NOVELTY - An anode assembly designed in use to be a component of a secondary lithium battery, comprises an electronically-conductive substrate (20); a lithium metal anode (18) in contact with the substrate; and an electronically-insulating, lithium ion-conducting, lithium-stable, solid electrolyte (14) covering the anode.    USE - As anode assembly designed in use to be a component of a secondary lithium battery such as thin-film, thick-film, and a bulk lithium secondary battery used in electrically-powered device (claimed); and as power sources for portable electronic equipment in the fields of office automation equipment, household electronic equipment, and communication equipment e.g. radio-frequency identification (RFID) and personal digital assistants (PDAs).    ADVANTAGE - Since it is impossible to directly deposit the solid electrolyte onto the lithium metal, the battery allows the anode assemblies to be efficiently manufactured. The anode provides battery that provides safety because the protective solid electrolyte layer between the lithium metal anode and liquid or gel-type electrolyte prevents formation of dendrites during recharging of the battery. The solid electrolyte is made of material that is stable in contact with lithium metal and prevents degradation of the anode. Since lithium metal anodes have ten times the capacity of lithium carbide anodes, and lithium is one-tenth the weight and one-third the volume of lithium carbide anodes having equivalent electrical capacity, the anode assemblies and batteries incorporating them have higher electrical capacities for the same size and weight, or have reduced size and weight for the same electrical capacities.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) making the anode assembly for a lithium-metal secondary battery, involving providing an electronically-conductive substrate; at least partially covering substrate with an electronically-insulating, lithium ion-conducting, lithium-stable, solid electrolyte material; providing a lithium-containing cathode (30) material; providing an electrolyte bath (28) sized to receive the cathode material and the substrate that is at least partially covered with solid electrolyte material; placing the cathode and substrate that is at least partially covered with solid electrolyte material into electrolyte bath; and flowing an electrical current between substrate and cathode for depositing a lithium metal anode on substrate through the solid electrolyte material;    (2) a secondary lithium battery comprising the anode assembly, where the lithium metal anode is prevented from contact with liquid or gel-type electrolyte by electronically-insulating, lithium ion-conducting, lithium-stable, solid electrolyte material;    (3) a thick-film or bulk secondary lithium battery made by the method and comprising a solid electrolyte as the only electrolyte, where electrolyte is comprised entirely of the electronically-insulating, lithium ion-conducting, lithium-stable, solid electrolyte material; or is comprised of at least one second solid electrolyte material(s), in contact with electrolyte material;    (4) a method of providing an electric current to a device involving placing in operative electrical connection with the device, secondary lithium battery, and activating the battery to provide an electrical current to the device; and    (5) a method of recharging a lithium battery involving flowing an electric current into an anode of a secondary lithium battery to prevent dendrite formation on the lithium metal anode.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a cross-sectional view of the process conducted in an electrolytic solution for forming a lithium metal anode between substrate and solid electrolyte protective layer.    Electrolyte (14)    Anode (18)    Substrate (20)    Electrolyte bath (28)    Cathode (30)