Method of manufacturing electrode for rechargeable battery including process of drying electrode slurry by applying vacuum in certain direction

1. A method of manufacturing an electrode for a rechargeable battery, comprising:

(a) coating electrode slurry including an electrode active material, a binder, and a solvent on one surface of a sheet current collector; and

(b) drying the electrode slurry while applying vacuum in a direction to decrease agglomeration of the binder due to vaporization of the solvent,

wherein the sheet current collector is located on an XY plane at Z=0,

the electrode slurry is coated on one surface of the sheet current collector, on the XY plane under a condition of Z>0, and

the vacuum is applied in one or more directions of optional directions satisfying Z<0 opposite directions to the surface of the electrode slurry or optional directions on the XY plane at Z=0 are side directions to the surface of the electrode slurry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is applied in the optional direction satisfying Z<0.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is applied in a first direction and a second direction on the XY pane at Z=0 simultaneously, and the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is a pressure of 0.8 atm or less.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is a pressure of 0.01 atm or more and 0.4 atm or less.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is maintained at constant pressure, or the pressure is changed.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum pressure is changed with periodic variability.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process (b) is carried out in a drying oven to apply heat.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the process (b), the electrode slurry coated on the sheet current collector is dried by a continuous process.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein in the process (b), the continuous process is carried out with the other surface of the sheet current collector on which the electrode slurry is coated being in contact with transfer equipment.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transfer equipment is a conveyor belt.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the conveyor belt is at least partially composed of a penetrated structure so that the vacuum is applied to the sheet current collector.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet current collector has a thickness of 4 μm to 20 μm.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet current collector has a thickness of 4 μm to 10 μm.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode slurry further includes a conductive material.