The electrophotographic apparatus includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a charging unit; an image-exposing unit; a charge transfer amount-sensing unit for sensing the amount of charge transferred to the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and an exposed portion potential-controlling unit for controlling the potential of each of the exposed portions of the electrophotographic photosensitive member based on a sensing result, which is obtained by charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member with the charging unit, performing image exposure with the image-exposing unit in at least one light amount weaker than a light amount in which the normalized radius of curvature R of the electrophotographic photosensitive member represented by the following equation (E1), the normalized radius of curvature being obtained by a method of measuring an EV curve, shows a minimum, and in at least two light amounts stronger than the light amount in which the normalized radius of curvature shows the minimum.

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}R=\frac{{\left[1+{\left(\frac{\mathrm{dy}}{\mathrm{dx}}\right)}^2\right]}^{3/2}}{.Math.\frac{d^2}{{\mathrm{dx}}^2}.Math.}& \left(E1\right)\end{array}$

Provided is a photoelectric conversion device including: a support; a charge-transporting layer including an organic charge-transporting material or a sensitizing dye electrode layer including an organic sensitizing dye, where the charge-transporting layer or the sensitizing dye electrode layer is disposed on the support; and a ceramic film disposed on the charge-transporting layer or the sensitizing dye electrode layer.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer on the conductive substrate, a charge generation layer on the undercoat layer, a charge transport layer on the charge generation layer, and an inorganic protection layer on the charge transport layer, in which the charge transport layer contains a binder resin and a charge transport material, and, when impedance of the charge transport layer is measured, a ratio (C.sub.1 Hz/C.sub.10 Hz) of an electrostatic capacitance C.sub.1 Hz at 1 Hz to an electrostatic capacitance C.sub.10 Hz at 10 Hz is 1.1 or less.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive support in which (i) a recessed portion having an opening diameter of greater than 400 μm and (ii) a recessed portion having an opening diameter of from 100 μm to 400 μm and a ratio of a depth to an opening diameter of greater than 0.12 are not present on an outer peripheral surface, wherein even in a case where a first recessed portion having an opening diameter of from 100 μm to 400 μm and a ratio of a depth to an opening diameter of 0.12 or less is present on the outer peripheral surface of the conductive support and a second recessed portion on which the first recessed portion is reflected is present on the outer peripheral surface of an outermost layer, a ratio of a depth to an opening diameter of the second recessed portion is not greater than 0.030.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive support in which (i) a recessed portion having an opening diameter of greater than 400 μm and (ii) a recessed portion having an opening diameter of from 100 μm to 400 μm and a ratio of a depth to an opening diameter of greater than 0.12 are not present on an outer peripheral surface, wherein even in a case where a first recessed portion having an opening diameter of from 100 μm to 400 μm and a ratio of a depth to an opening diameter of 0.12 or less is present on the outer peripheral surface of the conductive support and a second recessed portion on which the first recessed portion is reflected is present on the outer peripheral surface of an outermost layer, a ratio of a depth to an opening diameter of the second recessed portion is not greater than 0.030.

The present invention provides an electrophotographic member having excellent deformation recovery even when stored or used under a high temperature and high humidity environment, which is useful in forming a high-quality electrophotographic image; a process cartridge; and an electrophotographic apparatus. The electrophotographic member of the present invention includes a conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive layer; the electro-conductive layer including a resin synthesized from an ion conducting agent and a compound being able to react with the ion conducting agent; the ion conducting agent including a specific anion and a cation having at least three hydroxyl groups; the compound being able to react with the hydroxyl group.

The present invention provides an electrophotographic member having excellent deformation recovery even when stored or used under a high temperature and high humidity environment, which is useful in forming a high-quality electrophotographic image; a process cartridge; and an electrophotographic apparatus. The electrophotographic member of the present invention includes a conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive layer; the electro-conductive layer including a resin synthesized from an ion conducting agent and a compound being able to react with the ion conducting agent; the ion conducting agent including a specific anion and a cation having at least three hydroxyl groups; the compound being able to react with the hydroxyl group.

The present disclosure is drawn to apparatuses and methods that include a coated photoconductive substrate. The coated photoconductive substrate can include a photo-conductive substrate with a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, and can also have a coating adhered to the photoconductive substrate. The coating can comprise a polymer and can be devoid of charge transport materials.

The present disclosure is drawn to apparatuses and methods that include a coated photoconductive substrate. The coated photoconductive substrate can include a photo-conductive substrate with a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, and can also have a coating adhered to the photoconductive substrate. The coating can comprise a polymer and can be devoid of charge transport materials.

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor which includes an electroconductive substrate, an undercoat layer which is provided on the electroconductive substrate, contains a binder resin and a metal oxide particle, and has an electrostatic capacitance per unit area of from 10 pF/cm.sup.2 to 100 pF/cm.sup.2, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer; an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on a charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a developing unit that stores a developer containing a toner which contains toner particles of which a volume average particle diameter is from 3.0 μm to 5.5 μm, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by using the developer, so as to form a toner image.