Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been widely studied in Micro-electronics due to its self-terminating property. ALD also grows film coatings with precise thickness and nodular-free structure, which are desirable properties for high power coatings. The depositing process was studied to produce uniform, stable and economic Al2O3 single layers. The layer properties relevant to high power laser industry were studied and compared with IBS Al2O3 single layers. ALD Al2O3 showed a stable growth of 0.104 nm/cycle, band gap energy of 6.5 eV and tensile stress of about 480 MPa. It also showed a low absorption at wavelength 1064 nm within several ppm, and LIDT above 30 J/cm2. These properties are superior to the reference IBS Al2O3 single layers and indicate a high versatility of ALD Al2O3 for high power coatings. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.