The atomic layer deposition (ALD) method has gained continuously increasing interest as a future manufacturing technology for microelectronics, and also several other potential application areas have been pointed out. This interest arises from the excellent conformality and large area uniformity and the atomic level composition and thickness control offered by ALD through its self-limiting film growth mechanism. While the ALD method is currently widely examined worldwide, a majority of the research is still largely focused on rather limited number of processes. A wider application of ALD in microelectronics and elsewhere is directly dependent on the availability of appropriate processes. There is thus a continuous need for developing cost-effective ALD processes for materials of an interest, like metals, metal nitrides, and high-k and ferroelectric oxides. In this presentation, recent advancements in ALD process development will be presented, mostly focusing on metals. Challenges for the future research will be discussed too.