ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC CARRIER AND DEVELOPER AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrophotographic carrier capable of giving stable high definition, high resolution and high quality images free of image deterioration such as the lowering of image density, toner scattering and surface fog over a long period of time and excellent also in recyclability and to provide an electrophotographic developer using the carrier and an image forming method. SOLUTION: In the electrophotographic carrier comprising particles obtained by disposing a resin-containing coating layer on the surface of a core material comprising at least a magnetic material, regions in which the vertical interval between an arbitrary projection present on the surfaces of the carrier particles and a recess adjacent to the projection is 5-20 nm occupy >=60% of the surfaces of the carrier particles. Particularly the carrier has at least one projection in each 100 nm×100 nm region of the surfaces of the carrier particles or the horizontal distance between a projection on the surfaces of the carrier particles and a recess adjacent to the projection is >=3 nm or the surface coating layers of the carrier particles contain a compound having a siloxane bond skeleton in the principal chain and/or a side chain.