Negative electrode for lithium secondary battery and lithium secondary battery

1. A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery comprising a negative electrode obtained by providing an active material layer containing particles of an active material containing at least one of silicon and a silicon alloy and a polyimide binder on a surface of a current collector comprising an electrically conductive metal foil, and sintering the layer under a non-oxidizing atmosphere;

wherein the mean particle diameter of the particles of the active material is not smaller than 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm, and the particle size distribution is such that at least 60 volume % of the particles are in a range of not smaller than 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm.

2. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein oxygen content of the particles of the active material is not greater than 0.5 weight %.

3. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the particle size distribution is such that less than 40 volume % of the particles have a diameter of less than 1 μm.

4. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of the active material are silicon particles.

5. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein surface roughness (Ra) of the current collector on which the active layer is provided is at least 0.2 μm.

6. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the current collector is selected from the group consisting of a copper foil, a copper alloy foil, and a metal foil having a layer of a copper or copper alloy on its surface.

7. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the current collector is selected from the group consisting of an electrolytic copper foil, an electrolytic copper alloy foil, and a metal foil having a layer of electrolytic copper or electrolytic copper alloy on its surface.

8. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the polyimide binder remains in the active material layer after sintering.

9. The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the active material layer further contains an electrically conductive powder.

10. A lithium secondary battery comprising a negative electrode, a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode active material and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode is obtained by providing an active material layer containing particles of an active material containing at least one of silicon and a silicon alloy and a polyimide binder on a surface of a current collector comprising an electrically conductive metal foil, and sintering the layer under a non-oxidizing atmosphere;

and wherein the mean particle diameter of the particles of the active material is not smaller than 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm, and the particle size distribution is such that at least 60 volume % of the particles are in a range of not smaller than 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm.

11. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein oxygen content of the particles of the active material is not greater than 0.5 weight %.

12. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the particle size distribution is such that less than 40 volume % of the particles have a diameter of less than 1 μm.

13. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the particles of the active material are silicon particles.

14. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein surface roughness (Ra) of the current collector on which the active layer is provided is at least 0.2 μm.

15. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the current collector is selected from the group consisting of a copper foil, a copper alloy foil, and a metal foil having a layer of a copper or copper alloy on its surface.

16. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the current collector is selected from the group consisting of an electrolytic copper foil, an electrolytic copper alloy foil, and a metal foil having a layer of electrolytic copper or electrolytic copper alloy on its surface.

17. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the polyimide binder remains in the active material layer after sintering.

18. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein the active material layer further contains an electrically conductive powder.

19. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 10 , wherein a solvent for the nonaqueous electrolyte contains vinylene carbonate.

20. A lithium secondary battery comprising a negative electrode, a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode active material and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode is obtained by providing an active material layer containing particles of an active material containing at least one of silicon and a silicon alloy and a polyimide bimder on a surface of a current collector comprising an electrically conductive metal foil, and sintering the layer under a non-oxidizing atmosphere;

wherein the mean particle diameter of the particles of the active material is not smaller than 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm, and the particle size distribution is such that at least 60 volume % of the particles are in a range of not smaller than 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm; and

wherein the nonaqueous electrolyte contains not less than 0.1 weight % vinylene carbonate in the solvent.