Patent ID: 7645542

Claim:
An active material for a positive electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery consisting essentially of a lithium-metal composite oxide expressed by the general formula of Li x (Ni 1-y Co y ) 1-z M z O 2 , in which: 0.98≦x≦1.10, 0.05≦y≦0.4, 0.01≦z≦0.2 and M is at least one metal element selected from the group of Al, Mg, Mn, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga; wherein SO 4 ions are present in an amount ranging from 0.4 weight % to 2.5 weight %, and the occupancy rate of lithium found from the x-ray diffraction chart and using Rietveld analysis is 98% or greater.