A method of producing a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the method includes preparing nickel-containing composite oxide particles having a ratio .sup.1D.sub.90/.sup.1D.sub.10 of a 90% particle size .sup.1D.sub.90 to a 10% particle size .sup.1D.sub.10 in volume-based cumulative particle size distribution is 3 or less; mixing the composite oxide particles and a lithium compound to obtain a first mixture; subjecting the first mixture to a first heat treatment at a first temperature and a second heat treatment at a second temperature higher than the first temperature to obtain a first heat-treated product; and subjecting the first heat-treated material to a dispersion treatment.

A washing method for a ternary precursor is provided. According to the washing method, by means of multi-stage alcohol leaching, on the premise of ensuring that various properties of a washed material to be dried are identical to those of a material to be dried in a conventional washing process, the moisture contained in the washed material is less, and the washed material is easier to dry. In the washing method for the ternary precursor, a washing procedure in a back-end program of an existing washing procedure is replaced with at least two stages of echelon multistage washing procedures, and the mass fraction of an alcohol solution in a post-washing procedure is higher than that of the alcohol solution in a pre-washing procedure.

Provided is a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that improves the cycling characteristic and high-temperature storability without impairing the charge/discharge capacity and the output characteristics. A nickel cobalt containing composite hydroxide is obtained by using a batch type crystallization method in which a raw material aqueous solution that includes Ni, Co and Mg is supplied in an inert atmosphere to a reaction aqueous solution that is controlled so that the temperature is within the range 45 C. to 55 C., the pH value is within the range 10.8 to 11.8 at a reference liquid temperature of 25 C., and the ammonium-ion concentration is within the range 8 g/L to 12 g/L. An Al-coated composite hydroxide that is expressed by the general formula: Ni.sub.1-x-y-zCo.sub.xAl.sub.yMg.sub.z(OH).sub.2 (where, 0.05x0.20, 0.01y0.06, and 0.01z0.03) is obtained by mixing a slurry that includes the nickel cobalt containing composite hydroxide with a coating aqueous solution that includes Al to form a mixed aqueous solution, and coating the secondary particles with a coating film that includes Al or an Al compound. A cathode active material that is configured so that component elements that include Al are uniformly dispersed in the secondary particles is synthesized using the Al-coated composite hydroxide as a precursor.

A 3D semiconductor device including: a first level including a first single crystal layer and first transistors, which each include a single crystal channel; a first metal layer with an overlaying second metal layer; a second level including second transistors, overlaying the first level; a third level including third transistors, overlaying the second level; a fourth level including fourth transistors, overlaying the third level, where the second level includes first memory cells, where each of the first memory cells includes at least one of the second transistors, where the fourth level includes second memory cells, where each of the second memory cells includes at least one of the fourth transistors, where the first level includes memory control circuits, where second memory cells include at least four memory arrays, each of the four memory arrays are independently controlled, and at least one of the second transistors includes a metal gate.

Disclosed is a positive electrode material for a high-power lithium ion battery. The positive electrode material is in form of secondary particles with a hollow microsphere structure, and a shell of the secondary particles is formed by aggregating a plurality of primary particles. The secondary particles have a uniform particle size, a loose and porous surface, and a large specific surface area. The obtained particles are regular in shape, stable in material structure, so that the positive electrode material has high rate performance and excellent cycle performance. The disclosure also provides a preparation method for the positive electrode material comprising (1) synthesizing a Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yM.sub.z(OH).sub.2 precursor by a co-precipitation method, such that the precursor has a central portion consisted by fine particles and a shell portion consisted by large particles having a larger particle size than that of the fine particles; (2) mixing the precursor and a lithium salt uniformly, and adding an oxide of a doping element during the mixing, and then sintering the mixture to provide a Li.sub.aNi.sub.xCo.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.2 positive electrode material. The preparation method is simple and low cost, and can be industrialized.

The present invention provides a composition for forming an electrode active material layer for lithium ion secondary batteries, the composition comprising an electrode active material and a carbon nanotube, wherein the content of the carbon nanotube is 0.01 to 1.4 mass % and the content of electrode constituent materials other than the electrode active material and the carbon nanotube is 0 to 10.0 mass %, based on the total amount of the composition taken as 100 mass %. This composition for forming an electrode active material layer for lithium ion secondary batteries is capable of producing a battery with extended life. After discharging the battery from a state of charge (SOC) of 100% to an SOC of 90% at 25 C. and 2.5 C, the discharging is paused for 10 minutes and an increase in voltage at pause is measured. The internal resistance is calculated according to the following formula (2):

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{Internal}\mathrm{resistance}=\left(\mathrm{Increase}\mathrm{in}\mathrm{voltage}\mathrm{at}\mathrm{pause}\left(V\right)/\mathrm{Current}\mathrm{value}\mathrm{during}\mathrm{discharge}\left(A\right)\right)\mathrm{Facing}\mathrm{area}\mathrm{between}\mathrm{positive}\mathrm{electrode}\mathrm{and}\mathrm{negative}\mathrm{elecrtrode}\left({\mathrm{cm}}^2\right),& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

whereby uneven reaction distribution in the battery, which causes a rapid decrease of the capacity (secondary deterioration), can be assessed.

Disclosed are: nickel complex hydroxide particles that have small and uniform particle diameters; and a method by which the nickel complex hydroxide particles can be produced. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing a nickel complex hydroxide by a crystallization reaction, which comprises: a nucleation step in which nucleation is carried out, while controlling an aqueous solution for nucleation containing an ammonium ion supplying material and a metal compound that contains nickel to have a pH of 12.0-13.4 at a liquid temperature of 25 C.; and a particle growth step in which nuclei are grown, while controlling an aqueous solution for particle growth containing the nuclei, which have been formed in the nucleation step, to have a pH of 10.5-12.0 at a liquid temperature of 25 C. In this connection, the pH in the particle growth step is controlled to be less than the pH in the nucleation step.

Provided is a positive active material, a positive electrode including the positive active material, a lithium battery, and a manufacturing method of the same. The positive active material includes a core including a lithium nickel composite oxide and a coating layer formed on the core. The coating layer improves structural stability of the positive active material. Accordingly, lifespan properties of a lithium battery including the positive active material may be improved.

The disclosed embodiments relate to the manufacture of a precursor co-precipitate material for a cathode active material composition. During manufacture of the precursor co-precipitate material, an aqueous solution containing at least one of a manganese sulfate and a cobalt sulfate is formed. Next, a NH.sub.4OH solution is added to the aqueous solution to form a particulate solution comprising irregular secondary particles of the precursor co-precipitate material. A constant pH in the range of 10-12 is also maintained in the particulate solution by adding a basic solution to the particulate solution.

A nickel composite hydroxide represented by Ni.sub.1-x-y-zCo.sub.xMn.sub.yM.sub.z(OH).sub.2+A (where 0x0.35, 0y0.35, 0z0.1, 0<x+y, 0<x+y+z0.7, 0A0.5, with M being at least one of V, Mg, Al, Ti, Mo, Nb, Zr and W), a plate-shaped crystal core is generated by allowing a crystal core generating aqueous solution containing cobalt and/or manganese to have a pH value of 7.5 to 11.1 at a standard liquid temperature of 25 C., and slurry for the particle growth containing the plate-shaped crystal core is adjusted to a pH value of 10.5 to 12.5 at a standard liquid temperature of 25 C., while a mixed aqueous solution containing a metal compound containing at least nickel is being supplied thereto, so that the crystal core is grown as particles.