Protective AlZrN film for organic photoconductors

AlZrN protective film with high transmissivity was deposited onto the organic photoconductor (OPC) surface, and the surface hardness was greatly increased by a factor of 1.5–3. The OPC surface protected by (Al100−xZrx)N (x ≤ 58.5%) film was significantly harder than that protected by AlN film. The electrophotographic properties of the OPC coated with (Al100−xZrx)N (x ≤ 37.7%) film were also better than those without coating or protected with AlN film, thus demonstrating the suitability of AlZrN film as a protective coating for enhancing the operating life of OPC.