Patent ID: 8920973

Claim:
A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries comprising a coating layer containing at least one of nickel and manganese on a surface of a complex oxide particle containing lithium and cobalt, wherein: a binding energy value obtained by analysis of a surface state by an ESCA surface analysis on the surface of the coating layer is 642.0 eV or more and not more than 642.5 eV in an Mn2p3 peak, and a peak interval of Co—Mn is 137.6 eV or more and not more than 138.0 eV; and the positive electrode active material has an average composition represented by the following general formula (1) Li p Ni (1-q-r-s) Mn q Co r M1 s O (2-y) (1) wherein M1 represents at least one member selected among elements belonging to the Groups 2 to 15 but other than nickel, manganese and cobalt; and p, q, r, s and y represent values falling within the ranges of 0≦p≦1.5, 0≦q≦1.0, 0≦r≦1.0, 0≦s≦1.0 and −0.10≦y≦0.20, respectively; and wherein the complex oxide particle is subjected to a heat treatment after the coating layer is formed thereon, wherein the heat treatment is performed under an inert atmosphere.