1. An electrode mixture comprising
a lithium mixed metal oxide having a BET specific surface area of 2 to 30 m2g,
a water-soluble polymer having an acid functional group,
water and
an electrically conductive material.
2. The electrode mixture according to claim 1, wherein the lithium mixed metal oxide is represented by the following formula (1):
Liz(Ni1-(x+y)MnxMy)O2\u2003\u2003(1)
wherein x is not less than 0.3 and less than 1,
y is not less than 0 and less than 0.7,
x+y is not less than 0.3 and less than 1,
z is not less than 0.5 and not more than 1.5 and
M represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Co, Al, Ti, Mg and Fe.
3. The electrode mixture according to claim 1, wherein the acid functional group is one or more groups selected from the group consisting of carboxyl group, sulfo group, thiol group and phosphate group.
4. The electrode mixture according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer having an acid functional group contains one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl starch, starch phosphate, algic acid, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid and polystyrene sulfonate.
5. The electrode mixture according to claim 1, further comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of an aqueous emulsion and an aqueous dispersion.
6. The electrode mixture according to claim 5, wherein the aqueous emulsion is one or more emulsions selected from the group consisting of an emulsion of vinyl-based polymer and an emulsion of acrylic-based polymer.
7. The electrode mixture according to claim 5, wherein the aqueous dispersion is a polytetrafluoroethylene-based dispersion.
8. The electrode mixture according to claim 1, further comprising a thickening agent.
9. The electrode mixture according to claim 8, wherein the thickening agent contains one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyethylene glycol, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.
10. The electrode mixture according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material contains a carbonaceous material.
11. An electrode produced by applying the electrode mixture according to claim 1 on an electrode current collector, and then drying the applied current collector.
12. A lithium secondary battery comprising the electrode according to claim 11 as a positive electrode.
13. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 12, further comprising a separator.
14. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 13, wherein the separator is a laminate film in which a heat resistant porous layer and a porous film are stacked on each other.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of forming at least one through via in a semiconductor substrate comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate having an active surface including a plurality of discrete conductive elements thereon, an opposing back surface, and at least one active region;
removing at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate underlying at least one of the plurality of discrete conductive elements to form at least one first partial via extending from the active surface partially through the semiconductor substrate to at least a junction depth of the at least one active region, wherein forming the at least one first partial via is effected at a temperature sufficiently low to prevent redistribution of dopant in the at least one active region; and
removing at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate to form at least one second partial via extending from the back surface partially through the semiconductor substrate.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming an aperture through the at least one of the plurality of discrete conductive elements prior to removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate thereunder.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein forming the aperture is effected by at least one of wet etching, dry etching, and laser drilling.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises removing material from the semiconductor substrate in a direction from the active surface toward the back surface to form the at least one first partial via.
5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising forming the at least one first partial via to extend beneath the active surface to a depth of between about 5 \u03bcm and about 20 \u03bcm.
6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising forming the at least one first partial via to extend beneath the active surface to a depth of between about 5 \u03bcm and about 10 \u03bcm.
7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising forming the at least one first partial via to extend from the active surface to a depth beyond the depth of the at least one active region.
8. The method according to claim 4, wherein removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate is effected by at least one of wet etching, dry etching, and laser drilling.
9. The method according to claim 4, wherein removing the at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises removing material from the semiconductor substrate in a direction from the back surface toward the active surface to form the at least one second partial via.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein removing the at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate occurs after removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein removing the at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate is effected by laser drilling.
12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
selectively applying a pulse of laser energy to the semiconductor substrate at a location of the at least one first partial via to partially form the at least one second partial via;
selectively applying a pulse of laser energy to the semiconductor substrate in another location to partially form at least one additional second partial via in alignment with at least one additional first partial via; and
alternating applications of pulses of laser energy between at least the location of the at least one first partial via and the another location to form the at least one second partial via and the at least one additional second partial via.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein removing the at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate occurs before removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein removing the at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises removing material from the semiconductor substrate in a direction from the back surface toward the active surface to form the at least one second partial via.
15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising forming the at least one second partial via to extend from the back surface to about at least the depth of the at least one active region.
16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising forming the at least one second partial via to extend from the back surface to a depth from the active surface greater than the depth of the at least one active region.
17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising forming the at least one second partial via to terminate within about 25 \u03bcm or more from the at least one active region.
18. The method according to claim 14, wherein removing the at least one second portion of the semiconductor substrate is effected by laser drilling.
19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:
selectively applying a pulse of laser energy to the semiconductor substrate at a location to partially form the at least one second partial via;
selectively applying a pulse of laser energy to the semiconductor substrate in another location to partially form at least one additional second partial via; and
alternating applications of pulses of laser energy between at least the location and the another location to form the at least one second partial via and the at least one additional second partial via.
20. The method according to claim 14, wherein removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises removing material from the semiconductor substrate between a terminus of the at least one second partial via within the semiconductor substrate
and the at least one of the plurality of discrete conductive elements in a direction from the back surface toward the active surface to form the at least one first partial via.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises dry etching.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dry etching comprises a deep reactive ion etch employing an etchant plasma and a passivant plasma.
23. The method according to claim 14, further comprising forming an aperture in the at least one of the plurality of discrete conductive elements prior to removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the forming the aperture is effected by at least one of wet etching, dry etching, and laser drilling.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises removing material from the semiconductor substrate in a direction from the active surface toward the back surface to form the at least one first partial via.
26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising forming the at least one first partial via to extend beneath the active surface to a depth of between about 5 \u03bcm and about 20 \u03bcm.
27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising forming the at least one first partial via to extend beneath the active surface to a depth of between about 5 \u03bcm and about 10 \u03bcm.
28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising forming the at least one first partial via to extend from the active surface to a greater depth than the depth of the at least one active region.
29. The method according to claim 24, wherein removing the at least one first portion of the semiconductor substrate is effected by at least one of wet etching, dry etching, and laser drilling.