Positive active material for rechargeable lithium battery, method of manufacturing the same and rechargeable lithium battery using the same

1. A positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, the positive active material comprising:

a secondary particle formed of a plurality of primary particles, the primary particles being made of a metal compound capable of intercalating/deintercalating lithium; and

a coating layer on a surface of the secondary particle in an island arrangement having a varying distribution, the coating layer including a metal oxide,

wherein:

the secondary particle includes pores formed by the primary particles, the pores including a surface pore on the surface of the secondary particle and an internal pore inside the secondary particle,

the metal oxide of the coating layer fills a portion of the surface pore of the secondary particle,

the metal oxide of the coating layer fills a portion of the internal pore of the secondary particle in response to a vacuum treatment of a mixture of the secondary particle and a coating liquid, and

a metal of the metal oxide includes Li, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ba, Hf, La, or a mixture thereof.

2. The positive active material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal compound capable of intercalating/deintercalating lithium includes at least one of Li a Li a A 1-b X b D 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5); Li a A 1-b X b O 2-c T c (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05); Li a E 1-b X b O 2-c D c (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05); Li a E 2-b X b O 4-c T c (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05); Li a Ni 1-b-c Co b X c D a (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0≦α≦2); Li a Ni 1-b-c Co b X c O 2-α T α (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0≦α≦2); Li a Ni 1-b-c Co b X c O 2-α T 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0≦α≦2); Li a Ni 1-b-c Mn b X c D α (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0≦α≦2); Li a Ni 1-b-c Mn b X c O 2-α T α (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0≦α≦2); Li a Ni 1-b-c Mn b X c O 2-α T 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0≦α≦2); Li a Ni b E c G d O 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.9, 0≦c≦0.5, 0.001≦d≦0.1); Li a Ni b Co c Mn d G e O 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0≦b≦0.9, 0≦c≦0.5, 0≦d≦0.5, 0.001≦e≦0.1); Li a NiG b O 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0.001≦b≦0.1); Li a CoG b O 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0.001≦b≦0.1); Li a MnG′ b O 2 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0.001≦b≦0.1); Li a Mn 2 G b O 4 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0.001≦b≦0.1); Li a MnG′ b PO 4 (0.90≦a≦1.8, 0.001≦b≦0.1); LiNiVO 4 ; and Li (3-f) J 2 (PO 4 ) 3 :

wherein A is Ni, Co, Mn, or combinations thereof; X is Al, Ni, Co, Mn, Cr, Fe, Mg, Sr, V, a rare earth element, or combinations thereof; D is O, F, S, P, or combinations thereof; E is Co, Mn, Ni, or combinations thereof; T is F, S, P, or combinations thereof; G is Ni, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Mg, La, Ce, Sr, V, or combinations thereof; G′ is Ni, Al, Cr, Fe, Mg, La, Ce, Sr, V, or combinations thereof; Q is Ti, Mo, Mn, Ni, or combinations thereof; Z is Cr, V, Fe, Sc, Y, Ni, or combinations thereof; and J is V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, or combinations thereof.

3. A rechargeable lithium battery, comprising:

a positive electrode;

a negative electrode; and

an electrolyte,

wherein the positive electrode includes a current collector and a positive active material layer on the current collector, the positive active material layer including the positive active material as claimed in claim 1 .

4. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the electrolyte includes a non-aqueous organic solvent and a lithium salt.

5. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

6. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the separator is a single-layer or a multi-layer structure including at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride.

7. The positive active material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide includes aluminum oxide.