There is provided a charging apparatus which has high durability and
suffers from no rust etc. and of which controllability of charged
potential of a photoreceptor is hardly impaired even with a some amount
of contaminants such as a toner so that control of charged potential of a
photoreceptor can be stably carried out to fall in an appropriate range
over a long period of time, and moreover which is inexpensive. A charging
apparatus includes a needle electrode, a holding member, two cleaner
members, a support member, a moving member, a shield case, and a grid
electrode. A length in minor axis of a secondary aggregate of
polytetrafluoroethylene contained in a polytetrafluoroethylene-containing
nickel layer formed on a surface of the needle electrode is twice or less
than a layer thickness of the nickel layer.