An electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery which includes a thin film composed of active material that expands and shrinks as it stores and releases lithium, e.g., a microcrystalline or amorphous silicon thin film, deposited on a current collector, characterized in that said current collector exhibits a tensile strength (=tensile strength (N/mm.sup.2) per sectional area of the current collector material.times.thickness (mm) of the current collector) of not less than 3.82 N/mm.