1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a latent electrostatic image on a surface thereof;
a charging device configured to uniformly charge the surface of the image bearing member;
an irradiation device configured to irradiate the surface of the image bearing member to form the latent electrostatic image thereon;
a development device configured to develop the latent electrostatic image on the surface of the image bearing member with toner to form a toner image thereon;
a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image to a transfer body;
a cleaning device comprising a cleaning blade which is configured to remove residual toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member with the cleaning blade;
a protective agent application device configured to apply a protective agent comprising zinc stearate and zinc palmitate to the surface of the image bearing member,
wherein a ratio of the zinc stearate and the zinc palmitate is from 66:34 to 40:60 by weight.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein with regard to C1s spectrum detected when the image bearing member is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) before the protective agent is applied to the surface of the image bearing member and peaks obtained by separating waveforms generated from different bonding statuses of carbon atoms according to binding energy, the image bearing member has a ratio A0 of a sum of peak areas having a top of the peaks in a range of from 290.3 to 294 eV to a total area of the C1s spectrum of at least 3%, and with regard to C1s spectrum detected when the image bearing member is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) after 500 images are output while the protective agent is applied to the image bearing member and the peaks obtained by separating waveforms generated from different bonding statuses of carbon atoms according to binding energy, a ratio A of a sum of peak areas having a top of the peaks in a range of from 290.3 to 294 eV to the total area of the C1s spectrum satisfies the following relationship:
(A\u2212A)A0\xd7100\u226790(%)
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protective agent is manufactured by compacting molding.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the protective agent comprises boron nitride.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a content of the boron nitride of from 1 to 25% by weight based on a total content of the protective agent.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image bearing member has a linear velocity of 180 mms or higher.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging device uniformly charges the surface of the image bearing member by applying a voltage in which an AC voltage is overlapped with a DC voltage to the image bearing member.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protective agent application device is provided on a downstream side from the cleaning device relative to a rotation direction of the image bearing member.
9. A process cartridge comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a latent electrostatic image on a surface thereof;
a protective agent application device configured to apply a protective agent comprising zinc stearate and zinc palmitate to the surface of the image bearing member;
at least one device selected from the group consisting of a charging device, an irradiation device, a development device, and a cleaning device,
wherein the process cartridge is detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus of claim 1.
10. A protective agent block comprising:
zinc stearate; and
zinc palmitate,
wherein the protective agent block is attached to the image forming apparatus of claim 1.
11. A protective agent block comprising:
zinc stearate; and
zinc palmitate,
wherein the protective agent block is attached to the process cartridge of claim 9.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image sensor having an array of image sensor pixels and a silicon substrate, the image sensor comprising:
a plurality of photodiodes formed in a surface of the silicon substrate, wherein the silicon substrate includes a bulk portion under the plurality of photodiodes;
a p+ type doped layer that extends under the plurality of photodiodes parallel to the surface, wherein the p+ type doped layer comprises a plurality of openings through which charge carriers pass from the bulk portion of the silicon substrate to the photodiodes; and
a plurality of pixel separation implants that separate the bulk portion of the silicon substrate into a plurality of charge-generating regions in which charge carriers are generated, wherein each photodiode collects charge carriers that are generated in a respective one of the charge-generating regions, and wherein at least two of the charge-generating regions have different sizes.
2. The image sensor defined in claim 1 wherein the size of each charge-generating region is defined by the locations of the pixel separation implants.
3. The image sensor defined in claim 2 wherein the plurality of photodiodes all have the same charge storage area.
4. The image sensor defined in claim 2 wherein the at least two charge-generating regions comprise first and second charge-generating regions that correspond respectively to first and second image sensor pixels in the array of image sensor pixels, wherein the first image sensor pixel includes a color filter, and wherein the second image sensor pixel includes a broadband color filter.
5. The image sensor defined in claim 4 wherein the first charge-generating region associated with the first image sensor is larger than the second charge-generating region associated with the second image sensor pixel.
6. The image sensor defined in claim 4 wherein the first charge-generating region associated with the first image sensor pixel is smaller than the second charge-generating region associated with the second image sensor pixel.
7. The image sensor defined in claim 2 wherein the at least two charge-generating regions comprise first and second charge-generating regions that correspond respectively to first and second image sensor pixels in the array of image sensor pixels, wherein the first image sensor pixel has a color filter corresponding to a primary color, and wherein the second image sensor pixel has a color filter corresponding to a complementary color.
8. The image sensor defined in claim 7 wherein the first-charge generating region is larger than the second charge-generating region.
9. The image sensor defined in claim 2 wherein the at least two charge-generating regions comprise first and second charge-generating regions that correspond respectively to first and second image sensor pixels in the array of image sensor pixels, wherein the first image sensor pixel has a rectangular shape, and wherein the second image sensor pixel has an octagonal shape.
10. An image sensor having an array of image sensor pixels and a silicon substrate, the image sensor comprising:
a plurality of photodiodes formed in a surface of the silicon substrate, wherein the silicon substrate includes a bulk portion under the plurality of photodiodes and wherein at least two of the photodiodes have charge storage areas of different sizes;
a p+ type doped layer that extends under the plurality of photodiodes parallel to the surface, wherein the p+ type doped layer comprises a plurality of openings through which charge carriers pass from the bulk portion of the silicon substrate to the photodiodes; and
a plurality of pixel separation implants that separate the bulk portion of the silicon substrate into a plurality of charge-generating regions in which charge carriers are generated.
11. The image sensor defined in claim 10 wherein each photodiode collects charge carriers that are generated in a respective one of the charge-generating regions.
12. The image sensor defined in claim 11 wherein the charge-generating regions all have the same size.
13. The image sensor defined in claim 10 wherein the at least two photodiodes comprise first and second photodiodes corresponding respectively to first and second image sensor pixels in the image sensor pixel array, wherein the first image sensor pixel includes a color filter, and wherein the second image sensor pixel includes a broadband color filter.
14. The image sensor defined in claim 13 wherein the charge storage area of the first photodiode associated with the first image sensor pixel is smaller than the charge storage area of the second photodiode associated with the second image sensor pixel.
15. A system, comprising:
a central processing unit;
memory;
input-output circuitry; and
an image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes an array of image sensor pixels and a silicon substrate, the image sensor comprising:
a plurality of photodiodes formed in a surface of the silicon substrate, wherein the silicon substrate includes a bulk portion under the plurality of photodiodes;
a p+ type doped layer that extends under the plurality of photodiodes parallel to the surface, wherein the p+ type doped layer comprises a plurality of openings through which charge carriers pass from the bulk portion of the silicon substrate to the photodiodes; and
a plurality of pixel separation implants that separate the bulk portion of the silicon substrate into a plurality of charge-generating regions in which charge carriers are generated, wherein each photodiode collects charge carriers that are generated in a respective one of the charge-generating regions, and wherein at least two of the charge-generating regions have different sizes.
16. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the size of each charge-generating region is defined by the locations of the pixel separation implants.
17. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the plurality of photodiodes all have the same charge storage area.
18. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the at least two charge-generating regions comprise first and second charge-generating regions that correspond respectively to first and second image sensor pixels in the array of image sensor pixels, wherein the first image sensor pixel includes a color filter, and wherein the second image sensor pixel includes a broadband color filter.
19. The system defined in claim 18 wherein the first charge-generating region associated with the first image sensor pixel is larger than the second charge-generating region associated with the second image sensor pixel.
20. The system defined in claim 18 wherein the first charge-generating region associated with the first image sensor pixel is smaller than the second charge-generating region associated with the second image sensor pixel.