Patent ID: 8034486

Claim:
A method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery comprising: coating at least one lithiated compound with an organic solution of coating material source, the organic solution excluding water and prepared by adding a coating material source to an organic solvent forming a mixture, to produce a coated lithiated compound; and drying the coated lithiated compound at a temperature between 60° C. and 100° C. to form a surface treatment layer on the coated lithiated compound without heat-treating the dried coated lithiated compound, thereby preparing the positive active material, wherein the surface treatment layer includes a coating element included in a hydroxide, oxyhydroxide, oxycarbonate, hydroxycarbonate or a mixture thereof, wherein when the surface treatment layer includes the coating element included in the oxyhydroxide, oxycarbonate, hydroxycarbonate or the mixture thereof, the coating element is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Co, K, Na, Ca, Si, Ti, Sn, B, Ge, Ga, B, As, Zr, and a mixture thereof, wherein when the surface treatment layer includes the coating element included in the hydroxide, the coating element is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Co, Ca, Si, Ti, Sn, B, Ge, Ga, B, As, Zr, and a mixture thereof, and wherein the at least one lithiated compound is prepared by mixing a lithium source, a metal source, and a solvent and the mixture is heat-treated twice.