For providing an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can always maintain good images without occurrence of fusion of toner, independent of the circumstances and the combination of urging pressure of a cleaner, process speed, components contained in toner, etc. and that can always maintain good images of high resolution and even density without occurrence of uneven shaving against a cleaning system or toner, the outermost surface thereof is comprised of a non-monocrystalline carbon film comprising hydrogen and having a dynamic hardness not less than 300 kgf/mm.sup.2 nor more than 1300 kgf/mm.sup.2 measured using a diamond stylus of a triangular pyramid having a tip of a radius not more than 0.1 .mu.m and an edge-to-edge angle of 115.degree., or the outermost surface thereof is comprised of a non-monocrystalline carbon film comprising hydrogen and having a critical load at rupture of the film not less than 50 mN and not more than 700 mN measured when exerting a load on a diamond stylus having a tip of a radius not more than 15 .mu.m while moving the stylus at an amplitude of 20 to 100 .mu.m, an oscillation frequency of 30 Hz, and a feed rate of 2 to 20 .mu.m/sec.

For stably obtaining high-quality images with good cleaning properties, with neither occurrence of uneven scraping of a surface layer of a light receiving member nor fusion of a toner, and without occurrence of an image defect even without provision of a heater, the wear loss of the surface layer of a non-monocrystalline hydrogenated carbon film is made not less than 1 .ANG./10,000 sheets nor more than 10 .ANG./10,000 sheets after completion of copying processes of A4-size transfer sheets, each copying process including developing an image on a light receiving member with a developer having an average grain diameter of 5 to 8 .mu.m, then transferring the developer image onto a transfer medium, and thereafter scrape-cleaning the surface of the light receiving member with an elastic rubber blade having the hardness of not less than 70 nor more than 80.

A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising the steps of depositing a non-single crystal material composed basically of silicon atoms, on a cylindrical substrate in a deposition chamber, thereafter once taking the substrate with film out of the deposition chamber, then returning it to the deposition chamber, and thereafter again depositing thereon a non-single-crystal material composed basically of carbon atoms. In another embodiment, the process comprises the steps of depositing on a cylindrical substrate a photoconductive layer formed of a non-single crystal material, subjecting to surface processing the deposited film having protrusions present at its surface, and depositing on the processed surface a surface protective layer formed of a non-single-crystal material. Also disclosed is the electrophotographic photosensitive member thus obtained, and an electrophotographic apparatus having that member.

For achieving satisfactory electrical characteristics and high image quality without peeling, damage or abrasion in a long use term the present invention provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member which comprises, on a conductive substrate, a photoconductive layer composed of a non-single-crystalline material containing silicon atoms as a matrix, and a surface layer composed of non-single-crystalline carbon containing at least hydrogen, wherein the surface layer has a surface roughness Rz within a range from 500 .ANG. to 2000 .ANG. for a reference length of 5 .mu.m and contains at least oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine and boron atoms.

A process for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed in which a source gas is decomposed by the use of a high-frequency power in a rector to deposit sequentially on a conductive substrate i) a photoconductive layer comprised of an amorphous material composed chiefly of silicon atoms and ii) a surface layer comprised of an amorphous material composed chiefly of carbon atoms and containing hydrogen atoms. The process has the steps of forming the photoconductive layer in a first reactor, and forming the surface layer in a second reactor. This process can produce an electrophotographic photosensitive member having an a-Si photoconductive layer and a-C:H surface layer or a-C:H(Si) surface layer in a good efficiency and at a low cost. Also disclosed is an electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing apparatus which carries out the process.