JP3291187B2 - Electrophotographic photoreceptor, method of manufacturing the same, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member used in an electrophotographic system in which corona discharge is unnecessary and exposure and development can be performed at substantially the same time, a method of manufacturing the same, and an image forming apparatus. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electrophotographic image forming methods include:
Conventionally, a charging means such as a corona charger, an exposing means, a developing means, a transferring means, a fixing means, a cleaning means, a discharging means, etc. are arranged around a drum-shaped or belt-shaped electrophotographic photoreceptor, and charging and exposure The Carlson method of forming an image on recording paper through each of development, transfer, fixing, cleaning, and charge removal processes is widely used.

However, in the Carlson method, the structure of the apparatus and the image forming process are complicated, and when a corona charger is used, a high-voltage power supply is required for corona discharge, and ozone is generated during corona discharge. As a result, there are problems such as adversely affecting each part of the apparatus and the surrounding environment where the apparatus is placed.

On the other hand, JP-A-58-44445, JP-A-58-153957, JP-A-61-46961, and JP-A-62-28077
No. 2, etc., or Journal of the Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan, Vol. 16, No. 5, 1987
For example, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and an image forming method that do not use corona discharge have been proposed.

According to the electrophotographic method proposed above, a light-transmitting support is provided on a drum-shaped or belt-shaped photoreceptor in which a light-transmitting conductive layer and a photoconductive layer are sequentially laminated on a light-transmitting support. The surface of the photoconductor is rubbed with a magnetic brush made of conductive magnetic toner on a developing device to which a bias voltage is applied by a power supply for developing bias while being exposed from the body side by an exposing device, thereby charging and developing. Performed almost simultaneously, forming a toner image on the photoreceptor. The toner image is transferred to recording paper using a transfer roller and fixed by a fixing unit to form a recorded image. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the photoreceptor is collected by a developing device and reused.

The light-transmitting conductive layer is disclosed in
As described in US Pat. No. 239569, indium tin oxide (ITO) or tin oxide (SnO
₂ ) is used. These can be formed by a vacuum film forming method or a coating and firing method.

Further, as the light-transmitting conductive layer, copper iodide (C
uI) is also attracting attention because it is an inexpensive translucent conductive material. The CuI film can be formed by a simple method such as evaporating a Cu thin film and exposing it to iodine vapor at room temperature, as described in, for example, the Journal of the Institute of Electrophotography, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 10-14. It has a resistance value of the order of 10 ³ Ω / □, which is higher than that of ITO or SnO ₂ , but is at a level usable as a light-transmitting conductive layer.
No. 9 and JP-A-4-270360 describe examples of use.

On the other hand, glass is generally used as the translucent support. However, translucent plastics are cheaper than glass and can be easily obtained with high dimensional accuracy. ing. However, since the translucent plastic is inferior in heat resistance, there has been a problem that a coating and baking method which requires a high temperature treatment cannot be used as a process for forming a film of ITO or SnO ₂ . Further, there is a problem that the cost is increased in the vacuum film forming method using a vacuum device.

Therefore, when a translucent plastic is used for the translucent support, it is considered that a CuI layer that does not require high-temperature treatment is most suitable for the translucent conductive layer.

[0010]

However, CuI
The layer has a resistance value of a little higher than 10 ³ Ω / □, which is close to the upper limit that can be used as a light-transmitting conductive layer. If the electrical contact state with the external electrode portion formed at the end is poor, the contact resistance between the translucent conductive layer and the ground increases, and the residual potential at the time of exposure of the photoconductor increases, resulting in the formation. However, there is a problem that the density of the resulting image is reduced.

The method of forming the CuI layer is as follows.
Conventionally, a technique of depositing a Cu thin film on a support and iodizing it has been adopted, but there has been a problem that the Cu thin film deposited on the support is easily peeled off due to internal stress.

[0012] In addition, the productivity of the Cu thin film is low due to the vacuum process, so that the productivity is low and the vapor deposition apparatus needs to be carefully controlled.

The present invention has been accomplished as a result of intensive studies by the present inventors to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to achieve good adhesion to a light-transmitting support and external electrode portions. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member suitable for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that does not use corona discharge and includes a light-transmitting conductive layer made of a CuI layer having good electrical connection with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for a high-temperature treatment for forming the light-transmitting conductive layer and the external electrode portion on the light-transmitting support. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing the above-mentioned electrophotographic photosensitive member, which can use a light-transmitting plastic having excellent transparency.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the above electrophotographic photosensitive member, capable of obtaining an image of low cost and good image quality and eliminating the need for corona discharge. Is to do.

[0016]

According to the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising: a light-transmitting support; and a light-transmitting conductive material comprising a copper iodide layer formed on substantially the entire surface of the light-transmitting support. A layer, an external electrode portion comprising a copper layer formed at an end on the light-transmitting support for electrically connecting the light-transmitting conductive layer and an external circuit, and the light-transmitting conductive layer And a photoconductive layer laminated thereon.

In the method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to the present invention, the method may further comprise forming a copper layer over a region on the light-transmitting support where the light-transmitting conductive layer and the external electrode portion are formed. Forming a light-transmissive conductive layer made of a copper iodide layer and an external electrode part made of a copper layer by iodizing a region of the copper layer other than the end of the light-transmitting support. It is assumed that.

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention also includes the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to the present invention described above, developing means provided on the photoconductive layer side of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, Exposure means for irradiating the electrophotographic photoreceptor with an image exposure light, and applying an voltage to the light-transmitting conductive layer to the developing means so as to form an image with a developer on the electrophotographic photoreceptor. It is characterized by irradiating exposure light.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to the present invention, a method for manufacturing the same, and an image forming apparatus will be described in detail. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Making changes is fine.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing examples of the structure of the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a light-transmitting support, 2 denotes a light-transmitting conductive layer formed of a copper iodide layer formed on substantially the entire surface of the light-transmitting support 1, and 3 denotes a light-transmitting support 1. Is an external electrode portion made of a copper layer formed on the upper end of the external electrode. The external electrode portion 3 is provided with a light-transmitting conductive layer 2
And an external circuit (not shown) for electrically connecting the light-transmitting conductive layer 2 to ground and applying a bias voltage.

4 is a photoconductive layer, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the photoconductive layer 4 is composed of a single layer, and FIG. 2 shows a photoconductive layer 4 in which a charge generation layer 5 and a charge transport layer 6 are sequentially formed. An example in which the components are stacked is shown. When the photoconductive layer 4 is composed of a single layer as shown in FIG. 1, for example, a layer formed by including a charge generating substance in a charge transport layer may be used. In each of the examples, a surface layer is laminated on the photoconductive layer 4,
Various underlayers may be stacked under the photoconductive layer 4.

The transparent support 1 is made of a transparent inorganic material such as glass such as soda glass or borosilicate glass, quartz or sapphire, or a fluororesin, polyester, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polymethacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate or vinylon. -It is made of a transparent organic resin material such as epoxy, mylar, and polymethylpentene (trade name: TPX), and is provided in a drum shape or a belt shape.

In the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention and the method of manufacturing the same, since the light-transmitting conductive layer 2 is formed by a low-temperature process as described later, it is necessary to use an inexpensive light-transmitting plastic having excellent dimensional accuracy. it can.

Above all, by using polymethylpentene as the translucent support 1, a copper layer formed by electroless plating described later can be formed with good adhesion. further,
Since polymethylpentene has excellent solvent resistance, it has an advantage that its properties do not change even when an organic photoconductive material (OPC) is applied.

The light-transmitting conductive layer 2 and the external electrode portion 3 can be formed on the light-transmitting support 1 by, for example, the methods shown in the sectional views of FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a light-transmitting conductive layer 2 and a copper (Cu) layer 7 serving as an external electrode portion 3 are formed on a light-transmitting support 1. The Cu layer 7 is formed by vacuum deposition, active reactive deposition, ion plating, RF sputtering, DC sputtering, RF magnetron sputtering, DC magnetron sputtering,
It is formed on almost the entire surface of the transparent support 1 by a vacuum film forming method such as a thermal CVD method, a plasma CVD method, a catalytic CVD method, or a glow discharge decomposition method, or a wet process such as an electroless plating method. The thickness of the Cu layer 7 is 0.01 to
3 μm, preferably 0.03 to 2 μm.

In particular, when a translucent plastic is used for the translucent support 1, it is preferable to use an electroless plating method as the method for forming the Cu layer 7. According to the results confirmed by experiments by the present inventor, the Cu layer 7 formed by the electroless plating method can be formed with a high adhesive force to plastic, and particularly, on the light-transmitting support 1 made of polymethylpentene. It has been found that when the Cu layer 7 is formed by the electroless plating method, practically good adhesion is obtained.

When the Cu layer 7 is formed by the electroless plating method, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the translucent support 1 before performing the plating process. In addition, a pretreatment such as an acid treatment may be performed, and the adhesion of the Cu layer 7 is further improved by performing an appropriate pretreatment.

FIG. 4 shows a mask 8 on the Cu layer 7.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which is formed. This mask 8
At the end on the translucent support 1, a portion of the Cu layer 7 where the mask 8 is formed is formed so as to become the external electrode portion 3. The material of the mask 8 may be a material that is not affected by iodine (I), and a commercially available Teflon tape may be used in addition to various mask materials used in a normal photolithography technique. Since the formation of the external electrode portion 3 does not require the formation of a fine pattern, it is appropriate to use the mask 8 with a tape in consideration of cost.

Next, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the Cu layer 7 on which the mask 8 is formed is exposed to the iodine (I) vapor 9, and the I vapor 9 is indicated by an arrow in FIG. I have.

By thus exposing to the vapor 9 of I,
The portion where the mask 8 is not formed, that is, the Cu layer 7 on almost the entire surface on the translucent support 1 is iodized to become the translucent conductive layer 2 made of a translucent CuI layer. On the other hand, the portion where the mask 8 is formed, that is, the Cu layer 7 at the upper end of the translucent support 1 is not iodized, and becomes the external electrode portion 3 made of the Cu layer 7.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a state where the mask 8 is removed. By the above-mentioned iodination treatment, the translucent conductive layer 2 made of a CuI layer and the C
The external electrode portion 3 made of the u layer can be formed at the same time, and a very good and practically sufficient electrical connection can be obtained therebetween.

The external electrode portion 3 formed as described above
Has sufficient characteristics as an electrode for electrical connection with an external circuit as it is.
Further, a metal foil or a metal plate made of Cu or the like may be mechanically joined or metallized. Thereby, the strength and durability of the external electrode portion 3 can be further improved.

As the charge generation material and the charge generation layer 5 contained in the photoconductive layer 4, an organic or inorganic photoconductive material known per se can be used. Organic photoconductive material (OP
As C), high carrier generation efficiency using, for example, titanyl phthalocyanine, metal phthalocyanine pigment, metal-free phthalocyanine, perylene pigment, polycyclic quinone pigment, squarylium dye, azulenium dye, thiapyrylium dye, trisazo pigment, etc. The organic optical semiconductor having is selected. Moreover, if it is an inorganic photoconductive material, for example, amorphous selenium (a-Se) or a-SeAs.
a-SeTe or amorphous silicon (a-Si)
-CdS / ZnO and the like.

Then, the photoconductive layer 4 or the charge generation layer 5
Is formed by vacuum deposition, active reactive deposition, ion plating, RF sputtering, DC sputtering, RF magnetron sputtering, DC magnetron sputtering, thermal CVD, or plasma CVD.
It is performed by a vacuum film forming method such as a method, a catalytic CVD method, or a glow discharge decomposition method, or a thin film forming method using a coating method such as a bar coating method, a dipping method, a melt extrusion method, or a spray method.

In the process of forming the charge generation layer 5 or the photoconductive layer 4 by a coating method, the raw material is purified and then dispersed in an appropriate solvent using a known technique such as a roll mill or an attritor to prepare a coating solution. is necessary. As the solvent for this, various organic solvents can be used, for example, alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, IPA (isopropyl alcohol), and butyl alcohol, and aliphatic carbons such as n-hexane, octane, and cyclohexane. Hydrogen, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene; halogenated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane, dichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, and chlorobenzene; ethers such as dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether; Examples include ketones such as methyl ethyl ketone and cyclohexanone, esters such as ethyl acetate and methyl acetate, and dimethyl formaldehyde and dimethyl sulfoxide. It is. These solvents can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

When the charge generation layer 5 is formed of a-Si, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and germanium (Ge) are added to the charge generation layer 5 to make it amorphous.・ A-SiN ・ a-SiO ・ a-Si
Ge or a layer obtained by mixing them may be used. Further, when a layer containing an element such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P) which is an impurity for controlling conductivity is formed in these layers, a function such as a carrier injection blocking layer can be provided.

Further, when an a-Si-based powder is used as the charge generation material of the photoconductive layer 4 or the charge generation layer 5, this powder can be prepared in the same manner as the a-Si-based charge generation layer 5. Has a granular, columnar, spherical, or flake shape. The particle size may be 0.05 to 5 μm, preferably 0.1 to 3 μm, and the powder is incorporated in the photoconductive layer 4 or the charge generation layer 5 at a ratio of 1 to 80% by weight, preferably 5 to 60% by weight. It is good to contain. For the content, the resin is dispersed in the resin forming the photoconductive layer 4 or the charge generation layer 5 by a stirring method, an ultrasonic dispersion method, or the like.

In addition, titanyl phthalocyanine (TiO)
Pc) may be dispersed in the photoconductive layer 4 together with polysilane, whereby high sensitivity can be obtained particularly for image exposure on the long wavelength side. This Ti
OPc is obtained by subjecting the raw material TiOPc pigment to a purification treatment such as sublimation purification or purification with an acid or alkali, and kneading it with a grinding aid or a solvent using various dispersers, or collecting it as fine particles by a steam method. Then, the particles are adjusted to a particle shape, and dispersed in a resin for forming a layer together with polysilane using various solvents. The content of TiOPc in the photoconductive layer 4 may be 1 to 80% by weight, preferably 10 to 60% by weight.

The photoconductive layer 4 is composed of a charge generation layer 5 and a charge transport layer 6
When a laminated photoreceptor is formed as a laminated structure, the thickness of the charge generation layer 5 is 0.3 to 5 μm, preferably 0.5 to 3 μm.
By doing so, good light sensitivity characteristics and light responsiveness can be obtained.

As the charge transport layer 6, an electron donating substance is used.
Since it has hole transporting properties, it is suitably used as a low-molecular carrier transporting material. Such electron-donating substances include phenylenediamine compounds, oxadiazole compounds, pyrazoline compounds, hydrazone compounds, styryl compounds, indole compounds, oxazole compounds, isoxazole compounds, thiazole compounds, There are thiazol compounds, triazole compounds, pyrazole compounds, imidazole compounds, triphenylamine compounds and the like. It is also possible to use a polymer carrier transporting material such as polysilane having good hole transporting properties by itself, or to mix and disperse it in the low-molecular carrier transporting material. These charge transporting layers have excellent hole transporting properties, and thus are preferably used with a negative developing bias. Also, depending on the configuration of the image forming apparatus, an electron-withdrawing substance such as chloranil, bromoanil, tetracyanoethylene, tetracyanoquinodimethane, trinitrofluorenone, or tetranitrofluorenone may be used as an electron transporting material, and a positive developing bias may be used. May be used in

These charge transporting layers 6 are usually of a level practically usable as a layer having sufficient mechanical strength when contained in a suitable binder resin. As such a binder resin, those known per se, for example, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polypropylene, polybutadiene, polyamide, polyimide, polyester, polyether, polyurethane, epoxy resin, polycarbonate, bisphenol A homopolymer, There are polyacrylate, polyarylate, silicone resin, phenol resin, polyvinyl butyral, and the like, and these resins can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Further, these charge transport layers 6 are made into a solution with various organic solvents, and are subjected to a bar coating method, an immersion method,
It is formed by coating and drying by a coating method such as a melt extrusion method or a spray method. Examples of the organic solvent for this purpose include alcohols such as methyl alcohol / ethyl alcohol / IPA / butyl alcohol; aliphatic hydrocarbons such as n-hexane / octane / cyclohexane; and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene / toluene / xylene. , Halogenated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane, dichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride and chlorobenzene, ethers such as dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexanone, ethyl acetate and methyl acetate And dimethylformaldehyde / dimethylsulfoxide. These solvents can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The thickness of the charge transport layer 6 is preferably in the range of 1 to 40 μm, and more preferably 3 to 30 μm. In this range, both good charging characteristics and photoresponsiveness can be obtained, and the rise of the residual potential is also reduced. Can be suppressed.

The electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention may be further improved or changed in accordance with the required electrophotographic characteristics based on the above basic structure. For example, by providing an intermediate layer between the light-transmitting conductive layer 2 and the photoconductive layer 4 or between the light-transmitting support 1 and the light-transmitting conductive layer 2, the chargeability can be increased or the residual potential can be improved. Can be reduced. Alternatively, a surface layer may be provided on the photoconductive layer 4 to enhance the chargeability and the durability.

The electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention is suitably used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which does not use corona discharge as described above. An example of the configuration of such an image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which exposure and development are performed almost simultaneously without corona discharge. . 7, reference numeral 10 denotes a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member in which a light-transmitting conductive layer 2 and a photoconductive layer 4 are laminated on a light-transmitting support 1; (Not shown) are formed. Further, it is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. Reference numeral 11 denotes an LED array head as exposure means for irradiating the electrophotographic photoreceptor 10 with image exposure light from the translucent support 1 side as indicated by an arrow. Exposure means include an LED array head 11
Alternatively, a laser, a liquid crystal shutter array head, an EL array head, or the like may be used. Reference numeral 12 denotes a developing device as a developing means, which comprises, for example, a columnar magnetic pole roller 13 having eight poles and a cylindrical conductive sleeve 14 disposed on the outer periphery thereof, and a developer 16 stored in a toner receiver 15. Are delivered to the outer periphery of the conductive sleeve 14 to form a magnetic brush. The developer 16 is delivered, for example, by rubbing the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor 10 from the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the electrophotographic photoreceptor 10, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. Alternatively, in the same direction, it is preferable that the ratio of the speed of the outer periphery of the conductive sleeve 14 to the speed of the outer periphery of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 10 is 1 to 10 times, and more preferably 2 to 7 times, so that the electrophotographic photosensitive member 10 is delivered so as to rub. The developer 16 may be a one-component conductive magnetic toner, or a 1.5-component conductive magnetic toner composed of a conductive magnetic toner and an insulating magnetic toner, or a composite composed of a conductive magnetic carrier and an insulating toner.
Component-based developers are used. These LED array heads
The developing device 11 and the developing device 12 are arranged substantially symmetrically via a part of the electrophotographic photosensitive member 10.

Numeral 17 denotes a bias power supply, which is provided between the electroconductive sleeve 14 and the translucent electroconductive layer 2 by an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
A voltage of + or-is applied in accordance with the potential characteristic of No. 10. The electrical connection between the bias power supply 17 and the light-transmitting conductive layer 2 is made through the external electrode section 3.

Reference numeral 18 denotes an electrophotographic photosensitive member using the developer 16.
Reference numeral 19 denotes a toner image formed on the recording medium, reference numeral 19 denotes a recording sheet as a material to be transferred, reference numeral 20 denotes a transfer roller as a transfer unit, reference numeral 21 denotes a transfer bias power supply, reference numeral 22 denotes a toner image transferred onto the recording sheet 19,
23 is a residual toner after transfer. The recording paper 19 and the transfer roller 20 are electrophotographic photosensitive members as indicated by arrows in FIG.
It is transported or rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction of 10.

Thus, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure, the photoconductive layer 4 is irradiated with the image exposure light from the LED array head 11 from the light transmitting support 1 side of the rotating electrophotographic photosensitive member 10. When a negative bias voltage is applied to the developing device 12 side by the bias power supply 17, holes in the photo carriers move toward the surface of the photoconductive layer 4 by the bias voltage. This cancels out the negative charge at the end of the magnetic brush that is in contact with the surface of the photoconductive layer 4, and as a result, toner adheres to the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor 10 to form a toner image 18. And the toner image 18
Is transferred onto a recording paper 19 by a transfer roller 20 to which a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to a developing bias voltage is applied by a transfer bias power supply 21, and the transferred toner image 22 is fixed to form an image on the recording paper 19. It is formed. On the other hand, the residual toner 23 is collected by the developing device 12 and reused.

[0051]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, specific examples of the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described.

Example 1 The translucent support 1 had an outer diameter of 30.
mm × length 300mm × wall thickness 1.8mm using a glass tube,
A Cu layer 7 made of pure copper was deposited on the outer peripheral surface. After forming a mask 8 with a Teflon tape on both sides of the vapor-deposited surface 5 mm each, the substrate was exposed to sublimed iodine vapor 9 for 1 hour in a desiccator. Thus, the translucent conductive layer 2 made of the CuI layer and the external electrode portion 3 made of the Cu layer were formed. The sheet resistance of the translucent conductive layer 2 is 1.1 kΩ / □.
And the transmittance was 75%. Further, the translucent conductive layer 2
The resistance between the electrode and the external electrode 3 was measured by a tester and found to be 1.4 kΩ.

[Comparative Example 1] In the process of Example 1, C
A sample of a comparative example was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the entire surface of the Cu layer 7 was iodided without forming the mask 8 when the Cu layer was formed by iodizing the u layer 7. The sheet resistance value of the translucent conductive layer 2 of this comparative example was 1.0 kΩ / □, and the transmittance was 73%. Thereafter, a Cu plate is mechanically joined to the translucent conductive layer 2 so as to have the same shape as the external electrode portion 3 of Example 1, and the resistance value between the Cu plate and the translucent conductive layer 2 is reduced. When measured by a tester, the value was 3.7 kΩ, which was higher than that of Example 1.

Example 2 A light-transmitting support 1 having the same size as that of Example 1 was produced using glass and various light-transmitting plastics, and the outer peripheral surfaces thereof were formed by vapor deposition and electroless plating. A Cu layer 7 having a thickness of 0.1 μm was formed. Then, a mask 8 was formed and iodination was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 to form a translucent conductive layer 2 made of a CuI layer and an external electrode portion 3 made of a Cu layer. A peeling method using a tape having a different adhesive force was performed on the light-transmitting conductive layer 2 and the external electrode portion 3 to evaluate the adhesive force with the light-transmitting support 1. The OPC of each translucent support 1
The solvent resistance to chloroform used in the formation of was also determined. Table 1 shows the results. In Table 1, ○ in the column of adhesive force and the column of solvent resistance indicate that the results were very good, 良好 indicates good, and Δ indicates that the results were practically usable.

[0055]

[Table 1]

From the results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that when the translucent support 1 is made of a translucent plastic, good adhesion is obtained in the Cu layer and the CuI layer formed by the electroless plating method. In addition, as the translucent support 1, polymethylpentene is formed by plating a Cu layer and CuI.
It can be seen that the layer exhibits particularly excellent properties in both the adhesive force of the layer and the solvent resistance to chloroform.

Example 3 An outer diameter of 30 mm was obtained by injection molding.
A translucent support 1 made of translucent plastic made of polymethylpentene and having a length of 300 mm and a wall thickness of 1.8 mm was formed. After the translucent support 1 was thoroughly washed, a 0.1 μm thick Cu layer 7 made of pure Cu was formed on the outer peripheral surface by electroless plating. Next, a mask 8 was formed on the Cu layer 7 at the end of the translucent support 1 using a Teflon tape, and exposed to sublimated iodine vapor for 1 hour in a desiccator. As a result, the unmasked Cu layer 7 on almost the entire surface was all iodized to form a CuI layer, and the masked external electrode portion 3 remained a Cu layer. The thickness of the CuI layer formed by iodination was 0.3 μm.

The transmittance is 77% and the sheet resistance is 1.3.
kΩ / □.

Next, the charge generation layer 5 was formed on the translucent conductive layer 2 made of the CuI layer as follows.
First, as a coating solution, a solution obtained by adding TiOPc and polyvinyl butyral in cyclahexanone at a ratio of 50% by weight and dispersing and mixing with a ball mill for 24 hours was used. The viscosity of this solution was 1.1 cP. The translucent support 1 is immersed in this solution, pulled up, dried, and
Thus, a 1.2 μm thick charge generation layer 5 was formed.

Next, a charge transport layer 6 was formed on the charge generation layer 5 as follows.

First, as a coating solution, a solution obtained by mixing and dissolving 4- (diethylamino) benzaldehyde diphenylhydrazone and polycarbonate in chloroform at a ratio of 1: 1 was used. At this time, a solution having a viscosity of 100 cP was obtained by adjusting the amount of chloroform. The translucent support 1 was immersed in the solution, pulled up, and dried at 100 ° C. to form a charge transport layer 6 having a thickness of 26.7 μm.

Then, the electrophotographic photoreceptor A of the present invention thus produced is mounted on the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the structure shown in FIG. An LED array head 11 having a resolution of 300 dpi (dots / inch) in a dynamic drive system is disposed using a two-component developer composed of
An image exposing light having a wavelength of 660 nm was applied to the electrophotographic photosensitive member A while applying a voltage of Vs = −400 V between the transparent conductive layer 14 and the toner image 18. Then, the toner image 18 was transferred onto a recording paper 19 (commercial plain paper) by a transfer roller to which a transfer bias voltage of +500 V was applied, and the transferred toner image 22 was thermally fixed to obtain an image. In forming the toner image 18, the developer 16 is applied to the electrophotographic photosensitive member 10.
And a developer reservoir was formed between the conductive sleeve 14 and the electrophotographic photosensitive member A, and the portion was exposed to an image.

When the image thus obtained was evaluated, it was a good image having an optical density (OD) of 1.42, a sufficient image density, a high resolution and no fogging of the background.

[Comparative Example 2] A mask 8 was used in comparison with Example 3.
The electrophotography of the comparative example is the same as above except that the entire surface of the Cu layer 7 is iodized without forming the Cu electrode, and the Cu plate is brought into direct contact with the translucent conductive layer 2 made of the CuI layer instead of the external electrode portion 3. Photoconductor B was prepared and image evaluation was performed in the same manner.

As a result, there was no fog on the back,
The image density was insufficient at OD of 0.92, which was inferior to the image evaluation result obtained by the electrophotographic photoreceptor A of the present invention.

[Embodiment 4] The electrophotographic photosensitive member A of the present invention of Embodiment 3 is further metalized with a Cu foil having a thickness of 0.5 mm on the external electrode portion 3 made of a Cu layer. The electrophotographic photoreceptor C of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3, and the image evaluation was performed in the same manner.

As a result, a satisfactory image having an OD of 1.44, a sufficient image density, a high resolution and no fogging of the background was obtained. Further, when a durability test was performed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member C by an image forming apparatus, the external electrode portion 3 did not change at all even after forming 10,000 images, and the image did not change from the initial state. It was good.

[0068]

As described in detail above, according to the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, a light-transmitting conductive layer composed of a copper iodide layer formed on almost the entire surface of a light-transmitting support, An external electrode portion formed of a copper layer formed at an end on the light-transmitting support for electrically connecting the light-transmitting conductive layer and an external circuit; and an external electrode portion laminated on the light-transmitting conductive layer. A corona discharge comprising a light-transmitting conductive layer having a good adhesion to the light-transmitting support and a good electrical connection to the external electrode portion by having a structure including the photoconductive layer; Thus, an electrophotographic photosensitive member suitable for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that does not use a toner can be provided.

According to the method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention, a copper layer is formed over a region on a light-transmitting support where a light-transmitting conductive layer and an external electrode portion are formed, and then the copper layer is formed. By forming a light-transmissive conductive layer composed of a copper iodide layer and an external electrode part composed of a copper layer by iodizing a region other than the end of the light-transmissive support of the layer, the light-transmissive support is formed. A high-temperature treatment is not required in forming the light-transmitting conductive layer and the external electrode portion on the body, and a light-transmitting plastic that is inexpensive and has excellent dimensional accuracy can be used as the light-transmitting support.
The method for producing the above electrophotographic photosensitive member could be provided.

Further, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, an inexpensive and high-quality image using the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention can be obtained. An image forming apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a layer configuration of an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of another layer configuration of the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Translucent support 2 ... Translucent conductive layer (copper (CuI) layer) 3 ... External electrode part (copper (Cu) layer) 4 ... Light Conductive layer 5 Charge generating layer 6 Charge transport layer 7 Copper (Cu) layer 11 LED array head (exposure unit) 12 Developing unit (developing unit) 16 ・ ・ ・ ・ Developer 18 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Toner image

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A light-transmitting support, a light-transmitting conductive layer composed of a copper iodide layer formed on substantially the entire surface of the light-transmitting support, and a light-transmitting conductive layer and an external circuit. An external electrode portion made of a copper layer formed on an end portion of the light-transmitting support for electrical connection, and a photoconductive layer laminated on the light-transmitting conductive layer. An electrophotographic photosensitive member characterized by the following. 2. After a copper layer is formed over a region on the light-transmitting support where the light-transmitting conductive layer and the external electrode portion are formed, an end of the light-transmitting support of the copper layer is formed. 2. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein a region other than the portion is iodide to form a translucent conductive layer made of a copper iodide layer and an external electrode portion made of a copper layer. Method. 3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, and a developing means disposed on the photoconductive layer side of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
Exposure means for irradiating image exposure light from the light-transmitting support side, and applying a voltage to the light-transmitting conductive layer to the developing means in order to form an image with a developer on the electrophotographic photosensitive member. An image forming apparatus, wherein the exposure means irradiates image exposure light.