Patent ID: 7332248

Claim:
An active material for a positive electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, comprising: a lithium-metal composite oxide represented by the general formula Li x (Ni 1-y Co y ) 1-z M z O 2 , wherein x ranges from 0.98 to 1.10, y ranges from 0.05 to 0.4, and z ranges from 0.01-0.2, and M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Mn, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga, and said active material is manufactured from lithium hydroxide and composite nickel hydroxide via a blending step, a firing step, a crushing step, a sieving step, and a classification step, wherein the crushing step, the sieving step, and the classification step are conducted in a controlled atmosphere, such that carbon is unavoidably present on the surface of the lithium-metal composite oxide in the form of lithium carbonate, wherein the amount of carbon is 0.14 wt % or less, as measured by the high-frequency heating-IR absorption method, and when said active material is incorporated into a 2032 type coin battery, said battery exhibits improved initial discharge capacity of 159.7 mAh/g or more and output at low temperature of −30° C. of 3W or more.