Patent ID: 7410728

Claim:
An electrode for a lithium battery, in which a thin film of active material comprising silicon and/or germanium and capable of alloy formation with lithium and capable of storage and release of lithium is provided, through an interlayer, on a current collector, said electrode being characterized in that said interlayer consists of copper; said current collector comprises a foil made of a metal or alloy which is higher in tensile strength and tensile modulus than the copper of said interlayer, said metal or alloy being at least one member selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel alloy, iron, iron alloy, stainless steel, molybdenum, tungsten and tantalum; the thin film of active material is divided into columns by gaps formed therein, via a charge-discharge reaction thereof, in a manner to extend in its thickness direction, and said columnar portions are at their bottoms adhered to the interlayer.