hand, the applicant of the present invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-232824 a recording light-side electrode layer made of SnO ₂ (Nesa film) and having transparency to radiation as recording light.
a 50-1000 μm thick recording photoconductive layer containing a-Se as a main component, and an organic substance or chlorine (Cl)
A charge transport layer for forming a power storage portion made of 0-ppm doped a-Se or the like for storing a latent image polarity charge generated in the recording photoconductive layer at an interface with the recording photoconductive layer;
An image recording medium (electrostatic recording medium) in which a reading photoconductive layer containing -Se as a main component and a reading light side electrode layer having transparency to reading light are arranged in this order; I have.

In manufacturing this image recording medium,
Whether the film is formed sequentially from the recording light-side electrode layer or conversely from the reading light-side electrode layer is not particularly specified, and the film may be formed in any order. However, as the reading light side electrode layer, it is proposed that a transparent glass substrate as a support is provided with a conductive material such as a Nesa film, and that the reading light side electrode layer is used as a positive electrode and a high definition “pixel” The `` pitch of comb teeth corresponding to the pitch '' means `` to form comb teeth at a sufficiently narrow interval by semiconductor formation technology '', that is, to make the electrodes of the reading light side electrode layer as stripe electrodes divided at the pixel pitch. In this case, a stripe electrode is first formed on a transparent glass substrate by photo-etching or the like, and then the reading photoconductive layer to the recording light side electrode layer are sequentially formed. Although the specific values of the pixel pitch are not directly shown, the medical X
Since high S / N is possible while maintaining high sharpness in X-ray photography, the pixel pitch is 5
Those skilled in the art can imagine that 0 to 200 μm is used.

[0008] In this Japanese Patent Application No. 10-232824, similar to the one described in the above-mentioned US Patent No. 4,535,468,
By providing 500Å about blocking layer made of inorganic material such as CeO ₂ between the reading light side electrode layer and the photoconductive layer for reading, S / N deterioration due to direct injection of positive charges on the reading light side electrode layer It is also proposed to prevent

[0009] On the other hand, the present inventors have disclosed the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No.
Subsequent study of the image recording medium proposed in 824 further found the following. 1) At the time of manufacturing, a method of forming a relatively thin ITO film having a thickness of 50 to 200 nm on a transparent glass substrate as a reading light side electrode layer and then forming a stripe electrode by photoetching is inexpensive. This is suitable because a high-definition stripe pattern can be formed on the substrate. 2) The recording photoconductive layer is a-Se having a thickness of 50 to 1000 μm.
Is excellent in terms of high dark resistance. 3) As the charge transport layer, a first hole transport layer having a thickness of 0.1 to 1 [mu] m made of a thin organic substance which charges an electron to form a power storage unit, and transports holes at high speed and has few hole traps A layered hole transport layer formed by laminating two layers with a second hole transport layer having a thickness of 5 to 30 μm made of “a-Se doped with 10 to 200 ppm of Cl” is advantageous in terms of the afterimage and reading response speed. Is excellent. 4) The reading photoconductive layer is made of a-S having a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 μm.
e is excellent in terms of high dark resistance. 5) The charge transport layer is made of 0.1 to 1 made of PVK or TPD.
a first charge transporting layer having a thickness of 10 μm,
When the layered hole transporting layer is composed of a doped 5 to 30 μm thick a-Se-based second charge transporting layer, the first charge transporting layer has strong insulating properties against latent image polar charges, Since the second charge transport layer can have high-speed transport properties of transport polar charges, the second charge transport layer is excellent in terms of afterimage and read response speeds, and can be ideal as a charge transport layer. The second hole transport layer is 5 to 30 μm
A relatively good result can be obtained even when the structure is also used as the reading photoconductive layer by replacing with the m-thick a-Se, and the manufacturing is simplified.

From the above, the image recording medium described in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-232824 is a multilayer recording medium having a high dark resistance and an excellent reading response speed.
It is desirable to be composed of a layer containing Se as a main component.

Further, the present inventors have disclosed the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No.
JP-A-2000-2000 describes an image recording medium that makes it possible to further enhance the performance of the image recording medium described in No. 32824.
-284056. The image recording medium described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-284056 outputs an electric signal of a level corresponding to the amount of latent image charges stored in a power storage unit formed between a recording photoconductive layer and a reading photoconductive layer. The conductive member is provided in the reading light side electrode layer or between the recording light side electrode layer and the reading light side electrode layer.

Although the shape of the conductive member may be any shape, a latent image forming (moving / accumulating latent image charge) process during recording, or a latent image charge during reading,
It is desirable to have a shape that does not affect the charge recombination process between the latent image charges and charges of the opposite polarity, that is, transport charges. For example, when the conductive member is provided in the recording photoconductive layer or on the surface of the recording photoconductive layer on the side of the reading photoconductive layer, the latent image charges generated in the recording photoconductive layer move to the power storage unit. It is desired that the shape be such that it does not interfere with the operation. Also,
When it is provided in the reading photoconductive layer or in the charge transport layer or the trap layer, it is desired that the transport charge generated in the reading photoconductive layer has a shape that does not hinder the transfer to the power storage unit. . For this purpose, for example, a hole having an arbitrary shape such as a circle or a corner may be provided corresponding to the pixel, or a continuous hole may be provided in the pixel arrangement direction.

When the conductive member is disposed in the photoconductive layer for recording, the conductive member is permeable to light for recording or light emitted by excitation of the radiation. It is desirable that radiation and the like can sufficiently enter the recording photoconductive layer so as not to affect the charge generation process in the photoconductive layer.

The reading light-side electrode layer is a stripe electrode composed of a large number of linear electrodes, and the conductive member is provided in the reading light-side electrode layer. There has been proposed an image recording medium in which stripe-shaped sub-electrodes are arranged such that the stripe electrodes and the sub-electrodes are alternately arranged substantially in parallel in a reading light-side electrode layer. Further, when the linear electrode constituting one pixel line is an image recording medium comprising one or more stripe electrodes and sub-electrodes or a plurality of stripe electrodes and sub-electrodes, An image recording medium including a stripe electrode having a width smaller than that of the stripe electrode in the image recording medium described in 10-232824 has been proposed.

[0015]

Here, when a blocking layer is provided while using the electrodes of the reading light side electrode layer as stripe electrodes, usually, after forming a transparent oxide film (for example, a thin film ITO), etching is performed at a pixel pitch by etching. Each of the arranged elements is formed, and CeO ₂ is further laminated by resistance heating vacuum evaporation to form a blocking layer.

In this case, since a surface step occurs between the element and the transparent glass substrate, the blocking film cannot completely cover the side surface in the longitudinal direction of the element, and the blocking performance is deteriorated by dark current injection from the side surface of the element.
/ N is reduced.

The element comprising the transparent oxide film is
In order to reduce the longitudinal resistance (line resistance), it may be relatively thick (for example, about 2000 °). However, the thicker the element is, the larger the surface step becomes, so that the blocking performance is significantly deteriorated. become.

When the reading light side electrode layer is configured such that the stripe electrodes and the stripe-shaped sub-electrodes are alternately arranged substantially in parallel, dark current noise is also generated from the stripe-shaped sub-electrodes. Since dark current noise is accumulated in the power storage unit and becomes offset noise, which causes deterioration of S / N, it is necessary to provide a blocking layer also on the sub-electrode. Further, in this case as well, the blocking performance is deteriorated due to the surface step between the electrode and the transparent glass substrate, as described above. However, since the width of the stripe electrode and the sub-electrode is reduced and the fine pitch is obtained, the deterioration is remarkable. . In addition, since the sub-electrode needs to have a light-shielding property with respect to reading light, it may have a certain thickness in manufacturing, and may be thicker than the stripe electrode (for example, if the stripe electrode has a thickness of 0). .1 .mu.m, and the sub-electrode is about 1 .mu.m), the deterioration of the blocking performance due to the step becomes more remarkable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. Even when a stripe electrode is formed on a support and a blocking layer is formed thereon, the blocking performance does not deteriorate due to the step. In the case where the stripe electrodes and the sub-electrodes are alternately formed substantially in parallel and a blocking layer is formed thereon,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording medium which prevents deterioration of S / N due to generation of dark current noise from a sub-electrode and does not cause deterioration of blocking performance due to the above-mentioned step, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0020]

According to the first image recording medium of the present invention, a large number of linear electrodes are provided on a support having transparency to electromagnetic waves for reading, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A first electrode layer (reading light side electrode layer) having a stripe electrode formed thereon and having transparency to reading electromagnetic waves, and exhibiting conductivity by being irradiated with reading electromagnetic waves. A photoconductive layer for reading, a power storage unit for storing a latent image polar charge, a recording photoconductive layer for generating a latent image polar charge by being irradiated with an electromagnetic wave for recording and exhibiting conductivity, and In an image recording medium in which a second electrode layer (recording light-side electrode layer) having transparency to an electromagnetic wave is laminated in this order, the electromagnetic wave for reading is placed between the photoconductive layer for reading and the first electrode layer. To the charge injection from each linear electrode. Blocking layer having a blocking performance, and is characterized in that it continuously provided along the upper and side surfaces of the linear electrodes.

The "upper surface" means a surface on the side of the reading photoconductive layer. Further, “side surfaces” mean two side surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrode. As a result, the entire surface of each linear electrode is covered with the blocking layer.

From the viewpoint of blocking performance, it is sufficient to cover the entire surface of each linear electrode with the blocking layer as described above, but from the viewpoint of manufacturing, the upper surface of the support between the linear electrodes is also required. A blocking layer may be formed. In this case, the blocking layer is provided continuously over the upper and side surfaces of the linear electrode and the upper surface of the support.

In the first image recording medium, it is sufficient that the above layers are laminated in the above order. For example, even if another layer such as a charge transport layer described later is laminated between the above layers. Good.

In the second image recording medium of the present invention, a support for transmitting electromagnetic waves for reading is provided on a support having transparency to the electromagnetic waves for reading. A first stripe electrode composed of a large number of linear electrodes and a second stripe electrode composed of a large number of linear electrodes for non-generation of photocharges in the photoconductive layer for reading in response to the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave are alternately arranged substantially in parallel. A first electrode layer that is arranged, a reading photoconductive layer that exhibits conductivity when irradiated with a reading electromagnetic wave, a power storage unit that stores a latent image polar charge, and a recording electromagnetic wave that is irradiated with the recording electromagnetic wave In the image recording medium in which a recording photoconductive layer that generates a latent image polar charge and a second electrode layer that transmits a recording electromagnetic wave are laminated in this order, the reading photoconductive layer and the second Electromagnetic waves for reading between one electrode layer It is characterized in that the blocking layer is provided with a blocking performance against charge injection from and linear electrodes having a permeability for.

Here, the "first stripe electrode comprising a large number of linear electrodes for generating charge pairs" is an electrode that transmits electromagnetic waves for reading and generates charge pairs in the photoconductive layer for reading. The “second stripe electrode composed of a large number of linear electrodes for non-charge pair generation” is an electrode that blocks electromagnetic waves for reading and does not generate charge pairs in the photoconductive layer for reading.
The present invention is not limited to an electrode that does not generate a charge pair at all by completely blocking the electrode, but also includes an electrode having a degree of transparency to the electromagnetic wave but having such a degree that the generated charge pair does not substantially matter. Therefore, all the charge pairs generated in the reading photoconductive layer are not necessarily caused only by the electromagnetic waves transmitted through the first stripe electrode, and the charge pairs in the reading photoconductive layer are also generated by the electromagnetic waves slightly transmitted through the second stripe electrode. Can occur.

The "blocking layer" of the second image recording medium may cover the upper surface of each linear electrode, or may be the same as the first image recording medium. (The top surface and the side surface) may cover all. Further, a blocking layer may be formed on the upper surface of the support between the linear electrodes. Further, the material of the blocking layer on the upper surface and the material of the blocking layer on the side surface of each linear electrode need not be particularly the same, and may be any material having a blocking performance. Therefore, for example, the upper surface of each linear electrode is blocked with a predetermined material,
The side surface of each linear electrode may be blocked with a different material. Similarly, in the first image recording medium, the material of the blocking layer on the upper surface and the material of the blocking layer on the side surface of each linear electrode may be different.

In the second image recording medium, it is sufficient that the above layers are laminated in the above order. For example, even if another layer such as a charge transport layer described later is laminated between the above layers. Good.

In addition, the blocking layer in the first and second image recording media of the present invention has a blocking performance and a thermal stress caused by a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the first electrode layer and the reading photoconductive layer. It is preferably a layer that has a buffering property to relieve and a function of suppressing interfacial crystallization between the first electrode layer and the reading photoconductive layer and strengthens the adhesion between the first electrode layer and the reading photoconductive layer. .

Examples of the blocking layer forming material for forming the blocking layer in the first and second image recording media of the present invention include polyamide, polyimide, polyester, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyurethane, and polyurethane. Insulating organic polymer materials such as methyl methacrylate and polycarbonate,
Alternatively, it is desirable to use an organic thin film material that is transparent, has good blocking performance, and has elasticity, such as a mixed film composed of an organic binder and a low molecular weight organic material.

The thickness of the blocking layer is 0.05 to
The thickness is preferably about 5 μm, but the range of 0.1 to 5 μm is preferable in terms of thermal stress buffering, while the range of 0.05 to 0.5 μm is preferable for good blocking performance without afterimages. Above 0.1 to 0.
It is desirable to set the range to 5 μm.

The manufacturing method of the present invention is a method of manufacturing the first and second image recording media, wherein the blocking layer is formed by applying a material for forming a blocking layer in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrode. It is characterized by doing.

Here, in the application in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrode, after forming a stripe electrode on a support such as glass or an organic polymer, for example, a dip method, a spray method, a bar coating method, a screen coating method, etc. The blocking layer forming material is preferably applied using In particular, in the dipping method, it is only necessary to repeat the operation of impregnating and lifting up the support on which the stripe electrodes are formed in a solvent, and a large-sized one can be manufactured relatively easily.

[0033]

According to the first image recording medium of the present invention, the blocking layer is formed continuously on the upper surface and the side surface of the linear electrode, so that the side of the reading electrode of each linear electrode is blocked. Layer and completely prevent dark current injection from the first electrode layer on the reading light incident side.

In the second image recording medium according to the present invention, since the blocking layer is provided between the reading photoconductive layer and the first electrode layer, not only the first stripe electrode but also the second stripe electrode is used.
Dark current injection from the stripe electrode (sub-electrode) to the photoconductive layer for reading light can also be prevented.

In the first and second image recording media, if the blocking layer is formed of an organic thin film such as an insulating organic polymer material or a mixed film of an organic binder and a low molecular weight organic material, Using a simple film forming method of applying the organic polymer material or the like in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrode, the linear electrode can be formed with a thin film that reliably covers the entire surface.

Further, according to the first and second methods for manufacturing an image recording medium, the blocking layer is formed by applying the material for the blocking layer in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrode. The region may be only the both ends in the longitudinal direction of the linear electrode. Therefore, since this area is usually a non-image area, it can be prevented from being adversely affected. In particular, according to the second method for manufacturing an image recording medium, the width of the linear electrode is narrower, and the thickness of the first stripe electrode and the second stripe electrode is greatly different from each other, so that the image recording step is large. A blocking layer covering the entire surface of each linear electrode can be easily formed on the medium.

[0037]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view (A) schematically showing a first embodiment of an electrostatic recording medium which is an aspect of the image recording medium of the present invention, and a partial cross-sectional view (B) thereof. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing the electrostatic recording medium up to an intermediate stage.

The electrostatic recording medium 10 according to the first embodiment
Is a recording-light-side electrode layer 1 that is permeable to recording light (for example, radiation such as X-rays); and a recording-use electrode layer that exhibits conductivity when irradiated with recording light that has passed through the recording-light-side electrode layer 1. The charge (latent image polarity charge) acting on the photoconductive layer 2 and the recording light side electrode layer 1 substantially acts as an insulator, and has a polarity opposite to the latent image polarity charge (transport polarity charge). , A charge transport layer 3 acting substantially as a conductor, a reading photoconductive layer 4 exhibiting conductivity when irradiated with reading light (for example, blue light having a wavelength of 550 nm or less), a blocking layer 7, and a reading light. The reading light-side electrode layer 5 having transparency with respect to the substrate and the support 8 having transparency with respect to the reading light are arranged in this order. At the interface between the recording photoconductive layer 2 and the charge transport layer 3, a power storage unit 23 for storing the latent image polarity charge generated in the recording photoconductive layer 2 is formed. In each of the following embodiments, the recording light-side electrode layer 1 is charged with a negative charge, and the reading light-side electrode layer 5 is charged with a positive charge, so that an interface between the recording photoconductive layer 2 and the charge transport layer 3 is formed. Power storage unit 2 to be formed
In addition to accumulating negative charges as latent image polar charges in the charge transport layer 3, the charge transport layer 3 is provided with positive charge mobilities as transport polarity charges having a polarity opposite to that of the negative image charge as the latent image polar charges. Is an electrostatic recording medium that functions as a so-called hole transport layer.

When the electrostatic recording medium 10 is manufactured, the reading light-side electrode layer 5
Is formed (laminated), and then the blocking layer 7,
Reading photoconductive layer 4, charge transport layer 3, recording photoconductive layer 2,
The recording light side electrode layer 1 is formed (laminated).

The size (area) of the electrostatic recording medium 10 is, for example, 20 × 20 cm or more, and particularly, about 43 × 43 cm for chest X-ray photography.

The support 8 is not only transparent to the reading light but also deformable with changes in the temperature of the environment, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the support 8 is A substance having a thermal expansion coefficient which is relatively close to a fraction of the thermal expansion coefficient of the substance and within several times, preferably a relatively similar thermal expansion coefficient is used. As described later, in this embodiment, a-Se is used as the reading photoconductive layer 4.
Since (amorphous selenium) is used, considering that the thermal expansion coefficient of Se is 3.68 × 10 ⁻⁵ / K (40 ° C.), the thermal expansion coefficient is 1.0 to 10.0 × 10 ^{− 5} / K
(40 ° C.), more preferably 1.2 to 6.2 × 10 ^−5.
/ K (40 ° C.), more preferably 2.2 to 5.2 ×
Use a substance that is 10 ⁻⁵ / K (40 ° C.). An organic polymer material can be used as the material that is deformable and has a coefficient of thermal expansion in this range.

Specific examples of the organic polymer material include:
Polycarbonate having a thermal expansion coefficient of 7.0 × 10 ⁻⁵ / K (40 ° C.) or a thermal expansion coefficient of 5.0 × 10 ⁻⁵ / K (40 ° C.)
C.) polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or the like.

As a result, the thermal expansion of the support 8 as a substrate and the photoconductive layer 4 (Se film) for reading can be matched, and under a special environment, for example, during transportation of a ship under cold weather conditions. Even when subjected to a large temperature cycle, thermal stress occurs at the interface between the support 8 and the photoconductive layer 4 for reading,
Photoconductive layer 4 for reading (Se film) where both are physically separated.
There is no problem of breakage due to a difference in thermal expansion such as breakage of the support or cracking of the support 8. Furthermore, there is a merit that an organic polymer material is more resistant to impact than a glass substrate.

As described later, the blocking layer 7
Can also function as a buffer layer, so that glass, for example, has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.378 × 10 ⁻⁵ / K (4
At 0 ° C.), a 1.1 mm thick Corning 1737 can also be used as the support 8.

Recording light side electrode layer 1 and reading light side electrode layer 5
Any material may be used as long as it has transparency to recording light or reading light, for example, both of which are Nesa film (SnO ₂ ), ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), or amorphous light transmittance which is easy to etch. For example, an oxide film such as IDIXO (Idemitsu Indium X-metal Oxide; Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.) having a thickness of 50 to 200 nm can be used.

When an image is recorded by using X-rays as recording light and irradiating the X-rays from the recording-light-side electrode layer 1 side, transparency to visible light is not required. For the layer 1, for example, Al or Au having a thickness of 100 nm can be used.

On the other hand, the electrodes of the reading light side electrode layer 5 are stripe electrodes 6 in which a number of elements (linear electrodes) 6a are arranged at a pixel pitch. In this case, the blocking layer 7 which is the next layer is immediately laminated without any insulator between the elements, and the reading light side electrode layer 5 is constituted only by the stripe electrodes 6.

Here, the purpose of forming the electrodes of the reading light side electrode layer 5 as the stripe electrodes 6 is to improve the S / N ratio of the image by simplifying the correction of the structure noise and reducing the capacitance, as will be described later. Or by localizing the electrostatic latent image corresponding to the stripe electrodes to increase the electric field strength, improve the reading efficiency and improve the S / N ratio, or perform parallel reading (mainly in the main scanning direction). For example, the reading time is reduced.

The recording photoconductive layer 2 only needs to exhibit conductivity when irradiated with recording light.
For example, a-Se, PbO, lead oxide such as PbI ₂ (I
I) and lead (II) iodide, Bi ₁₂ (Ge, Si)
A photoconductive substance containing at least one of O ₂₀ , Bi ₂ I ₃ / organic polymer nanocomposite or the like as a main component is suitable, and among them, the quantum efficiency is relatively high with respect to radiation, and the dark resistance is high. In this respect, a-Se is used because a-Se is excellent.

The thickness of the recording photoconductive layer 2 containing a-Se as a main component is preferably 50 μm or more and 1000 μm or less so that the recording light can be sufficiently absorbed.

As the charge transport layer 3, the recording light side electrode layer 1
The greater the difference between the mobility of the negative charge charged to the negative electrode and the mobility of the positive charge having the opposite polarity (for example, 10 ² or more, preferably 10 ³ or more), the better the polyN-vinylcarbazole (PVK), N Organic compounds such as N, N'-diphenyl-N, N'-bis (3-methylphenyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl] -4,4'-diamine (TPD) and discotic liquid crystal, or TPD Polymer (polycarbonate, polystyrene, PUK) dispersion, Cl 10-200-pp
Semiconductor materials such as m-doped a-Se are suitable.
In particular, organic compounds (PVK, TPD, discotic liquid crystal, and the like) are preferable because they have light insensitivity.
Since the dielectric constant is generally small, the capacity of the charge transport layer 3 and the photoconductive layer 4 for reading becomes small, and the signal extraction efficiency at the time of reading can be increased. In addition, "having light insensitivity" means that it hardly exhibits conductivity even when irradiated with recording light or reading light.

For example, if the charge mobility in the vertical direction of the film thickness is larger than the charge mobility in the horizontal direction of the film thickness, the transport polarity charges can move at a high speed in the thickness direction and can be moved in the horizontal direction. Since a charge transport layer that is difficult to move can be formed, sharpness can be improved. Specific materials include discotic liquid crystal, hexapentyloxytriphenylene (Physica
l Review LETTERS 70.4,1933)), the central core is π
Discotic liquid crystal groups containing conjugated condensed rings or transition metals (see EKISHO VOL No. 1 1997 P55) are suitable.

The charge transport layer 3 is formed of a material having a property of substantially acting as an insulator against charges charged on the recording photoconductive layer 2, that is, charges having the same polarity as the latent image polarity charge. The first charge transport layer includes at least a first charge transport layer, and a second charge transport layer made of a material having a property of substantially acting as a conductor with respect to a charge having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the latent image, that is, a transport polarity charge. If the layered hole transport layer is laminated such that the recording photoconductive layer 2 is on the side and the second charge transport layer is on the read photoconductive layer 4 side, the second charge transport layer has a high speed transport property of transport polar charges. The first charge transport layer is capable of imparting a strong insulating property to the latent image polar charge, so that the charge transport layer is excellent in terms of the afterimage and reading response speed, and is ideal for the charge transport layer. Can be Specifically, the first charge transport layer is made of at least one of organic materials, such as PVK or TPD, so that the second charge transport layer is thicker than the first charge transport layer. 1 μm thick layer, and the second charge transport layer
5 to 30 μm thick a doped with 10 to 200 ppm
-Se layer may be used.

When the layer made of PVK is compared with the layer made of TPD, the layer made of PVK acts as an almost insulator for a charge having the same polarity as the latent image charge (negative in the above example). The property is stronger than the layer composed of TPD,
The layer made of PD has a transport polarity charge (positive in the above example).
Is stronger than the layer made of PVK, so that the layer made of TPD and the layer made of PVK are different from each other in that the layer made of TPD becomes the reading photoconductive layer side.
The charge transport layer may be stacked such that the layer made of K is on the recording photoconductive layer side.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to two layers, and it may be composed of a plurality of layers. In this case, when laminating the layers, when comparing the above properties of each layer, the latent image polarity charge The layer that has a relatively strong property of substantially acting as an insulator for charges of the same polarity as the recording photoconductive layer is on the recording photoconductive layer side, and the layer that has a relatively strong property of substantially acting as a conductor for the transport polarity charge is read. What is necessary is just to laminate so that it may become the photoconductive layer side for use.

The photoconductive layer 4 for reading only needs to exhibit conductivity when irradiated with reading light.
For example, a-Se, Se-Te, Se-As-Te, metal-free phthalocyanine, metal phthalocyanine, MgPc
(Magnesium phtalocyanine), VoPc (phase II of
Vanadyl phthalocyanine), CuPc (Cupper phtaloc)
A photoconductive substance containing at least one of yanine) and the like as a main component is preferable.

The wavelength in the near ultraviolet to blue region (300
550 nm), and has low sensitivity to electromagnetic waves having a wavelength in the red region (700 nm or more), specifically, a-Se, PbI ₂ ,
_{Bi 12 (Ge, Si) O} 2 0, perylene bisimide (R = n-propyl), perylene bisimide (R = n-
Neopentyl) can be used as the reading photoconductive layer 4 having a large band gap and a small generation of dark current due to heat. By scanning and exposing an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength in the range from ultraviolet to blue, noise due to dark current can be reduced.

The total thickness of the charge transport layer 3 and the reading photoconductive layer 4 is preferably not more than の of the thickness of the recording photoconductive layer 2. 1/1
Responsiveness at the time of reading is improved.

Particularly, a-Se having a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 μm is used.
This is preferable because the dark resistance becomes extremely high. From the above, in the present embodiment, the reading photoconductive layer 4 is
The layer is mainly composed of Se and has a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 μm.

In the charge transport layer 3, “Cl is 10
5 to 30 composed of “-200 ppm doped a-Se”
The second hole transport layer having a thickness of 5 μm is formed by a-Se having a thickness of 5 to 30 μm.
, And may be configured to also serve as the reading photoconductive layer 4. In addition, in the case of this configuration, the manufacture of the electrostatic recording medium 10 is relatively simple.

As shown in the figure, between the reading light side electrode layer 5 and the reading photoconductive layer 4, there is transparency for the reading light and the electric charge from the electrode of the reading light side electrode layer 5. A blocking layer 7 made of an organic thin film having a blocking performance (having a barrier potential) with respect to injection is provided. When the blocking layer 7 is not provided, a part of the charge (positive charge in this example) charged on (the electrode of) the reading light side electrode layer 5 is directly injected into the reading photoconductive layer 4. The positive charges directly injected into the reading photoconductive layer 4 move in the charge transport layer 3 and recombine with the stored charges (latent image polar charges) to eliminate the stored charges. Become. Since the disappearance of the accumulated charges due to the charge recombination is not caused by the irradiation of the reading light, it becomes a so-called noise component. On the other hand, when the blocking layer 7 is provided, the positive charges charged in the reading light-side electrode layer 5 are not injected into the reading photoconductive layer 4 due to the barrier potential, so that the positive charges Noise can be prevented from being generated by direct injection.

Further, as is well known, an amorphous selenium film is formed by interfacial crystallization (interfacial crys- tal) at an interface with another metal during a deposition process during film formation.
tallization) progresses. The electrostatic recording medium 10 of the present invention
Also, since the reading photoconductive layer 4 is formed after forming the reading light side electrode layer 5 on the support 8, the deposition of the reading photoconductive layer 4 and the subsequent charge transport layer 3 and recording light In the process of vapor deposition of the conductive layer 2 and the like, interface crystallization proceeds at the interface between the electrode material and a-Se, and a problem arises in that S / N is reduced because charge injection from the electrode is increased. When a transparent oxide film, particularly ITO, is used as the electrode material, interfacial crystallization at the interface between the electrode material and a-Se proceeds remarkably, and the S / N reduction becomes remarkable. However, since the blocking layer 7 made of an organic thin film is provided between the reading light side electrode layer 5 and the reading photoconductive layer 4 in the electrostatic recording medium 10 of the present invention, the blocking layer 7 is It can function as a suppression layer for suppressing interfacial crystallization of a-Se, and can prevent direct contact between the electrode material of the reading light-side electrode layer 5 and a-Se of the reading photoconductive layer 4. In this case, an effect of preventing chemical change of Se and preventing interface crystallization can be obtained. Therefore, the charge injection from the electrode does not increase, and the problem of S / N reduction due to interface crystallization can be solved.

In this embodiment, a resilient material is used as the blocking layer 7, and the blocking layer 7 reduces the thermal stress between the support 8 and the reading photoconductive layer 4. (Hereinafter referred to as a thermal stress buffer) It also functions as a buffer layer. It is preferable that the blocking layer 7 also functions as a layer for strengthening the adhesion between the reading photoconductive layer 4 and the reading light side electrode layer 5.

When the blocking layer 7 has a function of buffering thermal stress, the thermal stress due to the difference in thermal expansion between the photoconductive layer 4 for reading and the support 8 is reduced by the buffering action of the mechanical stress of the blocking layer 7. Since the support 8 can be softened, the material of the support 8 can be selected without considering the coefficient of thermal expansion of the reading photoconductive layer 4. For example, even when glass or the like is used, a thermal stress buffering effect that alleviates a thermal expansion mismatch between the glass substrate serving as the support 8 and the Se film serving as the reading photoconductive layer 4 occurs. Also, the problem of destruction due to the difference in thermal expansion does not occur.

Here, in order for the blocking layer 7 to also function as a buffer layer for relieving thermal stress, it is preferable to use, for example, an organic thin film layer having high elasticity. As the organic thin film, for example, polyamide or polyimide (p) disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,535,468 is used.
olyimide) or a thin film of an insulating organic polymer such as polyester, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, and polycarbonate, which is transparent to reading light (for example, blue light) and has good hole blocking performance. Can be used. Also, an organic binder and about 0.3 to 3 percent by weight of nigrosine (n
It is also possible to use a thin layer of a mixed film made of a low molecular organic material such as igrosine).

The thickness of the organic thin film is 0.05 to 5 μm
It is good to be about 0.1, but in terms of thermal stress buffer
While the range of 5 μm is preferable, the range of 0.05 to 0.5 μm is preferable for good blocking performance without residual images, and the range of 0.1 to 0.5 μm is preferable in view of the balance between the two.

When the electrostatic recording medium 10 is manufactured, first, a transparent oxide film such as ITO or IDIXO, which is easily etched, is formed on the support 8 to a predetermined thickness (for example, about 200 nm). The reading light side electrode layer 5 is formed as described above (see FIG. 2A).

After an ITO film or the like is formed, a process such as photoetching is performed to form an element 6a to form a stripe electrode 6 (see FIG. 2B).
According to this method, for example, a high-definition stripe pattern with a pixel pitch of about 50 to 200 μm suitable for medical use can be formed at low cost.

It should be noted that IDIXO is a film which is easily etched, and is used as an electrode member forming the element 6a.
When XO is used, the risk of melting the support 8 during the etching process is reduced, and the selection range of the support 8 is widened.

Next, a blocking layer forming material constituting the blocking layer 7 which also functions as a buffer layer was added to the element 6.
The material is applied in the longitudinal direction of the element 6a so as to conform to the length a, and formed into a film having a predetermined thickness (for example, about 200 nm). When the reading light-side electrode layer 5 is flat, the coating direction does not matter, and the coating can be performed by using a method such as spin coating. However, the present invention uses the spin coating. Is not preferred.

When the blocking layer 7, which also functions as a buffer layer against thermal stress, is formed by applying a blocking layer forming material in the longitudinal direction of the element 6 a, the stripe electrode 6 is formed on the support 8. later,
For example, the dip method (dippinng), the spray method (Sprayi)
ng), a bar coating method, a screen coating method, or the like, and a method in which a member, a nozzle, a brush, or the like is moved one-dimensionally and applied.

FIG. 2C shows a simple example of the dipping method. This dipping method is as follows.
This is a method in which the material 11 for the blocking layer 7 is filled, and the member 11 having the stripe electrodes 6 formed on the support 8 is immersed in the liquid 70 and pulled up along the longitudinal direction of the element 6a. This method can cope with the case where the size of the member 11, that is, the electrostatic recording medium 10 is large, only by using the container 40 corresponding thereto, and the film thickness can be adjusted by repeating the impregnation and the pulling up. There is an advantage that a material having a large thickness can be easily manufactured.

FIG. 3A shows that a blocking layer forming material is applied in the longitudinal direction of the element 6a.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a film is formed. As shown in the figure, the blocking layer 7 is continuously and satisfactorily applied over the upper surface 6b and the side surface 6c of the element 6a and the upper surface 8a of the support 8 without being discontinuous at the edge of the element 6a. Is completely covered with the blocking layer 7.

The element 6 made of a transparent oxide film
In the case where the transparent oxide film is made relatively thick (for example, about 2000 °) in order to reduce the resistance (line resistance) in the longitudinal direction of a, the edge step becomes large and steep as shown in FIG. Also, by applying an organic polymer in the longitudinal direction of the element 6a, the film thickness is 50 to 200 nm.
(0.05-0.2 μm), a continuous thin film can be formed satisfactorily, and good blocking characteristics can be obtained. Also,
By repeating the coating, the thickness can be further reduced to about 5 μm.

Further, since the blocking layer 7 can have a function as a buffer layer, thermal stress due to a difference in thermal expansion between the reading photoconductive layer 4 and the support 8 can be reduced.
Even under a special environment, the problem of destruction due to a difference in thermal expansion does not occur.

[0076] In contrast, after forming a thickness of 2000Å about thin ITO, when film of CeO ₂ of about 500Å are laminated by resistance heating vacuum deposition, 3
As shown in FIG. 3C, since the edge step between the element 6a and the support 8 is large and steep, the blocking film made of CeO ₂ cannot cover the entire edge, and the state shown in FIG. No film can be formed. For this reason, it is impossible to completely prevent dark current injection from the portion indicated by reference numeral 60 in FIG. 3C where the blocking film at the edge portion is not formed. Occurs. The problem is that the thicker the element 6a (reading light-side electrode layer 5), the greater the edge step, so that it is difficult to form a blocking film that continuously covers the entire surface, and the blocking performance is significantly deteriorated. become.

Next, a basic method of recording image information on the electrostatic recording medium 10 as an electrostatic latent image and reading out the recorded electrostatic latent image will be briefly described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram in which the electrostatic recording medium 10 is integrally formed with an electrostatic latent image recording device and an electrostatic latent image reading device for convenience. The recording device and the reading device are collectively referred to as a recording reading system. . In the drawing, the support 8 is omitted.

This recording / reading system includes an electrostatic recording medium 10
, A recording light irradiating unit 90, a power supply 70, a current detecting circuit 80 including a connecting unit S3 and a detecting amplifier 81, and a reading light scanning unit 93. The detecting amplifier 81 is individually connected to each element 6a. Being, element 6
a extending in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of a.
The image signal is obtained by scanning in the longitudinal direction (sub-scanning direction) of the element 6a with the line light as the reading light. Note that the electrostatic latent image recording device portion is the electrostatic recording body 1
0, power supply 70, recording light irradiation means 90, and connection means S
3, the electrostatic latent image reading device portion is an electrostatic recording body 10,
It comprises a current detection circuit 80 and reading light scanning means 93.

The reading light scanning means 93 scans the reading light L2, which is substantially uniform in a line, in the longitudinal direction of the element 6a (in the direction of the arrow in the figure) while making the reading light L2 substantially orthogonal to the element 6a of the reading light side electrode layer 5. Is what you do. If the electrostatic recording medium 10 having the stripe electrodes 6 is used, it is not necessary to scan with a spot light such as a laser beam, so that the configuration of the scanning optical system can be made extremely simple and low cost. Since a coherent light source can be used, the occurrence of interference fringe noise can also be prevented.

The current detection circuit 80 includes the reading light side electrode layer 5
A detection amplifier 81 connected to each element 6a is provided, and the recording light-side electrode layer 1 of the electrostatic recording medium 10 is connected to one input of the connection means S3 and the negative electrode of the power supply 70. The positive electrode of 70 is connected to the other input of the connection means S3. The output of the connection means S3 is commonly connected to a non-inverting input terminal (+) of an operational amplifier 81a constituting each detection amplifier 81. Each element 6a
It is individually connected to the inverting input terminal (-) of the operational amplifier 81a. The detection amplifier 81 has a charge amplifier configuration including an operational amplifier 81a, an integrating capacitor 81c, and a switch 81d. Note that the detection amplifier 81
May have, for example, a current-voltage conversion circuit configuration.

The process of recording an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic recording medium 10 will be described with reference to a cross-sectional view of the electrostatic recording medium 10 shown in FIG. In the drawing, the support 8 is omitted.

Basically, it is similar to the case where the electrode of the reading light side electrode layer is a flat plate electrode, but the method of accumulating electric charges in the electric storage unit 23 is slightly different. First, a DC voltage is applied between the recording light side electrode layer 1 and each element 6a of the reading light side electrode layer 5 to charge both electrode layers. As a result, a U-shaped electric field is formed between the recording light side electrode layer 1 and the element 6a of the reading light side electrode layer 5, and most of the recording photoconductive layer 2 has a substantially parallel electric field. However, a portion where no electric field exists is generated at the interface between the photoconductive layer 2 and the charge transport layer 3 (see Z in FIG. 5A). As the total thickness of the charge transport layer 3 and the reading photoconductive layer 4 is smaller than the thickness of the recording photoconductive layer 2, and the ratio of the width to the pitch of the element 6a is smaller (75% or less). It is more preferable if the thickness of the charge transport layer 3 and the thickness of the reading photoconductive layer 4 are substantially equal to or less than the pitch of the element 6a.
A portion where such an electric field does not exist is clearly formed.

Next, the recording light irradiation means 90 uniformly radiates the radiation L1 toward the subject 9. The radiation L1 passes through the transmitting portion 9a of the subject 9, and further passes through the recording light-side electrode layer 1. The recording photoconductive layer 2 receives the transmitted radiation L1 (radiation after the subject 9 becomes recording light), and receives the radiation L1.
A charge pair of electron (negative charge; latent image polarity charge in this example) and hole (positive charge; transport polarity charge in this example) is generated according to the dose (light amount) of the sample, and becomes conductive.

The positive charge of the pair of positive and negative charges generated in the recording photoconductive layer 2 moves at a high speed in the photoconductive layer 2 toward the recording light side electrode layer 1, and And photoconductive layer 2
At the interface with the recording light side electrode layer 1 and recombine with the negative charges charged on the recording light side electrode layer 1 to disappear. On the other hand, the negative charges generated in the photoconductive layer 2 move toward the charge transfer layer 3 while being concentrated on the element 6a along the U-shaped electric field distribution (see FIG. 5B). The charge transfer layer 3 is a recording light side electrode layer 1
Since it acts as an insulator against the latent image polarity charge (negative charge in this example) having the same polarity as the
The negative charges that have moved in the photoconductive layer 2 stop at the power storage unit 23 formed at the interface between the photoconductive layer 2 and the charge transfer layer 3,
An electrostatic latent image is accumulated and recorded around the element 6a (see FIG. 5C). The amount of charge stored is determined by the amount of negative charge generated in the recording photoconductive layer 2, that is, the amount of radiation L1 transmitted through the subject 9. When the amount of the radiation L1 is small, the negative charges are attracted to the center of the element 6a so that the accumulated charges are separated for each element 6a, and the accumulated charges are accumulated together with the elements 6a. Element 6a
, The electrostatic latent image can be recorded with high sharpness (spatial resolution). Further, by concentrating the electric field on each element 6a, the reading efficiency can be increased and the S / N can be increased.
In today's advanced semiconductor formation technology, it is easy to form the elements 6a at sufficiently small intervals, so that such an electrostatic recording medium 10 can be easily manufactured. On the other hand, since the radiation L1 does not pass through the light-shielding portion 9b of the subject 9, the portion below the light-shielding portion 9b of the electrostatic recording medium 10 does not change at all.

In this way, by irradiating the subject 9 with the radiation L 1, charges corresponding to the subject image are stored at the power storage unit 23 formed at the interface between the recording photoconductive layer 2 and the charge transfer layer 3.
Will be able to accumulate. Note that the subject image carried by the accumulated latent image polar charges is called an electrostatic latent image. As is clear from the above description, the configuration of the apparatus for recording an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic recording medium 10 according to the present invention is extremely simple, and the recording operation is also extremely simple.

When reading the electrostatic latent image recorded in this way, the connecting means S3 is connected to the recording light side electrode layer 1 side of the electrostatic recording medium 10 and is statically connected via the imaginary short of the operational amplifier 81a. The electric potential of both the electrode layers 1 and 5 of the electrophotographic recording medium 10 is set to the same potential to rearrange the electric charges. Next, the reading light scanning means 93 scans the element 6a in the longitudinal direction with the linear reading light L2. The reading light L2 passes through the reading light-side electrode layer 5, and the reading photoconductive layer 4 irradiated with the reading light L2 becomes conductive according to the scanning. This depends on the fact that the recording photoconductive layer 2 exhibits conductivity by receiving the irradiation of the radiation L1 to produce a positive / negative charge pair, similarly to the fact that the recording photoconductive layer 2 exhibits conductivity by receiving the reading light L2. Is what you do.

Power storage unit 23 storing latent image polarity charges
(The interface between the recording photoconductive layer 2 and the charge transport layer 3) and the element 6a are provided between the read photoconductive layer 4 and the charge transport layer 3.
, And a very strong electric field (strong electric field) is formed according to the amount of the latent image polar charges. Here, the charge transport layer 3 acts as a conductor for the transport polarity charge (positive charge in this example), so the positive charge generated in the reading photoconductive layer 4 is a latent image of the power storage unit 23. It moves rapidly in the charge transport layer 3 so as to be attracted to the polar charge, and
And recombine with the latent image polar charge to disappear. On the other hand, the negative charges generated in the reading photoconductive layer 4 recombine with the positive charges of the reading light side electrode layer 5 and disappear. The photoconductive layer 4 is scanned with a sufficient amount of light by the reading light L2, and all the electrostatic latent images carried by the latent image polar charges stored in the power storage unit 23 are eliminated by charge recombination. As described above, the disappearance of the charges accumulated in the electrostatic recording medium 10 means that a current flows due to the movement of the charges in the electrostatic recording medium 10.

A current detection circuit 80 is connected to the electrostatic recording medium 10, and this current charges the integration capacitor 81c of the detection amplifier 81 connected to each element 6a, and integrates according to the amount of current flowing. Capacitor 81c
And the voltage across the integrating capacitor 81c rises. Therefore, for each detection amplifier 81, the switch 81d is turned on between the pixels being scanned by the reading light L2 to discharge the electric charge accumulated in the integration capacitor 81c, so that both ends of the integration capacitor 81c are successively placed. And a change in voltage corresponding to the accumulated charge of each pixel is observed. Since this change in voltage corresponds to the charge of each pixel stored in the electrostatic recording medium 10, the electrostatic latent image can be read by detecting the change in voltage.

As described above, when the electrostatic latent image is read from the electrostatic recording medium 10 by scanning in the longitudinal direction of the element 6a with the linear read light L2, the individual detection amplifiers 81
Thus, image signals can be obtained in parallel in the main scanning direction, and the reading time can be reduced.

The smaller the total thickness of the reading photoconductive layer 4 and the charge transporting layer 3 (the sum of both thicknesses) is, the smaller the thickness of the recording photoconductive layer 2 is. Is performed rapidly, so that reading can be performed at high speed. Furthermore, if the mobility of the negative charge in the charge transport layer 3 is sufficiently smaller than the mobility of the positive charge (for example, 1
/ 10 ³ or less), and the accumulating property of accumulated charges is improved, and the preservability of the electrostatic latent image is improved.

Further, since the reading light-side electrode layer 5 has a stripe shape, the distribution capacitance of the charge transport layer 3 and the reading photoconductive layer 4 is reduced, and the detection amplifier 81 is less affected by noise. Since the pixel can be fixed at least at the element interval (pixel pitch), the image data can be corrected in accordance with the arrangement of the elements 6a, and the structure noise can be corrected accurately.

The element 6a of the reading light side electrode layer 5
And the latent image polarity charge are attracted, and the transport polarity charge generated by irradiation of the reading light L2 according to the electric field makes it easier to erase the latent image polarity charge, and it is possible to maintain high sharpness even when reading The effect is particularly high on the low light amount side during recording (that is, when the accumulated charge amount is small). If the space between the elements 6a has a light-shielding property with respect to the reading light L2, the sharpness can be further improved.

Further, since the electric field intensity of the reading photoconductive layer 4 is increased in the vicinity of the element 6a, a charge pair is generated by the reading light L2 in this strong electric field, so that the efficiency of ion dissociation of excitons increases. Since the quantum efficiency of the generation of charge pairs can be brought close to 1, the reading efficiency can be improved, the S / N can be increased, and the light energy density can be reduced. Furthermore, the capacity of the charge transport layer 3 and the capacity of the reading photoconductive layer 4 can be reduced, and the signal extraction efficiency at the time of reading can be increased.

As described above, in the laminated structure of the image recording medium described in US Pat. No. 4,535,468, it is difficult to form a stripe electrode in the final step of film formation. It is difficult to obtain, and the significance of forming an electrostatic recording medium to which the present invention is applied, in which the reading light side electrode layer is formed from the support side, is significant.

When the space between the elements 6a has a light-shielding property with respect to the reading light L2 and a light-shielding portion and a transmission portion are provided at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction (scanning direction) of the element, a so-called sword-like structure is obtained. A portion corresponding to the eye is formed as a reading light transmitting portion, and it is possible to avoid a decrease in spatial resolution due to light leakage with an adjacent reading light transmitting portion at the time of reading even in the longitudinal direction of the element 6a, Scanning exposure is performed in parallel with a substantially small spot beam, and a read image with extremely high sharpness can be obtained without converging the reading light L2 so much.

Next, a second embodiment of the image recording medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
6A is a perspective view of the electrostatic recording medium 20, FIG. 6B is an XZ sectional view of a Q arrow finger part, and FIG. 6C is an XY sectional view of a P arrow finger part.

This electrostatic recording medium 20 has the recording light side electrode layer 2
1, a recording photoconductive layer 22, a charge transport layer 30, a reading photoconductive layer 24, a blocking layer 31, a reading light side electrode layer 25,
A support (not shown) that is permeable to reading light,
They are laminated in this order. Reading light side electrode layer 25
Other layers are the same as those of the electrostatic recording medium 10 according to the first embodiment. In the power storage unit 29 at the interface between the recording photoconductive layer 22 and the charge transport layer 23, a large number of discrete square microplates 28 are arranged at intervals between adjacent microplates 28. .

The reading-light-side electrode layer 25 includes a stripe electrode 26 formed by arranging a large number of elements (linear electrodes) 26a in a stripe shape and a large number of elements (linear electrodes) 27a.
And a sub-electrode 27 arranged in a stripe pattern. The elements 26a and 27a are arranged so that the elements 26a and the elements 27a are alternately arranged. Blocking layer 3 between both elements
1 is interposed, and the stripe electrode 26 and the sub-electrode 27 are electrically insulated. The sub-electrode 27
This is a conductive member for outputting an electric signal of a level corresponding to the amount of the latent image charge stored in the power storage unit 29 formed substantially at the interface between the recording photoconductive layer 22 and the charge transport layer 23.

The sub-electrode 27 is coated with a metal such as AL or Cr and formed so as to have a light-shielding property with respect to the reading light L2. However, a small number of charge pairs can be generated by the slight reading light transmitted through the element 27a.

The length of each side of the microplate 28 is set to be substantially the same as the arrangement pitch of the elements 26a, that is, the dimension is set to be approximately the same as the minimum resolvable pixel pitch. Of the sub-electrode 27 as well as directly above. As a result, the latent image charges accumulated on the microplate 28 are always kept at the same potential, can freely move on the microplate 28, and discharge at the time of reading becomes easy. . In addition,
The microplate 28 may be arranged so that the center thereof is located directly above the element 27a, so that charges around the pixels can be more easily collected.

The microplate 28 is deposited on the charge transport layer 30 using, for example, vacuum evaporation or chemical deposition, and is made of a single metal such as gold, silver, aluminum, copper, chromium, titanium, platinum, or indium oxide. It can be made from an extremely thin film. The microplate 28
It can be deposited as a continuous layer, which is then etched to form a plurality of individual discrete microplates having dimensions in the same range as the smallest resolvable pixel. These discrete microplates can be made using optical microfabrication techniques such as laser ablation or photoetching ("Imaging Procesing &Materials").
Chapter 18, "Imaging for Microfabrication" (JMSha
w, IBM Watson Research center)).

The blocking layer 31 is formed of the same material and in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The function of the blocking layer 31 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
7 also functions to prevent dark current noise generated at the edge 7 from accumulating in the power storage unit 29 and becoming offset noise.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic recording medium according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7A is a perspective view, and FIG. Sectional view, FIG. 7 (C)
FIG. 4 is an XY cross-sectional view of a P arrow finger part. In FIG. 7, the electrostatic recording medium 20 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG.
The same reference numerals are given to the same elements as the elements described above, and the description thereof will be omitted unless otherwise required. The electrostatic recording medium 20a according to the third embodiment is different from the electrostatic recording medium 20a according to the third embodiment.
While removing the microplate 28,
The stripe electrode 26 and the sub-electrode 27 are connected, and the sub-electrode 27 is positively used for forming an electric field distribution.

The method and material for forming the blocking layer 31 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

Next, a basic method of recording image information on the electrostatic recording medium 20a as an electrostatic latent image and reading out the recorded electrostatic latent image will be briefly described. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a recording and reading system using the electrostatic recording medium 20a.

This recording / reading system uses the electrostatic recording medium 20
a, a recording light irradiation unit 90 (not shown), a current detection circuit 71 as an image signal acquisition unit, a reading light scanning unit 93
(Not shown). The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted unless necessary.

The current detection circuit 71 obtains an image signal of a level corresponding to the amount of the latent image charge by reading out the charge corresponding to the latent image charge stored in the power storage unit 29 via the sub-electrode 27. A large number of current detection amplifiers (not shown) are connected to each element 26a of the stripe electrode 26.

By applying a control voltage so that the stripe electrode 26 and the sub-electrode 27 have the same potential, the electric field distribution formed between the recording light side electrode layer 21 and the reading light side electrode layer 25 is made uniform. it can. In the present embodiment, the stripe electrode 26 and the sub-electrode 27 are at the ground potential both during recording and during reading.

Next, a method of recording image information as an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic recording medium 20a and reading out the recorded electrostatic latent image in the recording and reading system having the above-described configuration will be described. First, the process of recording an electrostatic latent image will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the charge model shown in FIG. In addition,
The negative charge (-) and the positive charge (+) generated in the photoconductive layer 22 by the recording light L1 are represented by enclosing-or + in the drawing.

When an electrostatic latent image is recorded on the electrostatic recording medium 20a, a DC voltage is applied between the recording light side electrode layer 21, the stripe electrode 26 and the sub-electrode 27, and both are charged. Next, the subject 9 is bombarded with radiation, and the recording light L1 carrying the radiation image information of the subject 9 passing through the transmitting portion 9a of the subject 9 is irradiated on the electrostatic recording body 20a. Then, a positive / negative charge pair is generated in the recording photoconductive layer 22 of the electrostatic recording medium 20a, and the negative charge in the pair moves to the power storage unit 29 along the above-described electric field distribution. At this time, the negative charge is
a and the element 27a is stored at a position corresponding to the element 27a.

On the other hand, the positive charges generated in the recording photoconductive layer 22 move at high speed toward the recording light side electrode layer 21, and from the power source 72 at the interface between the recording light side electrode layer 21 and the photoconductive layer 22. The charge is recombined with the injected negative charge and disappears. In addition, since the recording light L1 does not pass through the light-shielding portion 9b of the subject 9, the portion below the light-shielding portion 9b of the electrostatic recording medium 20a does not change at all.

In this way, the recording light L1 is bombarded onto the subject 9 so that the charge corresponding to the subject image is transferred to the photoconductive layer 2.
2 can be stored in the power storage unit 29 at the interface between the charge transfer layer 23. Since the amount of the accumulated latent image charge (negative charge) is substantially proportional to the dose of the radiation transmitted through the subject 9 and incident on the electrostatic recording medium 20a, the latent image charge carries the electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is recorded on the electrostatic recording body 20a.

Next, when reading the electrostatic latent image from the electrostatic recording medium 20a, the recording light side electrode layer 21 is set to the ground potential,
By moving the reading light irradiating means in the longitudinal direction of the element 26a, that is, by sub-scanning, the entire surface of the electrostatic recording body 20a is scanned and exposed with the linear reading light L2. The scanning light L2 corresponding to the sub-scanning position is obtained by the scanning exposure of the reading light L2.
A positive / negative charge pair is generated in the photoconductive layer 24 on which is incident.

Then, the latent image charges of the portions corresponding to the two elements 27a, ie, the sky portions of both elements 27a are sequentially read out via the two elements 27a. That is, as shown in FIG. 8B, a discharge is generated from the element 26a located at the center of the pixel toward the latent image charge (in the sky) corresponding to the element 27a on both sides thereof, whereby reading is performed. proceed. In addition,
In order to extract more signal charges, the element 27
It is better to make the width of a larger than the width of the element 26a.

In the electrostatic recording medium 20 a, the power storage unit 29 is interposed via the reading photoconductive layer 24 and the charge transport layer 30.
And a sub-electrode 27 forms a capacitor C _{* c} . Note that even if the sub-electrode 27 is provided, the recording photoconductive layer 2
2, the capacitance C _a of the capacitor C _{* a} formed between the electrode layer 21 and the power storage unit 29, and the reading photoconductive layer 2
The 4 and the capacitance C _b of the capacitor C _{* b} formed between the power storage unit 29 and the stripe electrode 26 through the charge transporting layer 23, does not appear substantially greater impact.

[0116] In this case, the capacitor _C * b, and consider the capacity of _{C * c,} the capacitance ratio _{C *} b: the _{C * c,} each element 26a, the width of the 27a ratio _W b: the _{W c.} Accordingly, the amount of positive charge Q _{+ b} distributed to the capacitor C _{* b} during reading can be relatively reduced as compared with the case where the sub-electrode 27 is not provided, and the current flowing to the outside from the electrostatic recording medium 20a can be reduced. Can be made relatively larger than when the sub-electrode 27 is not provided.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic recording medium according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9A is a perspective view, and FIG. Sectional view, FIG. 9 (C)
FIG. 4 is an XY cross-sectional view of a P arrow finger part. In FIG. 9, the electrostatic recording medium 20 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG.
The same reference numerals are given to the same elements as the elements described above, and the description thereof will be omitted unless otherwise required. The electrostatic recording medium 20b according to the fourth embodiment is different from the electrostatic recording medium 20
And the element 26a of the stripe electrode 26 and the element 27a of the sub-electrode 27 are alternately provided in one pixel. In the illustrated electrostatic recording medium 20a, three elements 26a and 27a are provided in one pixel, respectively. When recording and reading are performed using the electrostatic recording medium 20b, the elements 26a and 27a may be handled collectively in units of one pixel. If the size of one pixel of the electrostatic recording bodies 20 and 20b is the same, each element 26a,
The width W _b ′, W _c ′ of 27 a is set smaller than the width W _b , W _{c of the} electrostatic recording body 20. In today's advanced semiconductor formation technology, both elements 26a, 27a
Is easily formed sufficiently narrow, and the electrostatic recording medium 20b can be easily manufactured.

Thus, as compared with the electrostatic recording medium 20a according to the third embodiment, the distance D1 between the power storage unit 29 and the electrode layer 25 and the two elements 26a, 27a
It is easy to increase the ratio D1 / D2 of the distance D2 between them. As a result, the discharge from the element 26a to the latent image charge corresponding to the element 27a on both sides thereof becomes easy, and the reading time can be made shorter than that of the electrostatic recording body 20a. This is particularly effective when the microplate 28 is not provided.

The method and material for forming the blocking layer 31 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic recording medium according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10B is a perspective view, FIG.
0 (C) is an XY cross-sectional view of the P arrow finger part. Note that FIG.
In FIG. 6, the same elements as those of the electrostatic recording medium 20 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted unless otherwise necessary. This fifth
The electrostatic recording medium 20c according to the embodiment has a configuration in which the charge transport layer 23 of the electrostatic recording medium 20a is removed.

The method and material for forming the blocking layer 31 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

Although the preferred embodiments of the image recording medium and the method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments.

For example, in the above description, the recording light-side electrode layer is charged with a negative charge, and the reading light-side electrode layer is charged with a positive charge, so that a charge storage layer formed at the interface between the recording photoconductive layer and the charge transport layer is formed. Although it has been described that the negative charge is accumulated in the portion, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a thing, each may be a charge of the opposite polarity, when reversing the polarity in this way, It is only necessary to make a slight change such as changing the charge transport layer functioning as a hole transport layer to a charge transport layer functioning as an electron transport layer.

For example, the above-mentioned amorphous selenium a-Se, lead oxide (II), lead iodide (I
Photoconductive materials such as I) can be used as well, and N-trinitrofluorenylidene aniline (TN
FA) Dielectrics, trinitrofluorenone (TNF) / polyester dispersions, and asymmetric diphenoquinone derivatives are suitable, and the above-mentioned metal-free phthalocyanines and metal phthalocyanines can be similarly used as the photoconductive layer for reading.

In the above embodiment, the power storage unit is formed at the interface between the recording photoconductive layer and the charge transport layer. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as described in the above-mentioned US Pat. No. 4,535,468. Alternatively, the power storage unit may be formed by a trap layer that stores the latent image polarity charge as a trap.

In any of the modifications, a stripe electrode or a stripe electrode and a sub-electrode are formed on a support having transparency to reading light, and the stripe electrode or the stripe electrode and the sub-electrode are formed on the support.
A blocking layer having transparency to reading light and blocking performance against charge injection from the element is formed continuously over the top and side surfaces of the element, that is, at least the entire surface of each linear electrode. May be covered with a blocking layer.

In the above-described embodiment, the first electrode layer (reading light side electrode layer) that transmits the reading light and the reading light transmitting electrode are formed on the support that transmits the reading light. A reading photoconductive layer that exhibits conductivity when irradiated, a power storage unit that stores a latent image polar charge generated in the recording photoconductive layer, and a recording light that exhibits conductivity when irradiated with the recording light It is assumed that an image recording medium is formed by laminating a conductive layer and a second electrode layer (recording light-side electrode layer) having transparency to recording light in this order. The content of the present invention described above can be applied to a structure in which at least one photoconductive layer is formed on a support having transparency to reading light. It is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an electrostatic recording medium to which the present invention is applied, and FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing an electrostatic recording medium according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views showing steps in the course of manufacturing an electrostatic recording medium using the manufacturing method of the present invention, and cross-sectional views showing steps in the course of manufacturing by a method other than the present invention (C). )

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram integrally showing an electrostatic latent image recording apparatus and an electrostatic latent image reading apparatus using the electrostatic recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a recording process using the electrostatic recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an electrostatic recording medium according to a second embodiment of the present invention (A), an XZ sectional view of an arrow Q part (B), and an XY sectional view of an arrow P (C).

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an electrostatic recording medium according to a third embodiment of the present invention (A), an XZ sectional view of an arrow Q part (B), and an XY sectional view of an arrow P (C).

FIG. 8 shows a charge model (A) showing a process of recording an electrostatic latent image and a charge model (B) showing a process of reading an electrostatic latent image when the electrostatic recording medium according to the third embodiment of the present invention is used. )

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an electrostatic recording medium according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention (A), an XZ sectional view of an arrow Q part (B), and an XY sectional view of an arrow P (C).

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an electrostatic recording medium according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention (A), an XZ sectional view of an arrow Q part (B), and an XY sectional view of an arrow P (C).

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 20a, 20b, 20c Electrostatic recording medium 1, 21 Recording light side electrode layer (second electrode layer) 2, 22 Recording photoconductive layer 3, 30 Charge transport layer 4, 24 Reading photoconductive layer 5, 25 Reading light side electrode layer (first electrode layer) 6, 26 Stripe electrode 6a, 26a Element (linear electrode) 7, 31 Blocking layer 8 Support 23, 29 Power storage unit 27 Sub-electrode 28 Microplate 70 Power supply 80, 71 Current Detection circuit 81 Detection amplifier

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A stripe electrode formed by arranging a large number of linear electrodes on a support that is permeable to electromagnetic waves for reading, and has transparency to the electromagnetic waves for reading. First
An electrode layer, a reading photoconductive layer that exhibits conductivity by being irradiated with the reading electromagnetic wave, a power storage unit that accumulates latent image polar charges, and the latent image that is irradiated with the recording electromagnetic wave. An image recording medium comprising: a recording photoconductive layer that generates a polar charge; and a second electrode layer that is permeable to the recording electromagnetic wave, stacked in this order, wherein the reading photoconductive layer and the first Between the electrode layer, a blocking layer having transparency to the electromagnetic wave for reading and having a blocking performance against charge injection from each of the linear electrodes extends over the upper surface and side surfaces of each of the linear electrodes. An image recording medium provided continuously. 2. A plurality of linear electrodes for generating photocharge pairs in a photoconductive layer for reading on a support having transparency to electromagnetic waves for reading on irradiation with the electromagnetic waves for reading. A first stripe electrode in which a first stripe electrode and a second stripe electrode composed of a number of linear electrodes for non-generation of photocharges in the photoconductive layer for reading with respect to the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave are alternately arranged substantially in parallel.
An electrode layer, the reading photoconductive layer that exhibits conductivity by being irradiated with the reading electromagnetic wave, a power storage unit that stores a latent image polarity charge, and the recording medium that is irradiated with the recording electromagnetic wave. An image recording medium comprising a recording photoconductive layer that generates an image polarity charge, and a second electrode layer that is permeable to the recording electromagnetic wave, stacked in this order, wherein the reading photoconductive layer and the second Image recording, wherein a blocking layer having transparency to the reading electromagnetic wave and blocking performance against charge injection from each of the linear electrodes is provided between the first electrode layer and the first electrode layer. Medium. 3. The image recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said blocking layer is made of an organic thin film. 4. The image recording medium according to claim 3, wherein said organic thin film is made of an organic polymer material. 5. The image recording medium according to claim 4, wherein said organic thin film is a mixed film comprising an organic binder and a low molecular weight organic material. 6. A stripe electrode formed by arranging a large number of linear electrodes on a support having transparency to electromagnetic waves for reading, wherein said stripe electrodes are transparent to said electromagnetic waves for reading. A first electrode layer, a blocking layer that is permeable to the reading electromagnetic wave and has a blocking performance with respect to charge injection from the linear electrodes, and is electrically conductive by being irradiated with the reading electromagnetic wave. A reading photoconductive layer exhibiting a property, a power storage unit for storing a latent image polar charge, and a recording photoconductive layer for generating the latent image polar charge by being irradiated with a recording electromagnetic wave; and In a method for manufacturing an image recording medium, in which a second electrode layer having transparency to electromagnetic waves is laminated in this order, the blocking layer is coated with a blocking layer forming material in a longitudinal direction of the linear electrode. Method for manufacturing an image recording medium, characterized by further formed. 7. A plurality of linear electrodes for generating photocharge pairs in a photoconductive layer for reading upon irradiation of the electromagnetic waves for reading on a support having transparency to the electromagnetic waves for reading. A first stripe electrode in which a first stripe electrode and a second stripe electrode composed of a number of linear electrodes for non-generation of photocharges in the photoconductive layer for reading with respect to the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave are alternately arranged substantially in parallel.
An electrode layer, a blocking layer having a transmitting property with respect to the reading electromagnetic wave and having a blocking performance with respect to charge injection from each of the linear electrodes, and having a conductivity by being irradiated with the reading electromagnetic wave; A reading photoconductive layer to be presented, a power storage unit for storing a latent image polarity charge, a recording photoconductive layer for generating the latent image polarity charge by being irradiated with a recording electromagnetic wave, and In a method for manufacturing an image recording medium, in which a second electrode layer having transparency is laminated in this order, the blocking layer is formed by applying a blocking layer forming material in a longitudinal direction of the linear electrode. A method for manufacturing an image recording medium, comprising: