JPH0650061U - Glow discharge decomposition device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] A high quality and highly reliable cylindrical thin film product such as an electrophotographic photosensitive member could be provided. [Structure] To the discharge port 13 below the cylindrical substrate 5 for film formation An alumina ceramics ring body 11, an alumina ceramics flat plate 15, and an alumina ceramics small ring body 17 were arranged so as to surround the space region.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a glow discharge decomposition apparatus for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member including, for example, an amorphous silicon layer.

[0002]

[Prior art and its problems]

 Electrophotographic photoconductors composed of an amorphous silicon layer (hereinafter, amorphous silicon is abbreviated as a-Si) are on the market, and a glow discharge decomposition apparatus using plasma CVD is used to manufacture the photoconductors. Used. According to this glow discharge decomposition apparatus, the cylindrical substrate for film formation is arranged inside the reaction chamber into which the film forming gas is introduced, and the film is formed on the outer peripheral surface of this substrate by the plasma of the glow discharge. It is a thing.

However, in such a glow discharge decomposition apparatus, a cylindrical substrate for film formation disposed inside the reaction chamber and an a-Si film formed near the lower portion of the substrate are different from other a Discharge unevenness occurs as compared with the -Si film, and this causes a problem that the film quality of the lower portion of the a-Si photosensitive film deteriorates and uneven charging occurs at that portion.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 According to the present invention, a cylindrical substrate for film formation and a glow discharge electrode plate facing the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical substrate are arranged in a reaction chamber into which a film-forming gas is introduced, and a plasma is formed. A glow discharge decomposition apparatus capable of generating a gas and forming a film on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical substrate along with the decomposition reaction of the gas, and discharging the residual gas generated by this film formation from the discharge port located below the reaction chamber. In the above, the insulator is arranged so as to surround the space area reaching the discharge outlet on the lower side of the film formation cylindrical substrate.

[0005]

In the glow discharge decomposition apparatus of the conventional configuration, the lower space area between the film-forming cylindrical substrate and the glow discharge electrode plate facing the outer peripheral surface thereof is relatively small. It was found that if the gas was large and the residual gas after the discharge flowed out from the lower side of the reaction chamber, excess or extra discharge would occur in the lower space area. Therefore, according to the glow discharge decomposition apparatus of the present invention, the insulator is arranged so as to surround the lower space area thereof, that is, the space area down to the outlet of the cylindrical substrate for film formation. In addition, no excessive or extra discharge is generated in the lower space area, and as a result, a high quality and highly reliable cylindrical thin film product such as an electrophotographic photoreceptor can be provided.

[0006]

【Example】

 (Example 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a glow discharge decomposition apparatus 1 of the present invention. According to this glow discharge decomposition apparatus 1, 2 is a cylindrical conductive reaction container made of SUS (outer diameter 200 mm, length 600 mm), 2a is its lid, 2b is its peripheral wall, and 2c is a bottom plate. 3 is an aluminum-made cylindrical glow discharge electrode plate (outer diameter 200 mm, length 600 mm), 4 is an aluminum-made cylindrical conductive substrate support, and 5 is an aluminum film-forming cylindrical substrate (outer diameter 30 mm) , Length 254 mm). This is a structure in which two cylindrical substrates 5 are stacked via a spacer. The cylindrical substrate 5 is placed on the flange 4a of the substrate support 4 and is electrically conductive. Further, the substrate 6 is rotationally driven by the motor 6 attached on the lid 2a via the rotary shaft 7, and the substrate 5 is integrally rotated accordingly. The substrate support 4, the rotary shaft 7, and the lid 2a are electrically connected and grounded. Further, the peripheral wall 2b and the glow discharge electrode plate 3 are electrically connected to each other, and the power input terminal 8 attached to the peripheral wall 2b is connected to the high frequency power source 9, and the glow input under such a power application system is performed. Glow discharge occurs between the discharge electrode plate 3 and the substrate 5. Reference numeral 10 denotes an alumina ceramic ring body that electrically insulates the electrode plate 3 and the lid body 2a.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an alumina ceramic ring body that electrically insulates the electrode plate 3, the peripheral wall 2b and the bottom plate 2c from each other, and has a shape as shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 12 is a gas inlet, and 13 is a gas outlet. The a-Si film forming gas is introduced into the reaction vessel 2 through the gas inlet 12, and then penetrates into the glow discharge electrode plate 3. It is blown toward the substrate 5 through the plurality of gas outlets 14 provided.

Further, a flat plate 15 made of alumina ceramics is arranged on the bottom plate 2c except for the gas discharge port 13 and the ring body 11 made of alumina ceramics. The flat plate 15 has a structure as shown in FIG. In the figure, 16 is an exhaust gas passage hole.

Moreover, a small ring body 17 made of alumina ceramics is wound around the shaft portion 4b on the lower side of the collar portion 4a of the substrate support 4. The small ring body 17 has a structure as shown in FIG.

The space region 18 surrounded by the alumina ceramic ring body 11, the flat plate 15, and the small ring body 17 which are electrically insulated from each other in this manner is formed by the glow discharge electrode plate 3 and the film formation cylindrical substrate 5. It is arranged between the space area 19 of the gap and the gas outlet 13.

In order to manufacture an a-Si photoconductor using the glow discharge decomposition apparatus 1 having the above-described structure, the substrate 5 rotates under the above-mentioned power application system and gas flow system, and a heater provided inside the substrate 5 further. The substrate temperature is raised to about 200 to 400 ° C. by 20, and the a-Si layer is vapor-phase grown on the peripheral surface of the substrate 5 by glow discharge. Then, the gas decomposition residual gas generated by the vapor phase growth is discharged through the space region 18 by the plurality of exhaust gas passage holes 16. The arrow in the figure indicates the gas flow.

Thus, using the glow discharge decomposition apparatus 1, ten a-Si photoconductors A in which the carrier injection blocking layer, the photoconductive layer, and the surface layer were sequentially laminated were manufactured. The manufacturing conditions are as shown in Table 1.

[0014]

[Table 1]

When the average film thickness and the average surface potential of the a-Si photosensitive member A thus produced were measured, the results shown in FIG. 5 were obtained. In the figure, the vertical axis is the longitudinal direction of the a-Si photosensitive member, and the results of 7 points are shown in this direction.

As is clear from these results, it is clear that the a-Si photoconductor A produced by the glow discharge decomposition apparatus 1 of the present invention was capable of forming an a-Si layer uniformly and uniformly on the film-forming surface thereof.

Example 2 Next, in this example, an a-Si photosensitive member was similarly prepared using the conventional glow discharge decomposition apparatus 21 shown in FIG. 6, and its film thickness and surface potential were measured. . The glow discharge decomposition device 21 is not equipped with the alumina ceramics ring body 11, the flat plate 15, and the small ring body 17, but instead, the alumina ceramics ring body 22 electrically insulates the electrode plate 3 and the bottom plate 2c. Was placed. All other configurations were the same as those of the glow discharge decomposition apparatus 1. In FIG. 6, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals.

Thus, using the glow discharge decomposition device 21, ten a-Si photoconductors B were prepared under the conditions shown in Table 1.

When the average film thickness and the average surface potential of the a-Si photosensitive member B thus produced were measured, the results shown in FIG. 7 were obtained. In the figure, the vertical axis is the longitudinal direction of the a-Si photosensitive member, and the results of 7 points are shown in this direction.

As is clear from this result, in the a-Si photoconductor B manufactured by the conventional glow discharge decomposition apparatus 21, the film thickness on the lower side of the film formation surface is large, and the surface potential is also remarkable. You can see that it has grown big.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and improvements may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, a known ceramic insulator such as mullite or zirconia or a heat-resistant resin such as Teflon may be used instead of various insulators made of alumina ceramics.

[0022]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the glow discharge decomposition apparatus of the present invention, by disposing the insulator so as to surround the space area reaching the lower outlet of the cylindrical substrate for film formation, No excessive or extra discharge was generated, and as a result, high quality and highly reliable cylindrical thin film products such as electrophotographic photoreceptors could be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a glow discharge decomposition apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alumina ceramic ring body of an example.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a flat plate made of alumina ceramics of an example.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alumina ceramic small ring body of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the film thickness and surface potential of an amorphous silicon photoconductor.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a conventional glow discharge decomposition apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the film thickness and surface potential of an amorphous silicon photoconductor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Cylindrical conductive reaction vessel 3 Cylindrical glow discharge electrode plate 5 Cylindrical substrate for film formation 11 Alumina ceramic ring body 15 Alumina ceramic flat plate 17 Alumina ceramic small ring body

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A reaction chamber in which a film-forming gas is introduced,
A cylindrical substrate for film formation and a glow discharge electrode plate facing the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical substrate are arranged, plasma is generated, and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical substrate is accompanied by the decomposition reaction of the gas. In a glow discharge decomposition apparatus that discharges the residual gas generated by this film formation from the discharge port arranged on the lower side of the reaction chamber, it reaches the discharge port on the lower side of the cylindrical substrate for film formation. A glow discharge decomposition device characterized in that an insulator is arranged so as to surround a space region.