Method of controlling voltage delay and RDC growth in an electrochemical cell using low basis weight cathode material

An electrochemical cell comprising a lithium anode, a silver vanadium oxide cathode having a relatively lower basis weight, and an electrolyte activating the anode and the cathode is described. By limiting the amount of cathode active material per unit area (i.e. basis weight) facing the anode in the Li/SVO cell, the magnitude of the passivating film growth at the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and its relative impermeability to lithium ion diffusion is reduced. Therefore, by using a cathode of a relatively low basis weight active material, it is possible to eliminate or significantly reduce undesirable irreversible Rdc growth and voltage delay in the cell and to extend its useful life in an implantable medical device.