Silver halide photographic light-sensitive material

Abstract

A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon a silver halide grain emulsion layer is provided, wherein the silver halide emulsion is chemical-sensitized with a selenium compound; and, at a time during the course of chemical sensitization, silver iodide fine grains is further added to the emulsion. The silver halide emulsion comprises tabular grains having an aspect ration of 3 or more.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising a support having on at least one side thereof a silver halide emulsion layer comprising a silver halide emulsion containing silver halide grains, the silver halide emulsion being prepared by a process comprising: (i) mixing a silver salt and a halide salt in a dispersing medium to form a silver halide emulsion,   (ii) subjecting the emulsion formed to washing to remove water-soluble salt, and then   (iii) carrying out chemical sensitization of the emulsion, wherein the emulsion is chemically sensitized by adding a selenium compound; and, in the step of (iii), silver iodide fine grains having a grain size not larger than 0.12 μm are added to the emulsion in an amount of 1×10 -5  to 1×10 -2  mol per mol of silver halide of the emulsion, the emulsion comprising silver iodobromide grains having an average silver iodide content of 0.5 to 3.0 mol %.   
     
     
       2. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein at least 50% of the total projected area of the silver halide grains are tabular grains having an average aspect ratio of grain diameter to grain thickness of 3 or more, the silver halide emulsion being spectrally sensitized with a sensitizing dye in an amount of 1×10 -4  to 1×10 -3  mol per mol of silver halide of the emulsion. 
     
     
       3. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein the selenium compound is a compound represented by formula (1) or formula (2), ##STR12## wherein Z 1  and Z 2  independently represent an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, --NR 1  (R 2 ), --OR 3  or --SR 4 , in which R 1  and R 2  independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an acyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, and R 3  and R 4  independently represent an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, ##STR13## wherein Z 3 , Z 4  and Z 5  independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, --OR 7 , --NR 8  (R 9 ), --SR 10 , --SeR 11 , --X, in which R 7 , R 10  and R 11  independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, or a cation; R 8  and R 9  independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group or a heterocyclic group; X represents a halogen atom. 
     
     
       4. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein said selenium compound is added to the emulsion in an amount of 1× 10-7  to 3×10 -5  mol per mol of silver halide of the emulsion. 
     
     
       5. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein the silver halide emulsion is chemically sensitized further by adding a sulfur sensitizer and a gold sensitizer. 
     
     
       6. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein the silver halide emulsion is chemically sensitized in the presence of a silver halide solvent selected from a thioether, a thiourea, an imidazole, a sulfite and a thiocyanate. 
     
     
       7. The photographic material of claim 2, wherein said sensitizing dye is added at a time within a period from the time after washing the emulsion to the time before completing the chemical sensitization. 
     
     
       8. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein the silver iodide fine grains are not larger than 0.09 μm. 
     
     
       9. The photographic material of claim 1, wherein the silver iodide fine grains are not larger than 0.06 μm. 
     
     
       10. The photographic material of claim 3, wherein at least 50% of the total projected area of the silver halide grains are tabular grains having an average aspect ratio of grain diameter to grain thickness of 3 or more, the silver halide emulsion being spectrally sensitized with a sensitizing dye in an amount of 1×10 -4  to 1×10 -5  mol per mol of silver halide of the emulsion; and wherein said selenium compound is added to the emulsion in an amount of 1×10 -7  to 3×10 -5  mol per mol of silver halide of the emulsion. 
     
     
       11. The photographic material of claim 10, wherein the silver iodide fine grains are not larger than 0.09 μm. 
     
     
       12. The photographic material of claim 11, wherein the silver iodide fine grains are not larger than 0.06 μm.