All-solid-state thin-film lithium batteries were fabricated on stainless steel substrates with a reversed structural configuration of stainless steel (SS)/Li/Lipon/LixV2O5/Cu using sequential thin-film deposition techniques. The initial thin-film battery had a cell configuration of SS/Lipon/Li1.3V2O5/Cu. During the first charging cycle, metallic Li was electroplated in between the Lipon layer and stainless steel substrate to form the anode. As corroborated by ac impedance measurements, the formation of a metallic lithium anode layer was confirmed. These cells were fabricated with a 1 cm(2) active area which delivered a discharge capacity of 43 muAh/cm(2) mum at room temperature and showed a high cycle stability up to 770 cycles at a current density of 0.1 mA/cm(2). (C) 2003 The Electrochemical Society.