A method for forming lithium electrodes having protective layers involves
plating lithium between a lithium ion conductive protective layer and a
current collector of an "electrode precursor." The electrode precursor is
formed by depositing the protective layer on a very smooth surface of a
current collector. The protective layer is a glass such as lithium
phosphorus oxynitride and the current collector is a conductive sheet such
as a copper sheet. During plating, lithium ions move through the
protective layer and a lithium metal layer plates onto the surface of the
current collector. The resulting structure is a protected lithium
electrode. To facilitate uniform lithium plating, the electrode precursor
may include a "wetting layer" which coats the current collector.
